What is the best path to take to become and investment banker/ mergers and acquisitions?

Question

I'm a senior in highschool and was wondering what would be the best major and classes to take in college. Also would Akron University be a good school for this job type?

Answer 1

Some classes in economics, finance and some mathetmatics would be good, as well as good grades, and the ability to do powerpoint and excel.

From some of your previous questions I see you might be a baseball player. If you can play a sport in college that could be a real advantage as investment banks like to pride themselves on having smart, aggressive leaders who know what it takes to win.

I would also suggest that you get knowledgeable about the world of mergers and acquisitions -- read the WSJ or at least dealbook (the NYTimes blog on the world of corporate finance) and www.dealbreaker.com (sort of a gossip blog on investment banking). In a very short time you'll know the lingo and the pecking order of bankers and banks, PE shops and hedge funds.

So that's my advice. Here's the bad news: if you are looking to go to a bulge bracket bank (the ones most non-finance types know -- Goldman, Lehman, JP Morgan, Citi) -- they draw almost all their analyst class exclusively from the Ivy leagues, Stanford, MIT and a couple other schools -- not Akron. If you are unable to go to one of those schools you'll have to write in to get an interview and there are not many slots for that if you don't have connections.

The best way to get around that is to consider and research smaller banks (make sure to just write everyone when it comes to look for a job -- Thomas Weisel, Houlihan Lokey, WR Hambrecht and even regional I-banks and advisory firms ) and see whether whatever university you attend's alumni office has contacts of alums that are investment bankers. You should contact them ... they might be willing to help someone from their alma mater try and get their foot in the door.

Answer 2

A degree in Finance would give you a proper education. I believe any university with a business school would serve your purpose.
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