2 answers
Arihant
Student
Japan
7
Questions
Asked
2168 views
Best ECs for a finance degree?
In was just wondering if everyone could give me a FULL list of exactly what to do in high school to get into an IVY. I'm hoping to learn about all the international competitions that have huge weight and exactly what I should do in High School including clubs, sports, grades, etc.
Login to comment
2 answers
Dr H
Dr. H's Research
1333
Answers
Australia
Updated
Dr’s Answer
Alright, Arihant, so you’re trying to break into the Ivy League for finance? That’s some big league thinking, and I love it. But listen, it’s way more than just having good grades and a couple of clubs. Ivy schools want to see depth, leadership, real-world impact, and a serious passion for finance—not just someone checking off a list of extracurriculars. So let’s actually talk about what matters, why it matters, and how you can build a profile that makes schools like Wharton, Harvard, and Columbia sit up and say, we need this kid.
First up—your grades and academics.
Obviously, the Ivy League isn’t playing when it comes to academics. If you’re aiming for Wharton at UPenn, for example, their accepted students have an average GPA of 3.9+ unweighted, and they take the most rigorous courses their school offers. Harvard? Same story. That means you gotta load up on AP, IB, or Honors courses, especially in math, economics, and science. Think AP Calc BC, AP Stats, AP Macro & Micro, and if you can, some AP Physics or Computer Science.
Why physics or coding when you’re going for finance? Because quantitative finance and fintech are massive fields, and having a STEM-heavy background makes you way more appealing. Wharton, for example, loves students who can handle high-level math and logical problem-solving since their finance and econ programs are super analytical. You don’t wanna just be another “I like money” applicant—you wanna be the kid who understands the mechanics behind the markets.
Next up—the SAT or ACT.
Yeah, some Ivy schools are test-optional, but here’s the deal: for finance, a killer SAT/ACT score makes you stand out, period. If you’re aiming for a school like Wharton, an SAT score of 1550+ or ACT 34+ is ideal. Plus, if your school still offers SAT Subject Tests (or the equivalent in your country), a strong Math Level 2 score is a power move. And if you’re taking AP exams, you wanna be pulling 4s and 5s—especially in the key subjects like Calc, Econ, and Stats.
Now, let’s talk extracurriculars—this is where you separate yourself from the pack.
Joining clubs is not enough. Ivies don’t care if you’re a member of ten different things. What they want to see is leadership, impact, and expertise in finance.
One of the biggest moves? Finance and business competitions.
Wharton Global High School Investment Competition—Super prestigious, directly linked to one of the best finance schools in the world. If you can place high in this, that’s instant credibility.
National Economics Challenge (NEC)—If you’re good at macro/microeconomics, this is your thing.
HSBC/Bloomberg Investment Challenge—Big deal internationally. If it’s available in your country, jump on it.
Harvard Pre-Collegiate Economics Challenge (HPEC)—Anything attached to Harvard automatically looks great.
DECA or FBLA (if available in your school)—Go beyond just being a member; win awards, lead a division, or start an impactful finance project.
Winning or even ranking high in these competitions isn’t just a flex—it tells admissions that you’re already competing at a global level in finance. That’s the kind of applicant Ivies eat up.
But let’s take it further—personal finance projects.
Starting your own finance-related project is what really makes you look like a future leader. Schools want self-starters, not just kids who follow the crowd.
Maybe you launch a student investment fund where you and a few classmates research stocks and track real market trends. Even if you start small, having an actual portfolio and being able to explain your strategy, successes, and failures in an essay? That’s next-level.
Or maybe you start a finance blog, newsletter, or YouTube channel where you analyze market trends or break down financial concepts for beginners. If you can make finance accessible and engaging—especially for younger students or people who don’t normally understand it—that’s a major leadership move.
You could even get into fintech by coding a budgeting app, a simple trading bot, or an AI-powered financial literacy tool. Schools like MIT Sloan and Wharton love students who can combine finance with technology because that’s where the industry is heading.
Leadership is everything—make sure you’re leading, not just participating.
If your school has an investment club, finance club, or economics club, don’t just sign up—be the president, organize major events, or start an initiative. If your school doesn’t have one, start it yourself. Admissions officers love students who see a gap and create something from nothing.
Beyond school, look at local community impact.
What if you start a financial literacy program for underprivileged students or families? Teaching others how to budget, invest, and manage money responsibly could turn into a non-profit or a major project that gets attention from the community and even media. That’s real leadership—way better than just another club membership.
Internships & Real-World Experience—Huge if You Can Get It.
Most high school students don’t have finance internships, so if you can land one, it’s a game-changer.
Maybe you shadow an investment banker, financial analyst, or hedge fund manager for a few weeks.
If you can’t get a traditional internship, see if you can work at a local business managing their accounts, learning about cash flow, or even doing bookkeeping.
Remote internships with finance startups are also a thing—plenty of companies let students do investment research or financial modeling online.
This kind of hands-on experience is rare in high school, so if you have it, you instantly stand out.
Networking & Recommendation Letters—Start Now.
Your rec letters need to be strong, and ideally from someone in finance or business. Build solid relationships with your math and economics teachers since they’ll be the ones backing you up. But also, connect with finance professionals—whether through LinkedIn, local networking events, or just reaching out to university professors. Sometimes, even a quick chat with someone in the field can lead to unexpected mentorship opportunities.
Essays—Your Secret Weapon.
You can have the best grades and ECs, but if your essay is generic, you won’t stand out. Finance essays tend to be boring and predictable—everyone writes about “how they love the stock market” or “that one time they read The Intelligent Investor.”
Make it personal.
Did you grow up watching your parents struggle financially, and that sparked your interest in wealth management? Did a failed investment teach you a valuable lesson? Did you start a finance-related side hustle that changed the way you think about money? Find a story that only you can tell.
Final Thoughts—How to Actually Get Into a Top Finance School.
If we’re talking best finance programs, Wharton (UPenn) is top-tier, but you should also look at Harvard, Columbia, MIT Sloan, and NYU Stern. These schools want students who are highly quantitative, entrepreneurial, and impactful in finance.
You’re not just proving you like finance—you’re proving that you’re already acting like a future leader in the industry. If you can balance killer grades, top finance ECs, real-world experience, leadership, and a strong personal story, you’re setting yourself up for Ivy League success.
Now go make it happen. You got this better than anyone Arihant and all the best! 🤗
First up—your grades and academics.
Obviously, the Ivy League isn’t playing when it comes to academics. If you’re aiming for Wharton at UPenn, for example, their accepted students have an average GPA of 3.9+ unweighted, and they take the most rigorous courses their school offers. Harvard? Same story. That means you gotta load up on AP, IB, or Honors courses, especially in math, economics, and science. Think AP Calc BC, AP Stats, AP Macro & Micro, and if you can, some AP Physics or Computer Science.
Why physics or coding when you’re going for finance? Because quantitative finance and fintech are massive fields, and having a STEM-heavy background makes you way more appealing. Wharton, for example, loves students who can handle high-level math and logical problem-solving since their finance and econ programs are super analytical. You don’t wanna just be another “I like money” applicant—you wanna be the kid who understands the mechanics behind the markets.
Next up—the SAT or ACT.
Yeah, some Ivy schools are test-optional, but here’s the deal: for finance, a killer SAT/ACT score makes you stand out, period. If you’re aiming for a school like Wharton, an SAT score of 1550+ or ACT 34+ is ideal. Plus, if your school still offers SAT Subject Tests (or the equivalent in your country), a strong Math Level 2 score is a power move. And if you’re taking AP exams, you wanna be pulling 4s and 5s—especially in the key subjects like Calc, Econ, and Stats.
Now, let’s talk extracurriculars—this is where you separate yourself from the pack.
Joining clubs is not enough. Ivies don’t care if you’re a member of ten different things. What they want to see is leadership, impact, and expertise in finance.
One of the biggest moves? Finance and business competitions.
Wharton Global High School Investment Competition—Super prestigious, directly linked to one of the best finance schools in the world. If you can place high in this, that’s instant credibility.
National Economics Challenge (NEC)—If you’re good at macro/microeconomics, this is your thing.
HSBC/Bloomberg Investment Challenge—Big deal internationally. If it’s available in your country, jump on it.
Harvard Pre-Collegiate Economics Challenge (HPEC)—Anything attached to Harvard automatically looks great.
DECA or FBLA (if available in your school)—Go beyond just being a member; win awards, lead a division, or start an impactful finance project.
Winning or even ranking high in these competitions isn’t just a flex—it tells admissions that you’re already competing at a global level in finance. That’s the kind of applicant Ivies eat up.
But let’s take it further—personal finance projects.
Starting your own finance-related project is what really makes you look like a future leader. Schools want self-starters, not just kids who follow the crowd.
Maybe you launch a student investment fund where you and a few classmates research stocks and track real market trends. Even if you start small, having an actual portfolio and being able to explain your strategy, successes, and failures in an essay? That’s next-level.
Or maybe you start a finance blog, newsletter, or YouTube channel where you analyze market trends or break down financial concepts for beginners. If you can make finance accessible and engaging—especially for younger students or people who don’t normally understand it—that’s a major leadership move.
You could even get into fintech by coding a budgeting app, a simple trading bot, or an AI-powered financial literacy tool. Schools like MIT Sloan and Wharton love students who can combine finance with technology because that’s where the industry is heading.
Leadership is everything—make sure you’re leading, not just participating.
If your school has an investment club, finance club, or economics club, don’t just sign up—be the president, organize major events, or start an initiative. If your school doesn’t have one, start it yourself. Admissions officers love students who see a gap and create something from nothing.
Beyond school, look at local community impact.
What if you start a financial literacy program for underprivileged students or families? Teaching others how to budget, invest, and manage money responsibly could turn into a non-profit or a major project that gets attention from the community and even media. That’s real leadership—way better than just another club membership.
Internships & Real-World Experience—Huge if You Can Get It.
Most high school students don’t have finance internships, so if you can land one, it’s a game-changer.
Maybe you shadow an investment banker, financial analyst, or hedge fund manager for a few weeks.
If you can’t get a traditional internship, see if you can work at a local business managing their accounts, learning about cash flow, or even doing bookkeeping.
Remote internships with finance startups are also a thing—plenty of companies let students do investment research or financial modeling online.
This kind of hands-on experience is rare in high school, so if you have it, you instantly stand out.
Networking & Recommendation Letters—Start Now.
Your rec letters need to be strong, and ideally from someone in finance or business. Build solid relationships with your math and economics teachers since they’ll be the ones backing you up. But also, connect with finance professionals—whether through LinkedIn, local networking events, or just reaching out to university professors. Sometimes, even a quick chat with someone in the field can lead to unexpected mentorship opportunities.
Essays—Your Secret Weapon.
You can have the best grades and ECs, but if your essay is generic, you won’t stand out. Finance essays tend to be boring and predictable—everyone writes about “how they love the stock market” or “that one time they read The Intelligent Investor.”
Make it personal.
Did you grow up watching your parents struggle financially, and that sparked your interest in wealth management? Did a failed investment teach you a valuable lesson? Did you start a finance-related side hustle that changed the way you think about money? Find a story that only you can tell.
Final Thoughts—How to Actually Get Into a Top Finance School.
If we’re talking best finance programs, Wharton (UPenn) is top-tier, but you should also look at Harvard, Columbia, MIT Sloan, and NYU Stern. These schools want students who are highly quantitative, entrepreneurial, and impactful in finance.
You’re not just proving you like finance—you’re proving that you’re already acting like a future leader in the industry. If you can balance killer grades, top finance ECs, real-world experience, leadership, and a strong personal story, you’re setting yourself up for Ivy League success.
Now go make it happen. You got this better than anyone Arihant and all the best! 🤗
I am grateful you took the time to answer this question. Could you also tell me about some international competitions as some of these are only for the US and I live in Japan
Arihant
Could you recommend some internships that take high school students?
Arihant
Glad you found my answer helpful! Since you’re in Japan, there are definitely some international competitions worth checking out. The International Economics Olympiad (IEO) is a big one, and Japan is part of it. If you’re into investing, the Global Youth Investment Competition is a cool way to compete in stock market strategy. The HSBC Business Case Competition is another solid choice—teams solve real-world financial problems, and a bunch of Japanese universities take part. Then there’s the Junior Achievement Company Program, which lets you start and run a business while competing internationally. If you like the bigger picture side of finance, the Model UN ECOFIN committee is all about economic policy and can really boost your profile.
Dr H
Internships for high schoolers in finance aren’t super common, but there are still ways in. The Tokyo Stock Exchange (JPX) has some educational programs worth looking into. Big banks like MUFG, SMBC, and Nomura sometimes have student opportunities, and fintech startups in Tokyo are always growing—some might need research help. Smaller financial firms or consulting companies might also let you assist with research or analysis if you reach out. If nothing official is available, shadowing a finance professional or starting a small project, like a finance blog or an investment club, can still be a great move.
Dr H
Michelle M.
Actress
2450
Answers
Updated
Michelle’s Answer
I appreciate that you are asking multiple questions about the same exact thing, however you will need to compile all the PREVIOUS information on a piece of paper to make your "list". As I have alluded to, the professional finance people in Japan prefer to have people over the age of 18 and if you're in secondary school in Japan, you will just have to inquire about things at banks, etc. and try making your own club. Please honor the information that our advisors have already given you and I know that it's difficult to find something at your age group in Japan, but take the initiative and follow advisors advice.
Part of being focused for a career in finance is knowing what you can do and what you have to wait for. You will need the patience and realistic outlook for this career and know that it is a process and not done in high school. You have to wait for college, especially in Japan. You do not need false information about this. We at Career Village pride ourselves by giving real advice for real questions.
Part of being focused for a career in finance is knowing what you can do and what you have to wait for. You will need the patience and realistic outlook for this career and know that it is a process and not done in high school. You have to wait for college, especially in Japan. You do not need false information about this. We at Career Village pride ourselves by giving real advice for real questions.
Michelle’s right that finance internships in Japan are limited for high schoolers, but that doesn’t mean you’re out of options. Look into Tokyo Stock Exchange programs, reach out to banks or fintech startups, or even start your own finance project—like an investment club or blog. Ivy Leagues love self-starters, so taking initiative now can set you apart, even without a formal internship.
Dr H