openingdoors

^In short, yes you can major in whatever you like AS LONG AS you have strong quantitative and analytical skills.

illumin4tus

excellent.

would you suggest i take a job this summer working for a midmarket buy side firm?

illumin4tus

*eventual goal is an internship at a GS/JPM/Citi caliber bank during summer after junior year.

openingdoors

Yeah, absolutely. I don't know why anyone would want to work at Citi though, they are really struggling with the credit crisis.

illumin4tus

i heard rumors that of those three only GS would be giving substantial bonuses as the others were all in the red for that year. but then it turned out that bonuses were at a record high.

so does that imply citi's bonuses were lower than the others?

Magnus61889

Would a 3.5 from WashU's undergrad B school work for a summer internship with GS?

Double Majors Finance/Econ.

dan2k915

The hard part is getting the first interview...Then nothing matters except how you come off, and that's all on YOU. Of course, I can't speak too loudly since I'm barely a sophomore and have no Ibanking experience. Still...I've got two for sure interviews lined up next month (SEO and JPM. Still waiting on Lehman and GS), so I must be doing something right.

And to answer your question, I think your stats are fine

UCLAri

I know a few former i-bankers, and they all said the same thing: how you connect with the interviewer gets you further than what GPA/skills you necessarily bring to the table. One guy said that his being a fan of the Red Sox (I think?) was more important than his finance classes.

It just goes to show you how much YOU matter in the interview. Who wants to hire a jerk?

spartan171

I'm a Comm. Major with a Business Administration minor at the University of Delaware. I have a 3.53 cumlative GPA. I know alot of companies in investment banking have laid of employees. Whats my chances of obtaining a summer analyst position with a frim like Credit Suisse in NY?

WFBanker08

about the same as me getting promoted from an sa to managing director right after the summer.

seriously though, i think its really difficult if you're not at a target/don't have alums on the street that you can reach out to.

best advice would be to do something interesting, then try for a solid m.b.a. program

good luck

spartan171

is it really that hard to get just a summer analyst position at firms like credit suisse? even for students who they don't visit there school?

HARVtoWALL

Yes it is that hard, you have no idea how hard it is until you go through the process. I thought it would be easy to get 1st round interviews all the banks. I mean I go to Harvard with a 3.8ish. I think I m at a 30% conversion rate with BB IBs. Specifically with CS my roommate got rejected who has a 3.97ish. Honestly Good Luck but since you go to an unknown school for IB I don’t see even an interview happening.

To illumin4tus….you hit the job market FT in what?? 2010? No worries about bonuses it will be a completely new bull market by then 2010.

spartan171

I really appreciate your honest insight. I was wondering if you or anyway one else has any advice on other banks, that are not on par with CS, who I might have a shot at with at obtaining an summer analyst position. I'm a senior so do you know of any banks that also offer and encourage summer analyst or internship positions to graduates who are looking to gain expirience? I was wondering too, how important are connections with these banks?...I have a friend who I'm going to contact that worked for CS for a few years and he says he still knows alot of people there. I was hoping he could point me in the right direction so atleast my resume could get reviewed by them, because they don't actively recruit at my school.

the66afghans

Wachovia .

johnjacobjingle

Bump. I got plenty of interviews with a 3.5. Offers in IBD.