Centerview is small, private and extremely selective. It advises on some of the biggest M&A deals in the world with a fraction of the staff of a bulge bracket, and its analyst class is tiny. It also pays very well, which you'll hear about on every forum.
I'll be honest: for most undergraduates, Centerview is a long shot. That's not a reason to skip it. It's a reason to apply with a CV that's as sharp as it can possibly be, and to apply to the rest of the elite boutiques as well.
What's different about applying
- Very few places. The London office is smaller than New York, and the undergraduate intake there is small even by boutique standards.
- Less visible recruiting. Centerview doesn't run the big campus roadshows the large banks do. Watch its careers page closely and know when it opens.
- A high technical bar from the start. Analysts are expected to build models and work on live deals immediately.
What a CV that gets a Centerview interview tends to have
- Serious prior finance experience. Often an internship at another bank or boutique with real deal work. If this is your first finance application, I'd aim for that first and come back to Centerview.
- Top academics. Not because a 2:1 rules you out, but because with so few places they can pick people who are strong everywhere.
- No filler. Every line should be doing something. Cut the Microsoft Office skills line, the generic interests, the virtual internships.
Interviews
Expect technical questions on valuation and accounting, a lot of "walk me through your deal", and real questions about why a firm this small. "I want responsibility early and to work directly with senior bankers" is a decent start, if you mean it.