<p>Hey guys, I am going college soon and I am hoping to get some good advice here. I am interested in investment banking, particularly in equity research. How can I make full use of my college years to beef up on my portfolio and package myself into the "perfect" candidate for the research job in investment banks like JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs, or say even the less prestigious one.</p>
<p>I would love detail plans like (what to do during freshman, sophomore, junior and senior years), which courses to take, which internship to go into, which extracurriculars to join. I hope you guys can help me.</p>
<p>I am looking to take a bachelor of arts in economics from McGill or Queen's University. Would a BA from these 2 schools be valued by the banks? Or they would prefer to hire a bachelor of commerce in finance?</p>
<p>I am a international student and I can't really decide whether to go Canada or the UK. Would schools like warwick place me in a better position compared to a student from McGill?</p>
<p>Queen’s has a very good b-school rep and even offers a joint program with my school. Overall it probably has the best rep of all economics programs in the country and definitely has an international reputation. McGill overall has a better reputation in Canada and much better internationally but economics is not one of its strengths (not that people really know about its strengths and weaknesses), still you’ll find good faculty. Queen’s values undergrads more but McGill probably has better internship oppurtunities. Don’t only take my word for it but I think for a Bachelor’s Queen’s is probably the better choice.</p>
<p>This is debatable but for business your best options in Canada are Queen’s and UWO! I can’t answer your second question.</p>
<p>If you are an international student, do a research for equity research jobs in your home country. If you can’t find jobs in this area after you graduate, you may have to go back home. There are very few firms employing new college grads for this type of jobs and the competition is brutal. Citigroup just laid off some analysts yesterday and it now only has 350 analysts globally.</p>
<p>I would look a little bit more into IB before you decide that’s what you want to do…So many people come into college assuming they would love it, but it really isn’t as glamorous as it’s made out to be.</p>
<p>That being said, if you really do want to go into IB, you better be going to a Ivy/Target(Chicago,Michigan,UVA, etc.) People are going to tell you have just as much chance coming from a state school if you are good, but they are wrong. If you are coming from a non-target, your odds are already incredibly lowered, and you have to stick out like a sore thumb to even get that interview. I’m also talking top firms here, if you look at a intern group for say, GS, guaranteed 38/40 will be from targets/ivies. </p>
<p>Get some good ECs under your belt, preferably holding a position. Beef yourself up as much as you can to get your internships, whether that be getting as much volunteer work done, or other involvement. </p>
<p>Also keep in mind that a lot of firms would rather have like, an Engineering major over a Finance major, so don’t restrict yourself to just the business course if you don’t want to. Another thing to consider is that there are plenty of other business jobs out there, such as Corp. Finance, Consulting(which is hard to break into as well).</p>
<p>Equity research is not IB but investment banks have equity research department. It is totally separate. Equity research very often is considered a part of investment management. (IM)</p>