<p>Hey all:</p>
<p>I'm currently a freshman at Miami University double majoring in finance and accounting. My dream is to work in a bulge bracket investment bank someday. Miami is not a target right now, however, I am in our investment banking group and we are sending guys to GS, MS, and Credit Suisse this year.</p>
<p>I have a 3.5 after first semester cumulatively, and a 4.0 for my business GPA: does anyone with any experience or knowledge here know what the best thing for a student such as myself to do? Will anything above a 3.5 from a non-target cut it? Is networking with alumni and other students going to be my only way in?</p>
<p>Thanks for any time or help you can offer.</p>
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<p>Definitely not on it’s own. I am very surprised to hear you are sending, from what it sounds like, at least 3 kids to those top banks. I suggest you pick their brains about how they went about recruiting/networking/whatever they did to land those positions. It is certainly rare for a non-target student to land a BB IBD offer without some connections.</p>
<p>Miami is not a target by any means, but it is definitely on some radars - I know of a few students from Miami that ended up at BBs. With a strong major GPA and a cumulative GPA of a 3.5 or better, you will have a shot - if not at BBs, then definitely some regional shops - BBs aren’t the only avenues to break into IB. That said, you definitely want to get your GPA higher - a 3.7+ should be your goal going forward.</p>
<p>Beyond that, you need to reach out to your alumni and network going forward. As a 1st semester student you’ve got some time - now you just need the energy and the desire. Incidentally, after just 1 semester, I wouldn’t really discuss a major GPA. </p>
<p>In short, keep your grades up, don’t overlook boutiques and MM shops, and definitely use your network and the IB club going forward.</p>
<p>Let me know if you have any other questions.</p>
<p>IBanker</p>
<p>I have basically the same question.
I’m planning to go to the University of Iowa (junior in high school right now), and I assume that Iowa is another one of those non-target schools.
Would the same as above be neccesary for me to have a shot to get a job offer from a BB? Aim for a 3.7 or higher GPA?
my dad works as a career advisor at Iowa so I think he knows some people who work in the IBanking industry… so other than grades, networking is probably the second most important thing or is that incorrect?
thanks for taking the time to answer</p>