How many people apply to be investment bankers?
Since investment banking is a highly paid, prestigious, and competitive field, banks do not have to do much to “attract” candidates – in a single year, over 100,000 candidates might compete for a few thousand spots worldwide.
The lucrative and fast-paced career of an investment banker is a highly competitive one. For instance, in a recent year, 236,000 applicants competed for roughly 3,500 internships at Goldman Sachs. This is common across the industry where acceptance rates for programs are typically less than 2%.
Statistics indicate that acceptance rates for top investment banks, such as JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs, typically range between a mere 3% to 5%. JP Morgan is renowned for its rigorous recruitment process, resulting in extremely low acceptance rates.
Investment banking is extremely competitive with way more applicants than available positions each year. You will often be up against students from Ivy League universities, with a high GPAs and multiple internships under their belts.
According to the Bureau of Labour Statistics, jobs in the investment banking and securities dealing industry are growing faster than the average occupation, meaning that competition is fierce due to increased demand and a lack of skilled labor.
On average, a first-year investment banker makes a 5-digit salary, in the range of $70,000 – $90,000, while a 7-digit salary is considered above average and is difficult to achieve for most people in their careers.
Yes, GPA matters! Bulge bracket banks and almost all other investment banks will look at your GPA when applying for a job and you should include it in your resume. Typically banks screen resumes based on GPA and will often remove anyone below 3.5.
For example, if you attended a top 5 university, majored in engineering, and completed 2-3 finance internships, a 3.3 – 3.4 GPA is not the end of the world. But if you went to a non-target school, majored in history, and completed 0 finance internships, then a 3.3 – 3.4 GPA may be the end of the world.
Which is the hardest investment bank to get into? Goldman Sachs is notoriously difficult to get into. One statistics recently rolled out was that it received 100,000 applications for just 2,300 global internship positions. This means that it received 24 applications for every job it posted.
GPA cutoffs vary by bank and by year. However, our users shared that between a 3.5 - 3.7 GPA will likely be okay coming from a target school. Coming from a non-target school it can be more difficult. However, there are always exceptions to the rule that can be made for candidates with great stories or connections.
Is there a lot of math in investment banking?
If you're considering a career in investment banking, it's important to have a deep understanding of mathematical concepts such as calculus, probability, and statistics. Take advanced math courses and work on developing your analytical and critical thinking skills to prepare yourself for a career in investment banking.
The acceptance rate of less than 1% makes JPMorgan's investment bank harder to get into than Harvard or Yale. That level of interest doesn't seem to be isolated to JPMorgan, which is a juggernaut on Wall Street across advisory and trading businesses.
Overall, I'd say it's more competitive to win a management consulting role at MBB than it is to win an investment banking role at a bulge bracket (BB) or elite boutique (BB) because: There are fewer entry-level roles at the top three consulting firms.
Investment bankers have a compensation model that includes a base salary and all or some additional forms of compensation, including bonuses, commissions and profit-sharing. It's common for an investment banker's bonus to surpass their base pay, and in profitable times, they may earn over half a million dollars a year.
Investment bankers typically earn salaries in the $200,000 to $700,000 range, with bonuses that can bring their total income up to several million dollars per year. To amass a million-dollar fortune, an investment banker would need to save and invest a large portion of their income over a period of many years.
- University of Pennsylvania.
- Georgetown University.
- Harvard University.
- Columbia University.
- New York University.
- Cornell University.
- University of Notre Dame.
- University of Michigan.
Investment banks impose a high fee based on the amount of the offering (usually 2-8% of the total deal). They earn millions of dollars in commissions as a result. They are also paid for setting an appropriate price and assembling a solid network of enthusiastic investors about the company's long-term prospects.
Age Range: It's nearly impossible to reach this level before your early 30's, so we'll say 35-50 for the range. Few MDs continue working until the official retirement age (65-70); it's a stressful, high-pressure job, and past a certain net worth, it's just not worth it.
How Many Hours do Investment Bankers Work? Investment bankers work notoriously long hours, with the typical work week filling in 60-80 hours per week, and the occasional high-intensity work week that can push a banker to 100+ hours.
Candidates must demonstrate academic strength – a minimum 3.2 GPA for juniors and a minimum 3.5 GPA for freshmen and sophomores, strong teamwork, communication skills and a high energy level.
What GPA does Goldman Sachs want?
Goldman Sachs does not give a specific minimum GPA requirement, though some sources suggest a GPA of at least 3.6 is preferred. Additionally, you may need to show relevant coursework and hard skills for certain programs.
It's true – top-tier investment banks recruit heavily from ivy league schools and other target schools. Big names such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan visit campuses to drum up interest in their internship programs and full-time entry-level positions.
Your cumulative grade / GPA as recognized by the university in which you are currently enrolled. Your motivation for applying in 300 words or less. Information regarding your proficiency of other languages. A current CV / resume in one of the following formats, Microsoft Word, Rich Text Format, Text or PDF.
As a catchall term for this class of large global investment bank, "bulge bracket" commonly refers to Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs, Barclays Capital, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan Chase, Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, and UBS.
- Step 1: Win “Steppingstone” Internships or Jobs. ...
- Step 2: Craft Your Story. ...
- Step 3: Bankify Your Resume/CV. ...
- Step 4: Network Your Way into Interviews and Offers. ...
- Step 5: Prepare for Investment Banking Interviews.
