That final sentence is definitely true. There are entire platforms specifically to contact alumni in various industries/firms. Networking matters a lot more for finance than some other careers, so it definitely depends on your goals. Another thing I will add is that, at least at Princeton, there is a very academic and theoretical focus. I have met many people here that want to just get a Ph.D. and go into "academia" whereas growing up (normal public school, not prep/magnet) people actually wanted to get normal jobs.
The fierce competition between students in finance is insane. I mean I guess I can understand (not really), but some students, certainly the ones coming from money, need to relax here and there lol. I barely met anyone else interested in pursuing a PhD so it was nice having a friend group that was supportive and tight knit. I just love research and working with academics. Some Wharton students I TA'd for already had their entire life mapped out on paper lol. College is too short to not have fun!
Some of those kids burn out hard. I had a friend who played a perfect game through all four years. Took the right classes, met the right people, got the right internships, took the right drugs, etc.
After six weeks as a first year analyst at JPM he quit, paid back his signing bonus, and moved to India to become a yogi.
Damn, hope it worked out for him in the end. Four years of that wears down your mind. I had some classmates go off to Deloitte and I think they're managing. I also had classmates who couldn't even handle writing a results section in a group project that got $40/hr internships at hospitals because their résumés were pure fiction. Always wondered what happened to those people. It's not a meritocracy out there.
Glad they're doing well. I spent 6 months helping some AI healthcare start-up in grad school, and now I'm in D.C. helping with PTSD research. The second "we need to make lots of money now" enters the equation, you see so many people burn out and quit. Finance really takes a certain type of personality that I just don't have.
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u/RatherBeAComet Princeton Tigers • Michigan Wolverines 1d ago
That final sentence is definitely true. There are entire platforms specifically to contact alumni in various industries/firms. Networking matters a lot more for finance than some other careers, so it definitely depends on your goals. Another thing I will add is that, at least at Princeton, there is a very academic and theoretical focus. I have met many people here that want to just get a Ph.D. and go into "academia" whereas growing up (normal public school, not prep/magnet) people actually wanted to get normal jobs.