Looking to get into MBB 2018, should I do this intern or travel instead?

Hi guys,

Looking for some advice here. Currently a 3rd year student (4-year degree), have the following offers:

-Accepted offer for (ATK/LEK/S&/OW - one of those) internship and will be doing that for the next 2 months -In the interview process (either 1st/final round) for the following firms: Goldman, JPM, MS, CS, UBS and assuming everything goes as predicted should net 1-2 of those, possibly more.

My dilemma is: I'm going to be travelling with friends at the end of the year, it's been something we've planned a year ago and this clashes with potential IB internships, meaning that they're mutually exclusive, so:

  1. If I don't take the IB internships, will this severely impact my shot at MBB? I come from a region where MBB don't offer internships, so the mid-tiers already secured is the best available.
  2. Which would you pick and why?

Thank you so much in advance! Ultimately I like banking, but I did an intern previous summer (boutique) and loved it so I'm probably not going to switch to banking. So if I took the IB offer it'd just be to boost my CV for MBB.

7 Comments
 
Best Response

100% travel (if you mean study abroad, otherwise if it's a two-week trip, save it for post-grad). And if you're looking to do MBB, apply to those internships as well. Very difficult to get, but lays ground work for full time. While I decided to forgo IB, I had to have two of my final MBB internship interviews moved up to before I left for abroad. Unfortunately, they have limited internship spots, so while I performed well, they could not offer yet because it was unfair to others who had not interviewed. I could have remained in the pool, but instead to an expiring offer because I did not want to be abroad with nothing. It was the right choice.

Come the fall, the firms knew I had reached final rounds, and it was fairly easy to get back to them because of this. I ended up accepting an MBB offer this past fall.

My advice to all is: if given the choice between a semester abroad, or giving yourself what you think is a leg-up with a slightly more prestigious internship, GO ABROAD. Get drunk at a pub with your friends. Take a booze cruise down the Seine. Have fun. Best semester of my life. Because if you put in the case effort and NETWORK (I cannot stress this enough), you will be fine. One name brand internship isn't going to make or break it. That said, also, GET AN INTERNSHIP the summer after junior year. Just don't change around your semester plans for a specific one.

 

Thanks for the really detailed response!

Should've been more specific, in that this is a 4-5 week trip during the holidays with friends, so it's not quite an exchange but just something we planned a year ago before I realised how intense job-searching is.

Basically i'd really love to go with friends, but was unsure whether the IBs would really be the sole difference-maker at, say, a final-round interview between getting in and missing the offer.

 

Et laudantium amet asperiores quo consectetur. Qui optio impedit dolorem dolores. Provident veritatis doloribus autem. Voluptate qui dolorem quo veritatis. Quo voluptas reiciendis id laudantium est sed magnam.

Optio perferendis corporis qui et id non velit neque. Perspiciatis quidem nulla atque esse porro quo vel laboriosam. Reprehenderit veniam eum ipsum suscipit vel molestiae. Corporis omnis possimus unde cum voluptatibus corporis. Dolores commodi nobis aperiam voluptatem est ipsa magnam similique.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Consulting

  • Boston Consulting Group 99.5%
  • Bain & Company 98.9%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.4%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.9%
  • LEK Consulting 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Consulting

  • Cornerstone Research 99.5%
  • Bain & Company 98.9%
  • Boston Consulting Group 98.4%
  • McKinsey and Co 97.9%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Consulting

  • Bain & Company 99.5%
  • Boston Consulting Group 98.9%
  • McKinsey and Co 98.4%
  • Oliver Wyman 97.9%
  • LEK Consulting 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Consulting

  • Partner (4) $361
  • Principal (30) $294
  • Director/MD (58) $274
  • Vice President (53) $247
  • Engagement Manager (113) $232
  • Manager (170) $173
  • 2nd Year Associate (185) $142
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (116) $135
  • Senior Consultant (355) $132
  • Consultant (642) $122
  • 1st Year Associate (577) $121
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (164) $121
  • NA (16) $114
  • Engineer (6) $114
  • 2nd Year Analyst (390) $104
  • Associate Consultant (176) $101
  • 1st Year Analyst (1163) $90
  • Intern/Summer Associate (208) $83
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (632) $68
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”