>>1360817
Which uni? What are your A-levels?

>>1360899
Currently applied for Cardiff but don't think I'll get in this year, will have to wait till results day. Thinking about Middlesex since I've heard people from there getting into IB jobs,
Maths, Chemistry and Psychology

>>1360952
What grades did you get?

>>1360959
Going to find out in august, I need an A in maths but I just don't think I managed that.

What exactly do you think IB is?

If I told you that it was soul crushing repetitive work in front of a computer for 60+ hours a week and not sitting in a board room and lighting cigars with hundred dollar bills, would you believe me?

>But how feesible do you think it would be to get a job at an IB without a degree but an impressive investment portfolio?
It's feasible. Where did you go to school?

>What if you could show that the time you would've spent at uni was used really well investing, learning the trade so to speak
They're going to want to see at least some interest in finance on your part, obviously. What you shouldn't do is learn so much that you come across as knowing everything. It won't go down well. They will also want to know why you didn't want to go to university.

>My only other options currently are go to a middle of the table uni (UK), really dedicate myself there and try for LSE for a masters.
You have more options. Do you live near a good (Russell Group) University? Consider a part time course. They often cost nothing, if you live in the nearby area, and provide exactly the same in terms of content just spread out over a longer period. You can be flexible with your hours. The entry requirements are lower. You could feasibly get a job in an IB office whilst you studied. You can, if you want, transfer to full time after two years. My brother did this and he's a shipbroker at Clarkson's, after making a complete hash of his A-Levels he did a part time undergrad at Leeds, switched to full time after two years and finished in four total. My boss did something similar at Oxford after he left the Army and ended up at Coutts, playing around with more money than you could fathom.

My advice is to find five places you like the look of, call them and ask straight up what they look for. Speak to them. Tell them what you want to do, why you're interested in it and how you can get out there. Then contact universities and see who has what.

Investment bankers come from a wide range of backgrounds. Obviously your graduates are going to be Russell Group + a few others, but people get into it other ways.

>>1360968
Which Russel Group universities do you think are worthwhile and which are to be avoided?
OP might be wasting his time going to Liverpool university, for example.

>>1360968
Damn, this is really helpful dude. I've been feeling like uni might be too much of a stretch for me but now I'm pretty confident it's possible
Thankyou my dude

>>1360980
It depends entirely on what he wants to study. Look, I know a lot of younger people place a lot of faith into what university to go to, but it's really not as important as you think. I'm not suggesting you attend the Courtald Institute of Art with an aim of becoming an investment banker, but if the degree and institution fit what you want to do with a proven record of getting people into those businesses you won't go far wrong.

It's anecdotal, but most of the people in investment banking, brokerage and accounting that I know went to either Oxbridge, Imperial, Kings, Leeds, LSE, UCL, York and Durham. There were others (one of the people in finance I respect the most, big name at Goldman Sachs and previously in wealth management at Coutts, went to De Montfort) but by and large they went there.

However, don't put much faith in that. There are plenty of people who went to those universities that didn't get into the career they wanted despite having top grades from top universities. I've interviewed countless people who went to "lesser" universities who were more than capable and did well for themselves.

What I'm driving at here is that you need to have a solid plan and aim. Don't be swayed by the name. Work your arse off, study the relevant things and get the experience.

>>1361008
I'll add this. LSE is a fine place, but it's not necessarily the training ground for financiers that people view it as - though it has churned out some decent ones over the years. They've produced some extremely clever people over the years but its merit lies in its ability to produce political economists, managers and theorists, not necessarily those who would be best suited to investment banking.

If you want to be a head of state, work with the IMF, work for the Treasury, head into corporate management or work in things like risk, security and stability then it's the place to be. For investment banking it wouldn't necessarily be my first choice.

>>1361010
>I know a lot of younger people place a lot of faith into what university to go to, but it's really not as important as you think.
>a proven record of getting people into those businesses
Are these not conflicting statements?

I'm not trying to be a smartarse, your advice is extremely appreciated. Just evaluating the reasonable boundaries of what you would call a proven track record.

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>>1361050
>work with the IMF
LSE here i come!

>>1361055
What he means is that there are plenty of good universities that have a good record of getting graduates into the jobs they want that aren't renowned for being "The university to go to if you want to be in finance"