Comments on: How to Overcome a Low GPA in Investment Banking Interviews

By: M&I - Brian

M&I - Brian — Mon, 03 Jun 2024 17:35:45 +0000

In reply to nick.

The purpose of this site is to give you a realistic idea of which careers and jobs are plausible from which backgrounds.

Is it possible to get into IB with a lower GPA, such as a 3.4? Yes, people do it each year.

Is it more difficult than with a higher GPA? Yes, also true.

The more relevant question is not your specific GPA, but the quality of your university and your work experience combined with your GPA. A high GPA means nothing unless you start early, get solid internships in your first 1-2 years, and use them to apply to IB roles.

By: nick

nick — Tue, 28 May 2024 09:21:06 +0000

Well, I had a 1.7 GPA in my first year of college, and now I am taking 20 credits. I made the Dean’s List, and if I do well in my last two semesters, I will have around a 3.4 GPA. Initially, I was disappointed because 3.4 is still low, but then I thought about it. If people look at my resume and see an extreme upward trend in the last years where I am taking many more credits, all in difficult classes such as econometrics, accounting, multivariable calculus, etc., and I ace all of them, I think that will definitely reflect well on my last two years’ GPA. It will prove that if I work hard, I am great at what I do. I do not want to settle for small office roles even if I made mistakes in the beginning. Listening to you sometimes makes me want to give up and just drop out, but a lot of what you say is also very good advice. So, I think I will keep researching more while continuing to study , do my summer internship , take classes , network and I already have a few referrals from big Wall Street firms so that will definitely help me a lot .

By: M&I - Brian

M&I - Brian — Fri, 17 May 2024 23:39:14 +0000

In reply to Micheal. Please do not kill yourself over career/professional mistakes (I hope this comment is not serious). Figure out a way to get better/more relevant experience after university, boost your GPA via another degree or aim for a field where it matters less, and go from there.

By: Micheal

Micheal — Fri, 10 May 2024 11:16:18 +0000

Brian, all I have ever wanted was to work in private equity both professionally and personally. However, I’m nearing the end of my career at my university and have a sub 3.3 and no offers. Should I kill myself?

By: M&I - Brian

M&I - Brian — Thu, 19 Oct 2023 02:07:26 +0000

In reply to Paul.

Yes. 3.56 is not that low. The main issue is that Emory, even the business school, is more of a “semi-target” (https://mergersandinquisitions.com/investment-banking-target-schools/) for IB recruiting, so you’ll need to act quickly and network aggressively to have a good shot.

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 06:44:08 +0000

Hi I got to Emory, have a 3.56. Do I have a chance?

By: M&I - Brian

M&I - Brian — Wed, 21 Dec 2022 19:06:23 +0000

In reply to Maria. You can theoretically get into IB with a 3.1 GPA, but it will not be easy, and if you're not at a top target school, it will be even harder. Internships and networking always help, but there are still some limits, and if yours were all in China/HK, banks in places like the US and UK will tend to discount the experience a bit. My recommendation here would be to aim for something a bit less competitive, like corporate banking, work there for a few years, and use your experience to make a lateral move into IB. Your GPA will be less of an issue at that point because bankers will focus more on your deal/client experience in CB.

By: Maria

Maria — Wed, 21 Dec 2022 00:38:05 +0000

Hi Brian,
My story may be really harsh… I experienced my self-reflection and reconstruction during my university four years. However, it truly affects my GPA and I only got a cum GPA of 3.13. Do I still have any possibility to get an internship position in the top investment banks? I created my own data analysis and stock projection project with LSTM, and I have dual degree with finance and psychology. Will these things kind of compensate my low GPA? My undergraduate school is TOP 50 based on US. News. Also, I worked in three companies for internship which are well-known in China mainland and HK. I really understand that my GPA will be a difficult problem, but I also want to acquire more info now so that I can decide what I should in the next step…

By: M&I - Brian

M&I - Brian — Mon, 24 Oct 2022 03:12:47 +0000

In reply to Tsemaye Kekema. Yes, or also list your undergrad GPA.

By: Tsemaye Kekema

Tsemaye Kekema — Mon, 17 Oct 2022 13:19:56 +0000

I am an Msc Finance Student and first semester exams have not come up based on which an initial GPA can be generated. Is it advisable to put an expected GPA behind my Msc in the banking applications I am sending at the moment?