What are the odds?....advice please
I have a question....
Next year I'm going to the University of Alabama to ultimately double major in Math and Quantitative Finance. I received full rides from a bunch of other southern schools (LSU, Auburn, Tennessee, etc) but none of them are particularly known for their business programs. I also got in (not a full scholarship) to Cornell, Vanderbilt, and a service academy which are much more prestigious and may help in getting an IB internship, but I ultimately chose Bama cuz its really close to home (3 hours) because my mom is really sick and I want to be nearby in case something happens....SO am I sacrificing my career in investment banking by going to Alabama?
Also, I've tried to learn as much as possible about the field from searching through previous posts on this website and others, reading ALOT of books, speaking with career counselors at Alabama and a few bankers; and these are my plans for the next upcoming years. Would you mind sharing your advice...Am I being too naive or optimistic in my goals?
Freshman year--kickass as far as grades are concerned and that summer I wanted to find an internship somewhere. I know most if not all BB's( and MM's for that matter) arent going to hire a freshman simply because we don't know enough, but I was hoping to find a job somewhere maybe in asset management or financial consulting--nothing too impressive just to gather experience. Am I choosing to work too early cuz from ppl I have spoken with most people do absolutely NOTHING with their freshman summer but then again most are from ivy-league schools and, I guess, can afford too.
Sophomore year--keep GPA up and during the summer do a study abroad program. If not that, then maybe find a job similar to the one the previous year...
Junior year--same as far as school is concerned. Resume polishing with EC's with hopes to get a BB internship during the summer.
I'll stop here cuz the post is getting way too long. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Again--sorry for the ungodly length of this post.
You seem to have a good head on your shoulders. If your situation is in fact true, you shouldn't feel bad in any way about your decision.
Keep your grades very high and continue to counsel and network with people and you will have a shot. SEC schools like Alabama have some of the tightest alumni networks, so it would be wise to use this to your advantage.
I do not consider myself qualified to speak from experience, but I felt it necessary to give you major props for your devotion to family, and putting that in front of yourself by not going to brand-name schools. Many will admire you for this in years to come, and not just in I-banking. Your decision is commendable.
You seem like you've got everything figured out there though man. If you've got a strong work-ethic, keep your grades high, and get involved with extracurriculars, solid internships, and community service beforehand, it's definitely possible to break into IB from a state school.
As others have said, networking is key. If you opt to join a fraternity, use that in addition to contacting former alumni and such.
Just so you know, I have heard of people breaking into IB from plenty of state schools that aren't considered targets, such as: University of Florida, UNC-Chapel Hill, Rutgers, SUNY Binghamton, UMaryland, U of Iowa, and many more. Even the "selective" Goldman Sachs hired interns from over 100 colleges in 2006.
Keep your head held high, work hard, stay on track, and you'll do just fine for yourself.
Once you see a real/full SA resume book, you realize anything is possible
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