At a non-target, you want enough strong signals that a recruiter has a reason to look past the lack of an established campus pipeline.

Prioritize academic strength, selective internships, leadership with measurable outcomes, and experiences that demonstrate analytical problem solving. The order depends on where your current gaps are.

Then use networking to create access to that profile. The strongest networking strategy cannot compensate for an application with no evidence of achievement.

Think in terms of trajectory: each semester should add a stronger signal than the one before it.

Internship quality was the biggest jump for me. Once I had a recognizable strategy internship, conversations got easier.

Leadership with numbers. 'President of club' alone doesn't tell them much.