<p>If one wants to be an investment banker, which path should he take? Should he go to a undergrad business school and get his bba/bsba or should he go to the arts and sciences division and major in econ etc. Also what are the benefits of getting your MBA, in respect to investment banking.</p>
<p>Degrees:</p>
<p>What matters more is the rank of the institution. Harvard and other top ivys dont give bba degrees so econ is fine in those cases. At a school where both subjects are offered, I think sometimes its better to get the business degree.</p>
<p>You're going to want to go to a target school, one that banks recruit at. These are usually the top schools in America. </p>
<p>MBA:</p>
<p>The benefit is usually you can move up at your job and get better pay. Also you get to network with people in business school so thats really valuable too.</p>
<p>You'll need the MBA to move from analyst to associate and there's a good pay hike.</p>
<p>Let's say that I'm already going to a top school, one that i-banks heavily recruit at. How can I get a top internship during college, and what can I do to ensure that I'll get an analyst position at a bulge-bracket firm (besides having a high GPA)?</p>
<p>During college, the banks should be coming to your school, so you'll be able to interview with them a summer internship. During that internship is when you're supposed to really work hard and shine, that way when it comes to being hired for full time you'll be in good standing.</p>
<p>I think you should try to visit the career services center at your school and inquire.</p>
<p>You can major in whatever you want, although some majors may be better than others. Business and econ are good, however, I have seen people with biology and English degrees get offers. Engineering students are also highly successful in getting into Ibanking and, depending on the school (especially from MIT or Stanford) may be more successful than econ/business majors. </p>
<p>GPA doesn't matter as much as people think. Obviously it helps to have a high one, but as long as you have a 3.0+, you should be fine. Penty of people with top grades get beat out by people with quite modest grades. </p>
<p>From what I've seen, the selection of IB's mostly hinges on non-academic criteria. What you should do is join the finance/econ club of your school (if your school has one) and network as much as possible. You should also, as much as possible, take as many courses as you can that teach you public speaking. Either that or join your local Toastmaster's club. Getting an IB job is really like trying to be one of the 'cool kids' in high school, and it therefore helps immensely if you are a poised and confident public speaker. You should also if however possible, make yourself look good physically - which means working out and keeping yourself in athletic shape. I almost never see anybody get hired into IB who isn't good-looking. It also means, if you're a man, investing money into making yourself look good - for example, get a good (expensive) haircut, very good shoes, a good wardrobe, etc. Most men don't really know how to make themselves look good. It's not just as simple as wearing a suit.</p>
<p>I've heard that one of the best ways to land a top internship is to actively go to the career fairs and company presentations that take place on campus. And at these events, you have to network like crazy and try to make a good impression. Also, I think many people are fortunate enough to land internships due to preexisting connections.</p>
<p>you dont need an MBA to become an associate. My cousin, an MIT undergrad in econ, is due for his vicepresident's post next year, and he'l still be only an undergrad. He's 25 now, and earning 650K +200K bonus at Goldman. He cleared his CFAs at one go which helped him become an associate.</p>
<p>I've heard of analysts being able to bypass an MBA and go straight to an associate position after 2-3 years, but that is a very rare occurence which would require extraordinary on-the-job performance.</p>