Full-Time MBA Student Profile Pursuing an MBA for Investment Banking with Tyler Stewart

When I was evaluating schools, I spoke with current students, Booth alumni, and even alumni from peer programs, and the message was consistent: if investment banking is your goal, Booth gives you the best platform to get there. That consensus, combined with Booth's placement outcomes, made the decision clear. My biggest piece of advice for prospective students pursuing IB is to arrive in September prepared. You do not need to have every technical question mastered, but having your story and behavioral answers ready, alongside a foundational understanding of technical concepts, will put you in a strong position from day one. Recruiting moves fast, and that early preparation makes a real difference.

I am pursuing concentrations in finance, economics, entrepreneurship, and international business. Two of my favorite courses are Advanced Financial Analysis and Valuation for Global Firms & Corporation Finance. Both courses have direct real-world application and have fantastic professors (Christian Leuz and Pascal Noel). Regarding resources, the Investment Banking Group (IBG), second year students, Career Services, and alumni all played a massive role in receiving my internship offer with Moelis in their NYC office.

If you are recruiting for investment banking at Booth, joining IBG is essentially non-negotiable. The group provides an ecosystem that is hard to replicate elsewhere: study materials, mock interviews, one-on-one coaching, and perhaps most valuably, direct access to second-year students who have just been through the process themselves. Beyond coursework, IBG accounted for 80-90% of my Fall Quarter, and I am grateful that the investment paid off with a positive recruiting outcome. That experience is a big reason why I wanted to give back by serving as co-chair for the incoming class. I want to make sure the next group of IB-bound students has the same support system I leaned on.

10. I couldn’t imagine going through the recruiting process without IBG. You can’t put a value on all the help the co-chairs, leads, and 2Ys provide. Also, IBG and Booth’s reputation gives students the unique opportunity to meet bankers from essentially every bank.

I have talked a lot about career outcomes and IBG, but my Booth experience has paid dividends well beyond an internship offer. I have gained a genuine community, taken on meaningful leadership roles as co-chair of both IBG and the Rugby Club and as a Bond Cohort Representative for the Graduate Business Council, and pushed myself academically through courses like Advanced Financial Analysis and Valuation. When I was applying, I heard alumni describe how special the Booth community was and I wasn’t sure if this was just a sales pitch. Now that I have been here, I can see that I’ve made friends for a lifetime.

I’ll leave this as an extra piece of advice. Be ready to work, enjoy the process, and come in with an open mind. Please do not be afraid to ask for help from us (co-chairs, leads, 2Ys) and remember to lean on your classmates as well.