A degree from an elite university is a huge benefit in the field of investment banking. This is particularly applicable to banks with bulge brackets based in the US and London. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t land a job in investment banking even if you’re a non-target school, or even a semi-target school. It’s just a matter of more effort and a bigger network to be able to find a job.
The most important factor to consider is whether your school is “targeted”. These are schools that regularly send large numbers of investment bankers to the biggest firms. They choose these schools because they know that their students possess the appropriate abilities and fit to their culture.
Target schools include Harvard, MIT, Wharton, Columbia, Chicago Booth, Kellogg at Northwestern, Darden at UVA, and Fuqua at Duke. The list also includes Imperial College London, Baruch College in New York City and other prestigious schools. The finance programs at these schools are recognized for their analytical datarooms software net rigor as well as their practical applications. They help prepare students for careers in the field of investment banking. These schools also offer many networking and informational activities to students interested in the field.
You can increase your chances of getting into a target university by participating in extracurricular activities related to investment banking. These include attending investment banking seminars, joining finance clubs, and completing a co-op internship in finance during your sophomore year. It’s also beneficial to add two or more substantive leadership experiences on your resume before recruitment season starts in your junior year.