You'll still hear people call it Bank of America Merrill Lynch, or BAML. The Merrill name was dropped from the investment bank a few years ago, and it's now just BofA Securities on the banking side. It doesn't matter much for your application, but get the name right in a cover letter.
I had an offer from Bank of America, so this one's partly from memory.
Where it's strong
BofA is a full bulge bracket with a big corporate and investment bank. In the US its banking franchise is huge. In London it's very solid, and in practice the analyst experience in M&A and leveraged finance is much like the other bulge brackets. If you're choosing where to apply, it should be on the same list as J.P. Morgan and Citi, not a backup.
The route in
| Programme | Who | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Spring insight | First-years | Short programme, often with a fast-track to the summer |
| Summer analyst | Penultimate-years | About 10 weeks, the main source of graduate hires |
| Off-cycle | Placement year students | Some divisions only |
As with every big bank, apply the week applications open. A rolling process means the first batch of applicants is competing for the most places.
What the screen looks for
BofA's process starts with an online application and tests, then video interviews and a superday. The CV gets read quickly, so:
- Lead with your anchors. University, predicted grade, any bank or well-known firm name. If those are buried, the eight-second read misses them.
- Put a number on every bullet you can. If you supported a capital raise, give the size. If you built a model, say what it was for.
- Show you'd survive the hours. Not in those words. A competitive sport, a demanding job alongside your degree, or a society you ran while studying all say the same thing without you having to.
A rewrite I'd make on most BofA applications
Before: Gained exposure to the investment banking process and developed analytical skills
After: Prepared the industry section of a pitch for a £200m logistics sale; benchmarked 9 listed competitors on growth and margins
The first one tells them nothing happened. The second tells them what you did and how big it was.