<p>Hey everyone. I'm posting here (as well as in the Business Forum) because I've always received solid information from posters, and I respect many of the posters here.</p>
<p>Background: I'm a rising sophomore at Columbia. If I'm going to study abroad at Oxford or Cambridge my junior year, I need to apply this fall. Upon graduation, I want to work at either a top managing consulting firm or an i-bank, perferably in NYC but not necessarily so.</p>
<p>Here are my questions.</p>
<p>1) In studying abroad, how likely will I be to lose my leadership positions on the Newspaper and College Democrats? Is such leadership even important when it comes to getting a solid internship and the type of job I want upon graduation?</p>
<p>2) I recognize the importance of that elusive summer internship. But exactly how important is that internship? Is it possible to interview for these positions when the interviews usually take place in NYC and take place junior year, if I'm at Oxford or Cambridge?</p>
<p>3) Perhaps most important: What looks better on a resume for the kind of fancy finance job I'm looking for--One year spent studying at Oxford or Cambridge, or a couple of leadership positions in respected organizations (Newspaper, College Democrats) and a good internship (which I fear I won't be able to get if I'm out of the country)?</p>
<p>I'd GREATLY appreciate it if anyone who knows the answer to one or any of these questions would take the time to address them. Thank you very much.</p>
<p>1) No clue whether you'll keep your positions. But, if you already have these positions on your resume, you have something to show. You still have another year before you'd be going away, right? (What's a rising soph. --are you a frosh now?) Leadership is important for banking/consulting, but won't you still have good leadership experience even if you go abroad?</p>
<p>2) If you recognize the importance of the summer internship, you don't need to be told that it is important. I honestly don't remember what people who studied abroad did about interviewing--this might be something for the Study Abroad office since it is routine.</p>
<p>3) The most important thing for the fancy finance jobs is obviously grades/personality. Either one of those is going to look decent on a resume, give you something to talk about at an interview, etc. Nobody's going to say "lets take person A w/ a 3.8 because he studied abroad and reject person B w/ a 3.8 because he was only a newspaper editor." If studying abroad forecloses you from getting any summer internships, I'd think twice about it.</p>
<p>The ECs are almost useless, I have learned that. Going to Oxford will override the ECs in value bigtime. The internships, on the other hand, are very important.</p>
<p>The ECs are largely useless -- it is the leadership positions that are worth something. Employers like people who have the ability to lead people, inspire confidence in others, work well on a team, etc.</p>
<p>Studying abroad at Oxford isn't exactly prestigious. It isn't like getting a Rhodes. It is a good experience, but it isn't going to wow people. Everyone will know that most study abroad students will have spent half their time drinking pints in the English pubs, anyway ;)</p>