Securing Highly Competitive Internships and Earning Return Offers

Episode 43 | March 2, 2026

In Episode 43 of the Coffee Chat podcast, host Ben sits down with Sante, a student at Bentley University who recently completed a sophomore summer internship at Bank of America. Sante’s story is a testament to early preparation, self-discipline, and a willingness to learn independently long before formal recruiting begins.

Despite knowing he wanted to pursue investment banking, Sante admits he didn’t fully understand the industry when he arrived on campus. “If you had asked me in freshman year, ‘Do you want to do investment banking?’ like, yeah. But could I tell you what an investment banker did? No.”

Still, he was determined to learn quickly.

Building Technical Skills Early

Because most advanced finance coursework is reserved for junior and senior years, Sante recognized he needed to build skills outside the classroom. That led him to enroll early in the Financial Modeling Certification® (FMC®) Program, which he credits as a turning point.

The FMC® Program introduced him to the foundations of financial modeling, valuation concepts like the DCF, and the accounting knowledge needed to understand how models function, not just how to “plug and chug.” He explains, “To actually understand it… it took me probably my entire freshman year.”

Alongside Adventis training, he spent the summer after freshman year working through the well-known “400 investment banking questions guide,” sharpening his technical interview skills. Those efforts paid off when Bank of America extended him an offer before his sophomore year even began.

A Mindset That Drives Success

Sante attributes his progress to starting early, staying accountable, and embracing challenges even when unsure of the outcome. A mentor once told him, “It’s always better to start early than not start at all.” Sante took that advice to heart, pursuing investment banking preparation proactively and without fear of failure.

His experience reinforces a key reality for students aiming for competitive finance roles: those who prepare earliest gain an undeniable advantage. As Ben notes, the real world rewards individuals who take initiative, and the recruiting process is no different.

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