<p>Hi all,</p>
<p>To those experienced with the corporate recruiting process, I am currently a sophomore at a target school, with a sufficient GPA (according to the "cutoffs" posted on this board and elsewhere) and good standardized test scores, from a midwest public high school (took the ACT). I have extracurriculars (student government, school paper, club sport, fraternity bro), though not outstanding or unique in any regard. This past summer, I did some computational biology research at a state school lab.</p>
<p>I am now planning on pursuing a BB internship, perhaps for next summer. I know there are many factors that influence an internship offer, but I would love to hear some perspectives on the following:</p>
<p>When should one ideally aim for his/her first BB internship?</p>
<p>What really differentiates two quality applicants in an interview? Is it about knowledge of financial markets? Extracurriculars? How "sweet" or "cool" you are? All of the above?</p>
<p>How should/can one prepare for such an interview? Perhaps by reading business literature like The Economist? What other questions, besides pure finance and resume, are discussed in such interviews?</p>
<p>How much should I invest into... investment banking? Can someone give me perspective on how competitive the field really is in 2010/11 when it comes to internships and eventual job offers?</p>
<p>Thanks for your time. I understand that these questions may have been asked somewhere else on the internet. I'm getting jittery, and wondering whether chasing the finance dream is worth the risk.</p>