Need help with options and advice for Banking

Career Opportunities & Internships Investment Banking
1

<p>Currently I'm kind of at a crossroads about where to go to a college for Banking. I've recently found it as a passion of mine (and I don't just mean models and bottles), but this board makes it out to be as if anyone with a SAT below 2000 and a GPA below 3.8 is a instant failure. </p>

<p>I'll give you a run down of myself</p>

<p>SAT - 1150/1600, 1650/2400 </p>

<p>GPA - 2.9 (Was at rigorous prep high school in Manhattan for three years, now I know why most of my classmates go on to CUNY/St. John's/St. Francis/Fordham). I have a 3.6 GPA after transferring out to a local high school that has WAY more lenient grading policies and workload. Not to mention the classes are actually engaging.</p>

<p>Rank - Old School did not rank but thanks to my GPA (84.56 specifically) from the past three years, I'm currently top 50% at new school (If I went there first i'd be Top 10% instead)</p>

<p>APs - </p>

<p>10th - AP World History - 4
11th - AP US History - 5 (did not take class but took test anyways)</p>

<p>College Credits at St. John's University -</p>

<p>12th - Business Law (A-), English Honors (A-), Adv Bio (B-)</p>

<p>Significant ECs - Partner in a Contracting Corporation I'm helping set up with family friend; 110 Hours working as a Tutor for After School Kids at a local elementary school. </p>

<p>Hooks - URM (Hispanic), 1st to go to college in family, low family income (28k)</p>

<p>Options - </p>

<p>-Indiana University Bloomington. I could work my ass off and get probably a 3.5-3.8 to transfer into Kelley. I like the school but don't like how outside of their I-Bank Workshop its not a real target. </p>

<p>-CUNY Baruch (laugh, but they're a target school for front office positions at JP Morgan)</p>

<p>-University of Vermont (Unrelated, but it was my first acceptance).</p>

<p>-SUNY Nassau Community College and transfer into a respected Tier 1 with 3.9-4.0 GPA (longer, just as uncertain as others). This is a tempting option after doing 30 minutes of research, I can get into the same if not WAY better schools I'm applying to and my only real limitation is my GPA and slots available. </p>

<p>Anyways, can anybody help me? I can succeed in college, I just spent way too much slacking off in High School :. I'm also applying to a few other schools (Namely, Ohio State, U-Mich Ann Arbor, U-Wisconsin Madison, U-Illinois Urbana Champlain, Penn State, Northeastern) and just gamble to see if I get into any of them.</p>

2

<p>First, don’t worry about your HS GPA. For banking, no one will care about your HS GPA, only your U Grad GPA. That said, IB will DEFINITELY focus heavily on the school that you attend. Assuming you are planning to go to the college and stay there for the full 4 years and graduate (and not transfer to a different school), I would say that your best bet, out of the schools listed, would be CUNY Baruch. Baruch is a solid business schools, and a small target for JPM S&T. There is a lot of boutique IB opportunity in NYC, and you could bust your butt and find an internship with a no-name boutique to get your resume off the ground. If you are, however, planning to transfer, then you’ll have to look into which schools have track records for transfer students - I don’t personally know that out of the schools you’ve listed. If you go to Baruch, you’ll definitely want to take your business courses and have a strong GPA - I’d say a 3.7 or better (given the general non-target status), and you’ll absolutely want to network, join the IB-type club(s), etc. Really work on your candidacy as a whole, in addition to strong coursework and a strong GPA.</p>

<p>Good luck and if you have any other questions feel free to PM me or shoot me an email. </p>

<p>IBanker</p>

3

<p>Would choosing Kelley over Baruch though give a competitive advantage? I only posted my GPA to give you an idea of what colleges I can go into. I’m trying to apply everywhere I go though to see what I get into then decide from there. </p>

<p>Of course, Kelley has the “college experience” not to mention from what i’ve seen after hours of lurking a better “prestige” and reputation from others. I do know for a fact Baruch would be WAY cheaper, $4.5k with possible financial aid vs $30k a year (not to mention commuting vs dorming). I might also get my foot in the door with Kelley’s IB workshop, which is highly esteemed and not as elite to get into (invitation only but 3.5 GPA minimum) </p>

<p>Kelley I’ve seen has been WAY more esteemed through all of America vs just NYC (as is with Baruch) which may help with breaking into banking. In all honesty I don’t care too much on I-Banking, I’d rather be a stock broker. IB is a definite option though; as long as I have a position to expand and move upwards (Front Office).</p>

<p>If I do transfer, from what i’ve seen according to the thread on last year’s Acceptance Rates, UPenn has a 16% acceptance rate, Wash U St. Louis 20%, Notre Dame 42%, Vanderbilt 56%, Georgetown 18%, UVa 35%, USC 39%, UNC 39%, William/Mary 52%, etc. U-Mich Ann Arbor has a 41.2% Acceptance Rate and NYU a 31% acceptance rate. </p>

<p>I actually think I stand a better shot of getting into those schools with those acceptance rates if I go to CC for two years than just applying outright now; especially if their admissions just wants to know your GPA, courses, essay, and ECs. If I get into their B-Schools though is a different matter; If I could i’d go for Ross or Stern in a heartbeat (or whichever of those takes me/whichever gives the most fin aid).</p>

4

<p>If you can get into Kelley, I would go with Kelley over Baruch (assuming you are interested in numerous potential locations as you mentioned). Additionally, if you are not into IB and want to be a Broker, you are really putting too much stress on the college as you will have broker opps, with reputable firms, coming out of either - IB is more competitive and difficult to break into as an analyst out of U Grad. </p>

<p>Feel free to shoot me an email or PM if you have any other questions and good luck.</p>

<p>IBanker</p>