Good luck to those aiming to get into IB from a graduate level and also those currently in the stages of the internship recruitment. It is one of the most competitive areas to get into. Typically, there are about say 300-500 potential applicants per graduate IB position available, in a given bank. Obviously those with more positions tend to attract more applicants and there are variations between banks.
Typical people I know who work in IB are quite amazingly talented people. They tend to have HD averages (or high D), taken multiple executive/presidential positions in student clubs/societies, have been winners/finalists in finance-related competitions (often at a state or national level) and have often acquired very strong relevant work experience. So make sure you have acquired at least these listed credentials above before applying if you want to give yourself a good chance to get into IB as a graduate.
Contrary to what some might believe, most people I know who work in IB are usually the sociable and popular types of people. I suspect the reason for this is because the recruiters look for superior social skills since they come into play when pitching to clients and working with colleagues as a team for long hours to take care of a big M&A deal worth millions of dollars.
Most importantly, those who work in IB have a passion for finance so you can ask them anything about the latest issues in M&A deals and financial markets (both domestically and internationally) and they can go on forever and ever about it, well beyond what most people see/read on the news. So it is no surprise that they are doing IB because its in their nature and not for the money, hence the hours are generally not an issue with them because they are doing what they love. If your only motivation for getting in IB is the money, the recruiters will see straight through you in the interview and press the reject button without hesitation. They want very talented people who are genuinely passionate about finance because these kinds of people will best adapt to the lifestyle that an IB role entails.
So if you want to get into IB, make sure you're doing it for the right reasons otherwise you're wasting your time.