<p>I am currently a high school senior who will be enrolling at a top 10 LAC in the fall (<em>cough</em> my picture <em>cough</em>). As any curious prospective college freshman would, I've been scrambling behind my computer screen trying to figure out what exactly I want to be doing for the rest of my life. In the weeks after receiving my acceptance to Claremont McKenna, I've done some research in their strongest field of study: Economics. </p>
<p>In short, I've found that I hold a "dominant/power-hungry" personality that is so essential to careers within business. I've tried to narrow down the list of potential paths and currently have my eyes set on Investment Banking.</p>
<p>As I'm sure many of you already know, moving up the IB hierarchy for any serious employer is going to require an MBA from a prestigious institution. I do not want to be an analyst monkey and refuse a promotion for the rest of my life. I seriously see myself in a much higher position where I will be able to watch over others, meet with clients, etc. I want my work within a company to make a visible impact and simply don't see myself avoiding being a pawn with any other career.</p>
<p>So now I ask: What will my next four years of undergraduate studies look like if I want to make the leap into a Top 3 MBA after 2-3 years of work?</p>
<p>My college is very small, with an enrollment of 1,200. I wanted to attend an institution where I felt I would be able to secure a plethora of leadership positions (hence the smaller enrollment). However, there was something I did not fully realize up until after receiving admission.</p>
<p>THIS COLLEGE EMPHASIZES LEADERSHIP.</p>
<p>This means that competition is going to be cutthroat. I want to snag as much as I possibly can within four short years so that my resume shines when the time comes. Where should my focus be? What sorts of activities, grades, etc. is it going to take?</p>
<p>Thanks in advance for any responses.</p>
<p>SIDE NOTE: Will the fact that I'm URM and first-generation help with MBA admissions similarly to undergraduate admissions?</p>
<p>URM would be more helpful than first-gen in MBA apps.</p>
<p>There is also the GMAT to nail but it’s a little premature to take it. Best to take it within one year of the year you pull the MBA application trigger… but aim for 730+.</p>
<p>First you need to check yourself. You have an inflated sense of self-worth. Being well suited to business doesn’t have anything to do with a “power-hungry personality type” nor does moving up the corporate ladder have [MUCH] to do with an MBA. You think “securing” some ‘leadership’ positions will help get you into a Top MBA program? That’s dead wrong. </p>
<p>Top MBA schools say letters of recommendations from employers are more important than personal statements. What this basically means is top MBA admission is (almost) entirely merit based. Can you increase your companies bottom-line? Can you make it more profitable? If yes, then you will once you get your job. And if so your bosses will love you; they will want you to move up; they will want you to succeed. Your contributions to your company will build an ice cream sundae; that is what helps you move up the ranks. The MBA degree is just the chary on the top; it’s a formality.</p>
<p>Do you understand? There is 100% NO WAY you can possibly know IF you will need and MBA in the future. All you can do is try your best and see where you end up in 7-10 years. </p>
<p>You’re saying letters of recommendations from employers are one of the most important factors in MBA program admissions. Don’t resume builders such as leadership positions, internships, and other EC’s largely account for a majority of whether or not you will be hired in the first place? I think you’re forgetting a step or two.</p>
<p>Do you know the kind of competition you are up against? I mean real competition. I have a two friends who go to Berkeley Haas Business (undergrad). They told me about a student who was already running a successful internet company and making enough money to pay off his girlfriends tuition. Compared to that where does a random school leadership role stack-up? Do some research on the types of people who have gotten into Harvard Business school. MBA Schools’s want actual results. </p>
<p>As for getting a job that will LEAD to an MBA. A large portion of the interview process is based on your personality; are you the type of person that an investment bank wants around? Another large percentage is what is your GPA? ECs and leadership roles are only good IF they help you meet face-to-face with recruiters. </p>
<p>If you want to get into banking you’re off to a good start with your admission to CM. The next steps are to get excellent grades (ideally 3.7+), high GMATs (700+) and great work experience. Leadership in ECs can be helpful but I think you overestimate their importance.</p>
<p>You seem to think you know a lot about the investment banking world. As a high school senior you would benefit from staying more open minded and trying to learn from people with more experience (i.e. bomerr as clearly demonstrated from his posts).</p>
<p>Some of your assertions are flat out wrong - “As I’m sure many of you already know, moving up the IB hierarchy for any serious employer is going to require an MBA from a prestigious institution.” Promotions in I banks do not require MBAs. They can be helpful, more so in some situations than others, but there are many very successful bankers who don’t have MBAs. </p>
<p>I suggest you work hard, be a little more humble and utilize available resources, especially people with experience who are willing to provide guidance.</p>
<p>Every time I read my post I laugh. I promise that I’m not ungrateful when it comes to advice. I guess I was just too excited at the time of writing this and became a little overwhelmed from the thought of how wonderful IB is.</p>
<p>Thank you @bomerr, your replies are very informative.</p>
<p>@CHD2013,</p>
<p>I understand that great IBs move up without MBAs but wanted to gain a little more knowledge on the subject if I did find it necessary down the road.</p>
<p>And what do you think of CMC as far as recruiting? Often small LACs from CC get bashed in this area because they don’t produce the same volume of qualified undergrads as larger top-tier universities such as UCB or UCLA.</p>
<p>I think most recruiters are familiar with CMC and will be impressed by the quality of your undergraduate education. If you get the grades, GMATs and experience you will be an excellent MBA candidate.</p>
<p>One of the guidance consolers at my community college graduated from CMC. It’s a good college, where you end up in life will be based mostly on you tho. </p>
<p>Since you already have an admission, I assume you got in through ED?</p>
<p>
I don’t think you know your school well at all. All the recruiters know they will get as many or more qualified undergrads since Harvey Mudd and Pomona are right next door.</p>
<p>Plus CMC produced illustrious alumni,George Roberts(who gave $50M to CMC) and Henry Kravis($100M to CMC) founders of the private equity firm KKR.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t say that I don’t know my school well. Just from browsing through CC threads, I’ve heard plenty of different arguments in the debate over the value of a Liberal Arts education. Recruitment is a topic that often comes into question.</p>
<p>Yes, I was admitted ED.</p>
<p>And thank you for the link. It was very informative.</p>
<p>@CHD2013, did I EVER state that I’ve learned plenty about CMC from CC threads? In fact, I never once said that I’ve learned absolutely anything about CMC to begin with from using this site specifically.</p>
<p>I did enough research about the school to sway me into applying Early Decision. The rest doesn’t concern you. That is not a topic that should be discussed in this thread, mind you.</p>
<p>"I wouldn’t say that I don’t know my school well. Just from browsing through CC threads, I’ve heard plenty of different arguments in the debate over the value of a Liberal Arts education. "</p>
<p>I interpreted the quote above as an assertion that you learned about CMC from CC threads. On closer a read I can accept your argument that I misquoted you. I apologize for that. The humility suggestion stands.</p>
<p>From what I hear from my family members who work in investment banking, securities, and hedge funds on Wall Street is that the jobs are not easy to get. Because the jobs are so high paying there’s a lot of competition and if you didn’t go to a school like Stern, Columbia, Harvard, Penn, uChicago the chances of breaking in to investment banking are drastically reduced, though not impossible just much harder. Also many of the people working at the banks went to places like Columbia and prefer hiring/working with people like them so it’s sort of a cycle. Basically a big assumption you’re making is that you’ll get in to investment banking when the school you’re attending isn’t necessarily a “target.” Feel free to disagree I’m also in high school and about to go to college and want to do the same thing as you but I also have a lot of family working on the street I can talk to.</p>
<p>CMC is a target school, though. The big companies recruit at the top schools like Columbia and Penn, but they also go to top liberal arts colleges like CMC, Pomona, Amherst, Swarthmore, etc. I don’t think OP would have any significant trouble trying to work on Wall Street from CMC if that’s what they want - as long as they are willing to work hard for it. (For what it’s worth, I went to a mid-ranked liberal arts college - top 100, but not close to the caliber of CMC - and a lot of my classmates and alumnae sisters ended up working on Wall Street or in other big financial firms in different cities. One of our alumnae is the CEO of Sam’s Club.)</p>
<p>I also disagree with the advice that leadership positions aren’t important. While there are the very outstanding candidates who have already run their own successful businesses in college and done amazing things, they are in the minority - even at these very top business schools. Most students at top MBA programs took a more “mundane” route - internships and leadership experience in college, then 3-5 years working at a competitive firm with progressively more responsible positions.</p>
<p>So you want to try to do 2 internships in college at financial firms - preferably one in Wall Street one year, and hopefully the summer before your senior year so you can get an offer there. And any kinds of big leadership activities you can get are awesome. SGA president, president of the Greek council, chair of the homecoming org, student trustee, etc. It has to be something that demonstrates decision-making power and the ability to take the lead in organizing and administering programs and people. But yes, those are things that are taken into account when trying to get into top programs.</p>