Launch your investing career
The Recalc Academy Finance Accelerator program is designed to help you launch your career in private equity and alternative investments. We train and develop candidates historically underrepresented within the industry. This includes women, first generation students, underrepresented minorities, and students from schools without traditional on-campus finance recruiting. We look for incredibly hard-working students and recent graduates ready to dedicate themselves to launching their career in finance.
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Accelerator Leadership

Katie Fifer
Katie brings over a decade of investing experience at Audax Group and Paxion Capital as well as a passion for teaching as founder at Recalc Academy.

Jill Pierce
Jill brings nearly two decades of recruiting experience as founder of CarterPierce, a leading private equity recruiting firm.
Program Pillars

Technical Training

Mentorship

Community

Recruiting Support
Technical Training
Accelerator training is incredibly hands-on and interactive.
Accounting Fundamentals
- Develop a strong accounting foundation. Learn how the three financial statements tie together.
- Key takeaways from each of the financial statements and analysis of financial trends
Building a Financial Model
- Learn to link up three financial statements.
- Deal structure and returns (LBO model) and back-of-envelope math to sanity check returns.
Analyzing a Business
- Learn to analyze a business, identify thesis and risks for an investment, and arrive at valuation.
- Develop business intuition. Tie financials back to business insights.
Efficient Excel-Based Analysis
- Keyboard-based navigation and shortcuts.
- Join Recalc’s Business Analysis Course to build a customer cohort analysis from scratch.
Mentorship
Participants are mentored by successful industry professionals and Recalc Accelerator alumni. Mentors bring a wealth of buyside experience in private equity, growth equity, and private credit. Mentors share their insights on the industry and work with mentees on their resumes, interview prep, and individual goals.
Community
When you join the Recalc Finance Accelerator, you join an amazing community of ambitious and supportive peers and mentors. Current participants and alumni stay connected through the Recalc Accelerator Slack as well as opportunities to meet up in person. We could not be more excited about the power of this amazing community.
Recruiting Support
The Recalc Finance Accelerator is focused on ensuring you reach your recruiting goals. We work very closely with participants throughout their internship and full-time recruitment. We act as a sounding board as you navigate different opportunities, make introductions to relevant firms, and provide opportunities to practice interviewing and refine both your personal pitch and your technical skills.
Perfect your pitch
Learn to tell your story effectively and with confidence. Receive feedback on your elevator pitch from mentors, alumni, and program leaders.
Hear directly from leading firms
A big part of finding the right role is finding a firm that fits your personality and your goals. You’ll hear directly from partner firms about what makes their organization unique.
Mock interviews
Opportunity to practice behavioral and technical interviews. Mentors and program alumni can provide coaching on the type of preparation most relevant to your upcoming interviews.
Navigate recruiting
Work closely with Katie, Jill, and the broader team for access to recruiting by top private equity and other investment firms.
Program Schedule
Two cohorts every year. Year-round community.
Each cohort includes 10 technical training sessions taught over 6 weeks
(Tuesday & Thursday evenings), individual mock interviews, and industry
mentorship.
Fall Cohort
OCTOBER & NOVEMBER
Applications: CLOSED
STAY UP TO DATE ON DEADLINES
Spring Cohort
MARCH & APRIL
Applications open: JANUARY 19TH – FEBRUARY 3RD
STAY UP TO DATE ON DEADLINES
Program Details
Mandatory:
- Tuesday / Thursday evening classes
- Class dates (all 7:30-9pm ET):
- Thu Mar 2
- Tues Mar 7
- Tues Mar 14
- Tues Mar 21
- Thu Mar 23
- Thu Mar 30
- Tues Apr 4
- Thu Apr 6
- Tues Apr 11
- Thu April 13
- Class dates (all 7:30-9pm ET):
- Engagement on Slack (checking it, sharing information, helping the community, keeping us updated on recruiting)
- Excellent follow-up with anyone you’re introduced to (mentorship, mock interviews, etc.)
Encouraged:
- Recalc open enrollment courses (Spreadsheet Fundamentals, Finance Fundamentals)
- Recalc small group mentor chats
- Special topic sessions (e.g. software investing, case interview prep, women in finance)
- Mock interviews
- Community events
FAQ
When do applications for the Spring Cohort open?
Applications for the Spring 2023 Finance Accelerator program will be open from January 19th through February 3rd. To apply, please click here.
Who is it for?
The program is designed for current college students and recent college graduates. The program will help prepare you for your next career step:
- Freshman/Sophomore – Internship recruiting
- Junior/Senior – Private equity analyst and associate recruiting
- Recent graduates – Off-cycle private equity associate recruiting for people with 1-4 years of work experience.
What background do I need in order to apply?
Applicants do not need to be pursuing a finance degree or have prior finance work experience – this program is designed to be a launchpad for your career in finance. However, we will be screening for outstanding work ethic and a track record in analytically-oriented coursework or job experience. If you are a junior/senior or recent graduate, preference will be given for analytically-oriented internship or full-time work experience (consulting, accounting, banking, engineering, investing, or related – does not specifically need to be investment banking).
How much does it cost?
The program does not cost anything to participants. However, the program requires a significant commitment, and applicants will be asked to sign an agreement committing to their full participation in the program. Any participant not fully committed to the program will be asked to leave.
How can I apply to the program?
- Written applications will be available for our Spring 2023 cohort starting January 19th and be open until February 3rd. Based on a review of written applications, certain applicants will be invited to a Zoom-based interview. Click here to apply.
- Deadlines: Applications for the Spring 2023 Cohort will be open from January 19th – February 3rd.
- We encourage you to apply early as we will be accepting applicants on a rolling basis, and the program will be limited to 40 participants.