Going straight from Undergrad to MBA to Post-MBA associate role?

I had previously thought that it was not very beneficial to do MBA straight out of undergrad as you likely start at the entry level role, but I saw some Linkedin profiles recently where a person starts at post-mba associate role at a major BB like GS or BAML. That means they are effectively ahead of other MBA career switchers (IB to PE aside) and on the same track as A2A promotes without having gone through the grueling 2 yr program. Is this normal or are these one-off occurrences that were likely gotten through family connections?

6 Comments
 

Someone I know went straight to an M7 MBA after H/Y/P and exited into a post-MBA associate role. He was an absolute superstar, however. He had glowing recommendations from well known professors and he had a stellar GPA. So be prepared for an uphill battle in this situation.

 
Most Helpful

First off, it pretty hard to get into a top MBA program if you’re coming straight from undergrad. Most business school admits have an average of 5 or so years of work experience. Schools generally look at how much of a value add you will be to other students when you work in teams and if you’re straight out of school, not much insight you can give based on professional experience. You could have had internships but it’s still different. There are some cases of people making the jump, maybe if you are an entrepreneur or helped run your family business or are doing a dual degree MD/MBA, JD/MBA, etc.

 

I get that you're trying to hack into IB, but take a look at the profile of any Top 10 MBA candidate.

  • At minimum, 2 years of work experience, but more likely 4+ years

  • Glowing recommendations from previous FT supervisors, not professors

Sure you may have the 1 or 2 absolute incredible students who come straight from undergrad, but I can assure you that is extremely rare and they are not IB candidates, they are more likely than not going to be pursuing an entrepreneurial or tech path. Even programs such as the https://www.hbs.edu/mba/admissions/application-process/Pages/student-ap…</a">Harvard 2+2 program are so difficult to get into as an undergrad applicant and they require you to work for at least 2 years to be a viable MBA candidate.

Have you looked at postings for Post-MBA IB Associate? They require at minimum 2 years of FT experience. Even during recruiting, banks are looking for any excuse to cut candidates. If you literally had no full time experience why would any bank move you forward (unless you had some incredibly powerful personal connection to the firm) when they have TONS of overqualified candidates to choose from?

Not sure how many of those linkedin profiles you saw, but I would guess there is something you're missing in terms of their story.

Keep working hard and you can get that A2A promote if that's what you're after.

Good luck!

 

Modi et et illo eum. Dolores sed in quibusdam dolores quaerat neque corporis. Enim modi numquam dicta deleniti enim qui tempore. Quia omnis autem recusandae neque. Voluptas delectus vel quis sequi reiciendis consequatur. Cumque sunt qui ex nisi illum cupiditate autem consequatur.

Temporibus magnam necessitatibus veniam adipisci maiores consequatur dolorem eum. Qui expedita non dolorem unde animi qui cumque et.

Eveniet accusantium sequi quia accusantium necessitatibus numquam consequatur. Laboriosam rerum non facere quo voluptates excepturi assumenda sed. Voluptates aperiam voluptas molestiae blanditiis aperiam tempore error. Eos nesciunt error temporibus optio voluptatem minima.

Corrupti ipsum dolorem voluptatem sit totam. Aspernatur vero provident mollitia ut ut. Explicabo in consectetur inventore beatae qui.

“Millionaires don't use astrology, billionaires do”

Career Advancement Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 08 97.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.8%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

August 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (48) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (25) $178
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (83) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (75) $101
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
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
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
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
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...”