Part-Time MBA Student Spotlight Pursuing a Part Time MBA for Investment Banking with David Kim

I chose Chicago Booth because it is one of the few places where part-time students can genuinely break into investment banking—not as an afterthought, but as a real, structured, community-supported path. The Chicago Booth Banking Club (CBBC) co-chairs, alumni, and candidates create a collaborative ecosystem that mirrors the best parts of the industry.

My advice to prospective students:

• Start early: IB recruiting moves fast, especially for Houston.
• Don’t do it alone: The people around you will be your greatest advantage.
• Be humble enough to ask for help and generous enough to offer it.
• Trust the process: Booth has built a roadmap—follow it and lean on the people who walked it before you.

I’m pursuing concentrations in Finance, Accounting, and Marketing Management. Courses like Corporate Finance, Entrepreneurial Finance and Private Equity (EFPE), and Financial Statement Analysis (FSA) gave me the technical foundation I needed, while resources like CBBC, Career Services, and the Booth alumni network provided the practical, real-world guidance that shaped my recruiting strategy.

I joined CBBC because I knew I couldn’t navigate IB recruiting alone—and I didn’t want to. The group is the heartbeat of the recruiting process for part-time students. It’s where I found mentors, accountability partners, and friends who understood the grind of balancing work, school, and recruiting.

Being part of CBBC didn’t just help me break into banking, it shaped my entire Booth experience. It gave me purpose, community, and a chance to pay forward what others gave me.

The most impactful offering was the collaborative prep environment created by the co-chairs and candidates. We shared notes, mock interviews, frameworks, and emotional support. There was no internal competition, only shared ambition. That culture is rare, and it’s the reason so many of us succeeded.

What made the difference for me personally were the people who showed up consistently and generously. Fellow Boothies, Jonathan Guerrero, Niven Mody, Austin Laue, and Jake Zhu answered every question, even the simple ones I was embarrassed to ask early on. They never made me feel behind or out of place, instead, they created a space where learning and growth were encouraged. Their patience and willingness to guide us through the smallest details built the foundation for our success.

Also, my fellow classmate, Tim Zhou became one of the most important accountability partners in my journey. We pushed each other, kept each other honest, and stayed disciplined through the toughest parts of recruiting. Having someone who was equally committed and equally willing to grind made all the difference, especially for the Houston recruiting timeline.

This combination of structured guidance from the co-chairs and genuine peer collaboration is what makes the Chicago Booth Banking Club so special. It’s not just a resource. It’s a community that lifts you up and walks with you every step of the way.