If you thought getting into an Ivy League school was the ultimate flex, you haven't seen the spreadsheets at 270 Park Avenue lately. Getting a summer analyst slot at JPMorgan Chase has basically become the hunger games for finance students.
The numbers are honestly a bit terrifying. In 2024, Mary Callahan Erdoes, who runs the Asset and Wealth Management division, dropped a bombshell during the bank's investor day. She revealed they received 493,000 applications for roughly 4,000 internship spots.
That puts the jp morgan internship acceptance rate at about 0.81%.
To put that in perspective, Harvard University usually accepts around 3.5% to 4% of its applicants. You are literally four times more likely to get into Harvard than you are to land a seat in a JPMorgan summer program. And it’s not getting any easier. Recent data from 2025 suggests the applicant pool surged even higher to 630,000 people, pushing the acceptance rate down to a measly 0.7%.
The Brutal Reality of the JP Morgan Internship Acceptance Rate
Why is everyone suddenly obsessed with working for Jamie Dimon? It’s partly because the firm is a fortress. While other banks were slashing headcounts, JPMorgan remained relatively stable.
But the sheer volume of "mind-blowing" applications, as Erdoes called it, means the screening process has to be ruthless. You’re no longer just competing with the kid down the hall at your target school. You are competing with half a million people globally who all have 3.8 GPAs and three previous internships.
It's a Numbers Game
The math is simple but painful.
- 2023: 270,000 applicants (approx.) -> 2.8% acceptance.
- 2024: 493,000 applicants -> 0.9% acceptance.
- 2025: 630,000 applicants -> 0.7% acceptance.
If you’re applying for 2026, you've gotta realize that the bank is actually cutting the number of available roles in some divisions. While the applicant pool grows by 25% a year, the number of spots might actually drop by 5% to 10% depending on the macro environment. It's a bottleneck of epic proportions.
Is It Harder Than Goldman Sachs?
There is always a weird rivalry between the big banks. People love to debate who is more "prestige." For a long time, Goldman Sachs was the undisputed king of exclusivity.
Not anymore.
Statistically, JPMorgan is now harder to get into than Goldman. In the 2024 cycle, Goldman Sachs had an acceptance rate of about 1.27% for its graduate and intern programs combined. JPMorgan was sub-1%. Because JPM has a much larger retail and commercial presence, they get a wider net of applicants, but their high-finance roles (Investment Banking, Markets, Asset Management) remain just as tight—if not tighter—than their rivals.
What Actually Happens After You Hit Submit?
Honestly, most people never even get a human to look at their resume. Because there are 600,000+ people in the pile, the initial "cull" is done by algorithms and automated assessments.
The Pymetrics and HireVue Gauntlet
Once you apply, you’ll likely get an invite to the Pymetrics games. These are those "brain games" that measure things like risk appetite and attention to detail.
If you pass that, you move to the HireVue—the dreaded one-way video interview.
You’re basically talking to a camera while an AI (and eventually a human) evaluates your "executive presence." Research from platforms like Graduates First suggests that nearly 60% to 80% of candidates are rejected based purely on these initial aptitude tests and video screens. If you don't sound like a "culture fit" in those first three minutes of video, you're toast.
The Superday
If you are one of the lucky 1% or 2% who make it past the robots, you get invited to a Superday. This is the final boss. It's a series of back-to-back interviews with VPs and Managing Directors.
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They’ll grill you on technicals—walk me through a DCF, how does a $10 increase in depreciation affect the three financial statements—but they also want to see if they can stand being in a room with you for 14 hours a day.
Beyond the GPA: What They Are Looking For Now
Look, a 3.2 GPA is the "minimum," but let’s be real. If you’re coming from a non-target school, you probably need a 3.8+ to even get noticed. But JPMorgan has been vocal about shifting their focus lately.
They are obsessed with "technological literacy." Even if you’re applying for a standard banking role, they want to see that you understand how AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) are changing the industry. Mary Callahan Erdoes mentioned that they are now training every intern in LLMs.
If you can code in Python or you've worked with data visualization tools like Tableau, you suddenly look a lot more interesting than the person who just knows how to format a PowerPoint slide.
How to Actually Beat the JP Morgan Internship Acceptance Rate
Since the odds are literally stacked against you, you can't just apply and pray. You need a strategy that doesn't rely on the "black hole" of the online portal.
- Network like a maniac. You’ve probably heard this a thousand times, but it's the only way to skip the line. One referral from a current Analyst or Associate can move your resume from the "600,000 pile" to the "1,000 pile." Reach out to alumni on LinkedIn. Don't ask for a job; ask for 15 minutes to hear about their experience in the Middle Market Banking or Healthcare group.
- Master the "Game-Based Assessments." Don't go into the Pymetrics tests blind. There are plenty of practice platforms that show you what those games are actually testing. If you're too impulsive or too risk-averse, the algorithm will flag you.
- Specifics over Generalities. Don't just say you "like finance." Talk about a specific deal JPMorgan recently advised on. Mention the $2.3 billion acquisition of whatever company happened last Tuesday. It shows you’re actually paying attention to the firm, not just the brand.
The Payoff: Why Bother?
If the jp morgan internship acceptance rate is so low, why do people keep doing this to themselves?
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Because the "Return Offer" rate is actually quite high. If you manage to get the internship and you don't mess it up, you have a roughly 70% to 80% chance of getting a full-time job offer. Starting salaries for first-year analysts at JPM are now routinely hitting $110,000 to $125,000 plus bonuses.
It is a golden ticket. It sets your resume up for life. Whether you stay in banking or move to private equity or tech, having "JPMorgan Summer Analyst" on your LinkedIn is the ultimate validation.
Actionable Next Steps for Applicants
If you are planning to apply for the next cycle, start now. The application window often opens almost a full year before the internship starts.
- Update your resume to be one page only—no exceptions.
- Clean up your LinkedIn and make sure your "About" section sounds like a human wrote it, not a corporate bot.
- Reach out to three alumni this week just to start a conversation.
The odds are slim, but someone has to be in that 0.7%. You just have to prove you're more than just a number in a massive spreadsheet.
Find the specific division that matches your skills—don't just apply to "Investment Banking" because it sounds cool. If you're a math whiz, look at Quantitative Research. If you're a people person, look at Wealth Management. Specializing early is your best bet at beating the curve.