Mentorship in High School: The Key to Breaking Into High Finance

High finance—Investment Banking, Hedge Funds, Private Equity, and Venture Capital—is one of the most competitive and selective career paths in the world. The barriers to entry are immense: elite academic credentials, technical expertise, strong networking skills, and access to top-tier internships are all critical. For high school students with ambitions of breaking into this world, mentorship is not just helpful—it’s a strategic necessity.

Unlike traditional careers that offer structured entry points, high finance operates on an opaque, relationship-driven system where knowing the right people and understanding the unspoken rules can make or break a candidate. Starting early with mentorship allows high school students to develop a roadmap for success, ensuring they make the right academic and extracurricular choices before even stepping foot in college. Mentorship provides three key advantages: early exposure to industry-specific knowledge, a competitive resume from day one, and an understanding of the power of networking.

High school students rarely have direct access to insights about leveraged buyouts, distressed debt investing, or how investment banks structure deals. A mentor working in finance—whether at Goldman Sachs, Blackstone, or a top hedge fund—can provide exposure to the real-world concepts that set candidates apart in future recruiting cycles. Breaking into finance means securing top-tier internships and leadership roles from an early stage. A mentor can advise students on which activities actually matter—whether it’s competing in investment competitions like the Wharton Global High School Investment Challenge, taking online financial modeling courses, or networking for early internships at boutique investment firms.

The finance industry thrives on relationships. Research shows that over 70% of finance jobs are secured through networking rather than traditional applications. A mentor can introduce students to their first professional connections, helping them build relationships that may later lead to internships, recommendation letters, or referrals to prestigious undergraduate finance programs like Wharton, Stern, or Harvard’s Economics track. A student who waits until college to begin navigating the finance world is already behind. High school is the time to develop the necessary skills and credentials to stand out when applying for competitive undergraduate business programs and, later, elite internships at firms like J.P. Morgan, Citadel, or Sequoia Capital.

With the guidance of a mentor, students can learn financial modeling and valuation techniques before college, giving them an edge in finance club recruiting. They gain insight into which elite undergraduate programs place the most candidates into high finance (target schools vs. non-target schools) and understand the importance of networking early—learning how to secure coffee chats, cold email professionals, and attend industry conferences.

High school mentorship is not just an advantage—it’s a prerequisite for those serious about breaking into elite finance. The earlier a student gains exposure to the industry, develops relevant skills, and builds relationships, the more prepared they will be to compete in the intense world of investment banking, hedge funds, private equity, and venture capital. In a field where the margin for error is slim, mentorship ensures that students are not just dreaming about Wall Street but actively positioning themselves to succeed in it.