Rob54

So, I attend the University of Montana-Missoula and am a sophomore majoring in econ. My school, just like all the other ones, host career fairs where employers come to talk to students about job offers and internships. My goal is to have three summer internships going into grad school (one each summer until I graduate). I am working hard now in order to pursue either a JD or an MBA from a top school (A.K.A. not UM). I would like to intern at some accomplished firms, preferably in the finance industry. Most these companies though like GS, Blackrock, or MS won't be seen near a Montana campus and when I go to their websites it seems like they do most of their recruiting at campus events, although you can apply online to some of them. Do these companies look at the online applications that candidates submit, or do they take more kids from recruited universities? I think I have the stats to make me competitive at these businesses so should I still try to apply online to one of these companies? Would it help if I interned at regional financial firm next summer and then applied to a national one the following summer? Is it going to hurt my chances getting into a top grad school, especially the MBA, if I work/intern at a regional firm, which they are most likely unfamiliar with? Thanks for your help.

jnpn

Coming from UMontana, chances are slim to none at places like GS, MS, and Blackrock. Unless you have 3.9+ and godly EC's, I wouldn't bother. If you intern at a regional first, it will certainly help when applying for a national. Your MBA chances will be improved the more impressive and unique your work experience was. Doing something at a regional doesn't look bad, just doesn't look as good when compared to people doing the same thing at a more selective firm.