About the Program
With the increasingly accelerated recruiting timeline for finance internships, the Carolina Finance & Investment Association created a program that establishes a cohort of the Moore School’s most ambitious freshmen who are interested in pursuing careers within competitive finance fields like investment banking, private equity, asset management, sales & trading, and more. The Freshman Finance Academy is the only branch of CFIA that requires an application.
Program Overview
The Academy provides its members direct instruction on the essential skills, abilities, and knowledge required to obtain competitive finance internships, as well as opportunities to hone and refine these skills. Additionally, the Academy connects the cohort with Moore School alumni who are eager to give back and provide personalized support to students throughout the finance recruiting process.
Curriculum Overview:
Bloomberg Market Concepts (BMC) Certification
Adventis Financial Model Certification (FMC) Program
Networking opportunities with upperclassmen
Resume and LinkedIn workshops for finance recruiting
Alumni mentor pairings for career guidance
Three-statement financial modeling
Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) valuation modeling
Mergers & acquisitions process and LBO overview
Presentation of mock sell-side pitch to finance faculty
Technical interview training in following semesters
freshman year internship placements
Freshman year internships in finance are difficult to come by and extremely competitive to land, but numerous Academy members have been able to successfully land opportunities in banking, private equity, and asset management after just one year in college.
Junior Year Internship Placements
Junior year internships are the most direct path to full-time offers. Using guidance from the Academy during their sophomore recruiting cycles, members have landed roles at top investment banks, consulting firms, and sales & trading desks in New York, Charlotte, and Menlo Park.
Testimonials
From the class of 2025…
Arnav Mehta
“Completing the final project, which was a Mergers & Acquisitions valuation for Skechers, was incredibly helpful in improving my financial modeling and taught me how to approach a mock sell side scenario.”
Christiana Schmidt
“This cohort is the perfect combination of expanding your experience at Darla by meeting new people and learning real world skills that you can apply to the finance industry… For me, it solidified my interest in finance and pushed me to work towards tangible outcomes.”
Darya Tchavdarova
“FFA not only deepened my understanding of finance but also provided a supportive community I can always rely on and reach out to. The world of finance can be difficult to navigate alone, but the Academy guides you in the right direction and teaches you concepts you likely won’t learn on your own or through school alone.”
Isabella Zaleski
“The Freshman Finance Academy was an incredible experience that gave me a head start in understanding key financial concepts… I never expected to grow so much over the course of a single semester, but the program gave me a completely new perspective on the various career paths within finance and how to pursue them.”
Interested in Joining?
Program Requirements:
First semester freshman at the Darla Moore School of Business
Intended major in Finance
*Non-finance majors (e.g., CompSci, Math, Econ) may apply, but must explain why their coursework is particularly relevant to the fields the program targets
Demonstrated pattern and interest in learning about the finance field
Application Information:
Application Opens: Monday, October 5th, 2026
Upcoming Interest Meetings:
Wednesday, October 21st, 2026, 8:30PM - 9:30 PM | DMSB 136
Wednesday, October 28th, 2026, 8:30PM - 9:30 PM | DMSB 136
Application Deadline: Sunday, November 1st, 2026 at 11:59PM
APPLY HERE
Additional Questions? - Contact our Representatives
Thomas Patterson - Vice President of Education
Email - tjp7@email.sc.edu
Dalton Kahl - Freshman Finance Academy Advisor
Email - jkahl@email.sc.edu
Kate Sniffen - Co-Academy Chair
Email - ksniffen@email.sc.edu
Ryan Fronczak - Co-Academy Chair
Email - fronczar@email.sc.edu