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I wanna be an investment banker

I'm currently at the University of Exeter, I'm in my second year studying maths. I got a 1st in my first year. I'm starting to think about what I actually want to do with the rest of my life, both investment banking and actuary interest me. But after speaking to some friends many said that me studying at Exeter will put me at a disadvantage(because it isn't prestige enough). I do plan on going on to do Masters, I really like Kings, but now I feel like that isnt prestige enough either.

Also I have started looking for summer internships
Reply 1
bump
Reply 2
have you got any experience?
You’re at a disadvantage statistically speaking but Exeter is a semi-target and send people every year so no reason why you can’t with some hard work
Reply 4
Original post by SaucyStiglitz
You’re at a disadvantage statistically speaking but Exeter is a semi-target and send people every year so no reason why you can’t with some hard work


How am I disadvantaged statistically?
Reply 5
Original post by eez
have you got any experience?

I've started applying to some Spring Internships
People who talk about the prestige of certain universities when applying for competitive jobs rarely know what they're talking about.

There was an article on here a few months ago telling the story of an A&F student at Keele who got straight into a £100k+ job after graduating.

The point if you're a competent applicant, your application won't get throw away because you went to Exeter (oh god the horror).
Original post by sarahgullam
How am I disadvantaged statistically?


Just in the sense that there are a lot less graduates from Exeter breaking into IB compared to if you was at say a target who send the vast majority
Original post by HoldThisL
People who talk about the prestige of certain universities when applying for competitive jobs rarely know what they're talking about.

There was an article on here a few months ago telling the story of an A&F student at Keele who got straight into a £100k+ job after graduating.

The point if you're a competent applicant, your application won't get throw away because you went to Exeter (oh god the horror).


What job was this lmao?
Original post by SaucyStiglitz
Just in the sense that there are a lot less graduates from Exeter breaking into IB compared to if you was at say a target who send the vast majority

That probably has more to do with Exeter having fewer people applying.

I'd be interested to see the numbers by university of Success rates, but it doesn't really tell the story if Oxford has 10 000 applicants for Goldman and 40 are accepted, while Birmingham has 500 and 3 are accepted. Of course, these don't get published, so it's a guessing game. As with any other employer, banks 'target' schools which feed into their internships. It's not going to be a target if enough people don't apply, yet it doesn't mean you're at a disadvantage.

This isn't America as campus recruiting doesn't really exist, and at most a CV with X university is just a way to keep the recruiter reading on. Plus the closer the uni is to London the more likely it is to have campus visits, and not necessarily be a better university. Like City, over pretty much any RG uni.
(edited 5 years ago)
Original post by LostAccount
That probably has more to do with Exeter having fewer people applying.

I'd be interested to see the numbers by university of Success rates, but it doesn't really tell the story if Oxford has 10 000 applicants for Goldman and 40 are accepted, while Birmingham has 500 and 3 are accepted. Of course, these don't get published, so it's a guessing game. As with any other employer, banks 'target' schools which feed into their internships. It's not going to be a target if enough people don't apply, yet it doesn't mean you're at a disadvantage.

This isn't America as campus recruiting doesn't really exist, and at most a CV with X university is just a way to keep the recruiter reading on. Plus the closer the uni is to London the more likely it is to have campus visits, and not necessarily be a better university. Like City, over pretty much any RG uni.


Yeah agree with the amount applying from targets being higher, that success rate statistic would be very interesting.

I’d still say, like you alluded to, the fact that Exeter doesn’t have the bank presence that other targets have does have some effect. The networking is clearly nothing like it is in the US but still banks are not there for nothing.
Still, Exeter is a great uni(I applied there myself) and obviously if someone is a strong candidate from there they will be in with a fine shot, just don’t think its insane to say that the targets do offer benefits name/support wise when applying.
Original post by SaucyStiglitz
Yeah agree with the amount applying from targets being higher, that success rate statistic would be very interesting.

I’d still say, like you alluded to, the fact that Exeter doesn’t have the bank presence that other targets have does have some effect. The networking is clearly nothing like it is in the US but still banks are not there for nothing.
Still, Exeter is a great uni(I applied there myself) and obviously if someone is a strong candidate from there they will be in with a fine shot, just don’t think its insane to say that the targets do offer benefits name/support wise when applying.


Exeter does alright. We've had a decent spell of firms on campus.. Evercore, JPM, Lazard, Citi, Barclays, HSBC, Nomura, BCG etc etc. It's of course a bit harder because you don't have the pull that a full-blown target would have and maybe not the same culture of applying vehemently that other semi-targets have (like Bristol or Durham or Notts) but you'll do alright if you're good enough, connect with people and have luck on your side.

Last year was a bit better with springs and summers - we had like 3 people from my accomodation alone get top springs, upwards of 20+ across the uni, decent spread of firms for last summer (this one has been brutal idk). industrial placements are where the uni shines though - MS, UBS, GS etc basically fill most of their IP spots with exe/bath people.
Original post by Princepieman
Exeter does alright. We've had a decent spell of firms on campus.. Evercore, JPM, Lazard, Citi, Barclays, HSBC, Nomura, BCG etc etc. It's of course a bit harder because you don't have the pull that a full-blown target would have and maybe not the same culture of applying vehemently that other semi-targets have (like Bristol or Durham or Notts) but you'll do alright if you're good enough, connect with people and have luck on your side.

Last year was a bit better with springs and summers - we had like 3 people from my accomodation alone get top springs, upwards of 20+ across the uni, decent spread of firms for last summer (this one has been brutal idk). industrial placements are where the uni shines though - MS, UBS, GS etc basically fill most of their IP spots with exe/bath people.


Yeah that’s exactly what I was saying, Exeter definitely does have bank presence and gets people in, just stronger targets offer that bit more
I’ve actually got to choose between Bristol and Notts and struggling a lot because they’re so similar, shame because I prefer Exeter’s course

Yeah its been interesting to watch the summer thread this year, seems to be a lot of randomness.
I never knew Exeter were heavy on the IP spots like Bath that’s interesting, would you say an IP with one of the banks you mentioned could replace getting a spring week/internship? could possibly be a route if someone gets rejected for both sw/internship?

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