Corporate Finance: Big-4 vs. Investment Banking

I think we're all aware of how extremely competitive IBD (BB) corporate finance is but I was wondering how it compares to big 4 CF... Would you stand a chance in B4 CF if you had say, AAB and a 2:1 in something like Geography or History from a university such as Nottingham (along with relevant/interesting work experience)?

This is basically the situation I'm likely to find myself in at the end of university and while I am aiming for the Big 4 as a potential graduate destination (& studying for the ACA), I'm not particularly interested in audit/assurance but more into corporate finance (M&A) or possibly transaction services... I'm just unsure of how realistic a prospect this is. Anyone able to add their two cents?

You will stand a very good chance providing you pass the initial online tests. PWC rank Nottingham as their favourite university to hire graduates from. They constantly visit and give tips on the application process. For CF; AAB is the entry requirement with a 2:1 or CCC with a 1st. Goodluck with your application.

PWC hire in to CF people with CCC at A-level? Is that under some sort of exceptional circumstance or something?

(please don't tell me getting a 1st at a CCC requirement uni is "exceptional")

I think you need to re read my comment

Funnily enough, it still says the same thing on second reading:

"For CF; AAB is the entry requirement with a 2:1 or CCC with a 1st"

Yep. Look at PwCs career site and see for yourself Goodluck with your application

Outstanding achievement

Outstanding potential takes many forms and academic success is just one measure. That’s why we have our 'Outstanding Achievement' entry route – it’s an innovative way we’re able to support applications from people who may not have met the academic requirements we’re looking for, but have excelled in something else.

Maybe you’ve invested time and effort to achieve amazing things outside of university, which means you didn’t gain the degree result you hoped for? Such as playing sport at a national level, managing a successful business, or accomplishing an incredible feat for charity. Or, maybe you’ve achieved a first class degree at university but fallen short of our UCAS academic requirements?

[...]

If you've already gained a 1st in your degree, or are on track for one, then we're able to accept a slightly lower UCAS tariff. In this instance we’ll accept 240 UCAS tariff for most of our vacancies.
This does exclude Strategy Consulting and Economics Consulting, who still require the higher level of UCAS points.
If this sounds like you, then you’re eligible to apply for our ‘Outstanding Achievement route’.

Yep. Look at PwCs career site and see for yourself Goodluck with your application

"Yep" doesn't quite seem to explain the need for your last post, nor do I see how you've deduced I'm applying for something? Moving on...

A look at PWCs website suggests this "outstanding achievement" route isn't quite as clear cut as getting a first at some low ranked uni and walking in with CCC. For CF in particular I imagine that would be next to impossible in reality - unless anyone has any real world examples?

Explain to me how Nottingham is 'some low ranked uni'

Explain to me where I mentioned Nottingham?

The guy from Nottingham, which incidentaly is not a conversation I was involved in, clearly states his grades are AAB not CCC - thereby clearly not the institution I was talking about...

If you look at my original comment youll see I stated nottingham, clearly you did not re read it

Seriously? Are you being a deliberate wind up?

I asked a question about the CCC comment in your original post. I did not discuss Nottingham at all, nor is it at all relevant to the question I raised which was around the CCC requirement? Sigh... never mind, feel like we're going in circles.

The PwC "outstanding achievement" scheme allows grads that don't meet the UCAS points requirement to still be eligible to apply so long as they got a first at uni. It doesn't automatically mean they will be hired, just gives people who didn't perform well at A Level a second chance, so long as they got their act together at uni. Seems fair enough to me.