Updated January 3rd, 2023: 

This fellowship has not occurred since spring of 2019 due to the ongoing effects of the pandemic. It will not be offered in spring 2023, but we hope that it will be possible in spring 2024. This website will be updated when it's known if the fellowship can be offered.

Financial Services Fellowship

The Financial Services Fellowship is a prestigious award that gives students who are interested in financial services a hands-on experience through an intensive trip to New York City during spring break. Students meet with people representing a wide range of roles in this industry, including journalists, sales and trading analysts, investment professionals, hedge fund managers, financial analysts and more. All expenses are paid through the generosity of a Reed trustee.

8 sophomores will have the opportunity to meet alumni and financial leaders. The trip will include

• business dinners with alumni and trustees of the College
• an opportunity to shadow professionals in the workplace and get a sense of day-to-day operations and discuss specific jobs and careers in the field
• a tour of a trading floor
• one-on-one meetings with financial services professionals

Take-aways from Reedies that participated in the Financial Services Fellowship:

"I encourage all eligible students to apply to the Financial Services Fellowship next year, so they can explore the industry firsthand and form their own opinions. During the Fellowship, you will learn an incredible amount in an incredibly short period of time, and meet some of the most interesting and diverse financial leaders."

- Sanjeev Verma '15, Philosophy

Sarah Brauner '16, Economics/Mathematics shares her experience of the Financial Services Fellowship on the Works and Days blog; read and learn why she urges Reedies to "partake in this Reed-sponsored journey to what might not actually be the 'dark side'."

"In all, taking part in the Reed Financial Service trip was one of my best professional decisions. I can’t say that I conclusively answered all the questions I set out with, but I gained enough knowledge to start to think of the next step in my many steps towards a career path. And the ability to make this realization is an opportunity any Reedie who is even slightly nursing the idea of a career in finance should not miss out on."

- Emmanuel Enemchukwu '16, Economics

Candidates must be currently enrolled at Reed with sophomore standing. Those applications that demonstrate strong analytical skills will be favored, although mathematics and quantitative courses are not required; in fact, one of the objectives of the program is to expose students from all disciplines to the wide variety of roles in the financial services industry.

To Apply

How to Apply 

1. A one page resume
2. A one page cover letter/essay answering the following two questions in a paragraph each:
   • REQUIRED:
     • What do you hope to gain from this experience?
   • CHOOSE ONE:
     • What are you curious about/interested in learning about financial markets, investing, financial literacy, currency, etc.?
     • What is your overall GPA and does it reflect your academic success accurately?
     • What courses have you taken where you have enhanced your analytical skills?

Review & Notification

Top candidates will be selected for a telephone interview with selection committee members.

Responsibilities

Fellows will engage in a variety of pre-trip activities during spring semester, including a required Paideia course on understanding capital markets.