<p>OP, my advice is to closely examine the source, the one above has no real info and is encouraging you to lie. The hiring process for banks is thorough. We don’t miss ‘little things’ like where you spent the last 4 years. Often we will invite your significant other to an event to get to know you even better.</p>
<p>You must keep in mind that you are dealing with one of the snootiest cohorts of people that ever walked the earth. You first have to worry about them looking down at NYU before you worry about them looking yet further down at where you transferred there from.</p>
<p>I’m talking strictly front office, traditional investment banking functions here, not other areas of these firms which may be significantly more democratic.</p>
<p>I never once told the OP to lie. I was very clear that he needs to be honest if the topic comes up. Leaving your CC off your resume is not lying. You do not have to put every little thing about you on your resume - only things you want to highlight.</p>
<p>And my sources are students who have gone through exactly what the OP is going through, who all got front-office IBD jobs in the past 2 years, which were the worst recruiting years of all time. I’m not sure how much more “real info” I can give. I can’t divulge their real names in an online forum. To the OP: PM me and I can try to get you in touch with some of them - they may have more specific advice about this process.</p>
<p>But yes, I agree that there will be a number of instances where the topic of a CC transfer can be uncovered in an interview process. The OP better have a solid story prepared in case. And by “story”, I do not mean a lie but rather an honest explanation with a positive spin, i.e. “I was a slacker in high school, but I shaped up once I got to college and maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout”.</p>
<p>Gotta agree with ForeverZero here. There is no obligation to draw attention to weaker points on your resume. Leaving a CC off isn’t lying, it’s a good idea. </p>
<p>They don’t pay a much attention to whether you’ve transferred from somewhere or not (nor should they), they care where you graduated from and how you did at the school you graduated from. That’s why it’s not unreasonable to leave your study abroad school of the resume as well; even though it’s additional information, it doesn’t a heck of a lot of value to the resume because you didn’t graduate from there. That space is in most cases better filled with other more relevant information.</p>
<p>What I’m seeing here is people who don’t understand the interview process at an ibank. First, every college you ever attended should be on your resume with dates attended. Many will be checked. </p>
<p>As monydad points out, this is a quite elite (OK, we’ll go with snooty) group and where you went to high school will factor in for many. Trip if going to give his Exeter buddy the edge.</p>
<p>I interviewed with nearly every BB and a handful of elite boutiques, as well as a number of consulting firms. I was never once asked in an interview where I went to high school. The only thing from high school that is relevant for jobs is SAT scores.</p>
<p>Edit: Actually, if you apply to European offices for European banks like UBS/CS/DB/BarCap, you might get asked about high school stuff in the application - Europe’s a bit weird like that, but in the US, the only thing you’ll ever be asked from high school is SAT I scores.</p>
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<p>Blowing one’s horn is not needed here. We all know you exaggerated. From your earlier posts, you have graduated but are not employed in finance. So, despite all those interviews, no offers?</p>
<p>Was not trying to brag - sorry if it came across that way. Just simply showing that I had experience going through interviews with a variety of firms.</p>
<p>And yes, I did receive a number of offers, and will be starting with a BB in M&A this June. I am currently getting a Masters degree after completing my BS this past year.</p>
<p>Ok, this is all really getting away from the topic at hand here. People have differing opinions, and will therefore disagree - understood. People have different personal experiences and those experiences will come through in their opinions - again, understood. The bottom line is that people have different experiences - in other words, just because one bank did something does not mean that every bank does. </p>
<p>Speaking to U.S. banks, I can honestly say that they do not care about the HS that you attended for FT recruiting (again, generally, there could be an exception to the rule so don’t harp all over me as if I’ve just personally offended you). Next, U.S. banks are absolutely elitist and very focused on brand name - that said, I broke in from a complete non-target and I know many others who did the same. Additionally, I know many bankers who broke in from target and semi-target schools who were transfers to those schools. Yes, I am talking about front-office, making deals and raising capital, modeling and pitch booking investment banking before anyone asks if I am talking about opps, middle office, etc. </p>
<p>Finally, you do not need to put your transfer college on your resume, however, I would recommend that you do. Don’t try to hide your past - it makes you stronger and can teach you a lot as well. Focus on the now, and have a good reason why you wanted to transfer (beyond “just to break into IB”) and why you don’t think you made it in the first place (if you are asked). Show off your strong GPAs, network as much as you can, jump right into clubs and retain that hunger that took you from a CC to the semi or target school ranks. That drive will shine through and is quite important is harnessed effectively (put into the right efforts, I mean). </p>
<p>Feel free to PM me if you have any further questions and remember, there will be many different opinions on this forum, some good and some not good, but all coming from different backgrounds with their own unique experiences - take from it what you will, but never allow any one person’s experience to cause you to completely change your mind without taking other experiences into account as well. Good luck.</p>
<p>IBanker</p>
<p>Thank you everyone for your replies. I’m just going to keep my GPA up really high and keep doing what I’m doing.</p>
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<p>Here’s what you’re missing–grads of Andover, St. Paul’s, Exeter, Brearley and the like have these schools on their resume.</p>
<p>Also keep in mind, the interview questions become much more detailed when you reach the point of being a serious contender for hire.</p>
<p>This is before Lehman collapsed. I did read that some transfers to USC/UCLA got jobs at Lehman. Here is the link
[USC</a> Marshall Alums Help Transfer Students Thrive](<a href=“http://www.marshall.usc.edu/news/all-articles/alums-help-transfer-students-thrive.htm]USC”>http://www.marshall.usc.edu/news/all-articles/alums-help-transfer-students-thrive.htm)</p>
<p>i don’t know any cc transfers, but it seems like at least one person a year at my semi-target (umich ross) transfers in from lesser state schools, some of which arent much better than cc’s, and gets legit offers (gs, ms, lazard, jpm, cs, mckinsey have all happened since i’ve been here). definitely the exception though, and they usually had a pretty unique story to tell.</p>
<p>Is taking summer classes at a CC looked down upon as well?</p>
<p>^ No.</p>
<p>@hmom5: even in final rounds, high school never came up as a topic. I suppose if you happened to run into an alum you knew, it would help establish a connection, but I’ve found that university connections are infinitely stronger. I went to a good private high school (top 3 in my home state), and have yet to run into an alum at an i-bank. On the other hand, I’ve encountered college classmates at just about every group I applied to. If you’re from a target school, that alone will give you all the connections you need.</p>
<p>Did I read above that you do not work at a bank? I’d have to say that even if you did, it would take you a couple of years to begin to fully understand how they work. One day you just realize that 75% of a group attended a top 5 NE prep (what a coincidence!) and other fun facts.</p>
<p>Obviously, all other things equal, going to a top prep school is better than not. But a university network will completely trump a high school network. The top prep schools have only ~100 kids per class, many of whom don’t even get into target universities. Target universities enroll 1500-2000 students per year, the majority of whom are from public schools. It seems very unlikely that most IBD groups are dominated by 5 private high schools. What IS true is that many groups are dominated by a handful of colleges. If you went to a public high school and are now at Wharton, you will have a much better chance of getting a top banking job than someone from Andover at a no-name school.</p>
<p>Unfortunately you’re incorrect, from numbers graduating to who gets hired. Let’s talk again when you’ve actually put in significant time at a bank. All of your posts have been wrong–just look at how many UCB or UCLA place compared to the tiny LACs. Dartmouth, Duke, Williams, Amherst place multiple times the numbers the hugely larger top UCs do.</p>
<p>hmom5, you have disagreed with everything that I (and others) have said so far, and yet have not put up any actual data yourself. Do you have placement stats from all these high schools, universities, and banks that you claim to be so knowledgeable about? And besides, I never claimed that the UC’s were more targeted than Dartmouth. Of course an Ivy is going to be more targeted. That doesn’t mean that the UC’s are not targeted. A single fraternity at Berkeley was able to place half its graduating class into BB’s last year. Please stop putting words in my mouth.</p>
<p>BankOnBanking said it very well - we each have our own experiences. I have no doubt that some groups are so elitist that they won’t offer a position to anyone who isn’t an Andover-educated. But I also know that many others are not. Please do not presume that 30 years spent at one bank affords you the right to completely discount the views of others who are familiar with the banking recruiting process.</p>
<p>I have to say, I met a few prep school grads at Cornell. and of course quite a few NYC private school grads, I was one myself.</p>
<p>But I never was in company with so many prep school grads, both absolutely and proportionally, as when I worked in a NYC investment bank. I thought maybe it’s because they all go from there to H or P.</p>
<p>And yes, it must have been on their resume, otherwise how would I even have known. In fact, I’m sure it was on their resume.</p>