I’m about to be a sophomore in the Kelley School of Business, and I want to apply for the investment banking workshop in the fall. I was in the Financial Services Club and I took F-255, but because of being on the debate team, my involvement in the club was limited. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, I’m taking a S/F grade in F-255. My GPA is a 3.97 and my extracurriculars are fine also. I’m worried about how much networking I need to do in order to get into the workshop, because I’ve spent most of my freshman year working with debate, not with people looking to get into the workshop. What can I do to increase my chances of getting in?
No need to worry about networking until the process actually kicks off. However, if you would like a head start, I would recommend reaching out to anyone you know from the workshop for a quick chat. It’s a nice way of catching up but also a good opportunity to ask questions.
Once the process starts, there are a few things to keep in mind.
Keep your GPA up;
Network with current members each week;
Do well in F355; and
Crush your interviews
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I think I’m interested more in the CMBW as a rising sophomore. While I didn’t do the Financial Services Club, I’m in Knall-Cohen and another technical program. I also tutor kids in the Bloomington area in my spare time and serve on the Ski Club social committee. I have a 3.76, so I was wondering if I’m in good shape for this path? Is there anything else I can do to prepare (apart from the above tips which are amazing) - I know the workshop is very new?
Read up on the markets. Kelley offers every student a free subscription to the WSJ. Once you set up your account, click on the “Print Edition” and take a look at the front page every day.
Do kids get into the workshop without being in the top 50 percent of F355? Or is this a requirement.
Networking is huge for the IBW from what I hear. Current members have a lot of sway over the decisions, even going as far to choose a person who is objectively less qualified because of “optimal social fit”; in other words, because they like them. I’d recommend reaching out to a current member to get some of your questions answered about the IBW. Demonstrating interest can only help you.
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I’ve heard there are a couple rounds of interviews. Maybe more. Even if almost 50 percent of kids get in, almost everyone is smart who applies, with a high GPA, so maybe that’s why they put so much emphasis on fit. Maybe I could ask the current members more about that.