Morgan Stanley sits right at the top of the bulge brackets alongside Goldman and J.P. Morgan, with a particularly strong name in M&A and equities. For undergraduates in the UK there are two early routes worth knowing about before you get to the summer internship.
Step In Step Up
Step In Step Up is Morgan Stanley's programme for first-year women. It's short and it's selective. Afterwards, put it on a single line under Education as an "Activity", next to any other bank insight events you've done. It costs one line and tells a screener you've been interested in banking since first year.
If you're eligible, apply. Programmes like this are designed to widen the intake, so they're often a more realistic first step than the general spring week.
Spring insight and summer analyst
The usual path is spring insight in first year, then the summer analyst programme in penultimate year, then a graduate offer at the end of the summer. Morgan Stanley, like the other big banks, fills a lot of its summer class from people it already knows, which is why the spring stage matters so much.
| Programme | Who | When to apply |
|---|---|---|
| Step In Step Up | First-year women | Check the careers site in early autumn |
| Spring insight | First-years | Autumn, rolling |
| Summer analyst | Penultimate-years | Summer before penultimate year, rolling |
What Morgan Stanley's screen picks up on
Morgan Stanley's divisions read CVs a little differently, so tailor to the one you're applying to:
- Investment Banking: deal work with a size, modelling, any exposure to live mandates, even at a boutique.
- Global Capital Markets: the same, plus an interest in how companies raise money. A bullet about an IPO or bond issue you followed closely isn't a bad idea.
- Markets / Sales & Trading: evidence you watch markets and think fast. A trading competition result or a personal portfolio with a return figure works here.
Whichever it is, the CV basics hold. One page, predicted grade on the education line, a number in most bullets, and nothing generic in Interests.
Small things that cost people
- Writing "Morgan Stanley Step In Step Up Programme" as a whole Work Experience entry with three bullets. It's a few days. One line.
- Listing every finance event you've ever attended. Pick the two that were selective.
- Spring week dates written as "Apr 2025 – Apr 2025". Just write "Apr 2025".