Working in AM vs IB out of undergrad?

Hey y'all, this is my first post so I hope you go easy on me :)

I am a junior at a target school. In the fall, I accepted a summer internship at a Top AM (BlackRock/PIMCO/Capital Group) in the portfolio management group and had an offer at an EB that I turned down because people told me it's better to go to the buyside directly despite the lower pay for 3-4 years and then get an MBA. That was my plan, but I'm starting to doubt myself now. I would love to eventually be a PM or work for a HF.

I made a list of pros and cons for picking AM here.

Pros: - Direct buyside - Exposure to really smart PMs - Specialized skillset - Lifestyle - Good shot at MBA programs Cons: - Pay - Lacking in traditional modeling skills - Less career flexibility - Work as a junior employee is not as substantial as they primarily hire MBAs. I am NOT going to be directly researching investment ideas.

Basically, my concern is that I'll be at a disadvantage to bankers looking to move to a HF because I'm missing out on modeling skills, a large network, and there must be a good reason all my friends took IB internships. Not to mention the pay difference, and I wouldn't mind long hours at this age. I know I can always re-recruit for full time, so what do you guys think? Stay with AM, or try to go for IB? Would really appreciate any advice.

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