Is Undergrad Recruiting a Sucker’s Game Compared to MBA?

Every time I come to this platform or watch some high-finance related channel for information on IB there’s always an abundance of those talking about impossible work hours, unhealthy lifestyles, bad bosses, and a true rat-race recruiting scheme that guarantees nothing.

On the other hand, I hear that there’s an alternative process where one can supposedly do anything that’s prestigious and/or highly valuable for some time (perhaps even fulfilling), go to a top MBA school, and then come onto Wall St. a few years later as an associate with better hours, better pay, and a lot more life experience to support you. Supposedly anyway, I haven’t researched the matter.

One has to ask, is the analyst stint worth it if this is an option? To those who went through the MBA-associate process, how does it compare to the traditional route? And as someone who is not well positioned to succeed in the traditional route, would that be a better option, so long as I pursue something valuable like a lower level of finance (corpfin/real estate/b4advisory/etc.) or the military (intelligence?) for instance?

22 Comments
 

This isn’t giveadvicpls

people want to avoid MBA recruiting because joining a bank as an associate leaves you with much fewer opportunities vs as an analyst. But historically it could be seen as “easier” - a lot of the finance oriented people in top MBA’s have already done a stint in PE/banking/consulting and are trying to move up, not back to the sellside

 

Velit ullam repellendus nulla aut et dignissimos. Aliquam id est consectetur quos. Eius et ut iure.

Suscipit accusantium doloremque voluptas sapiente inventore. Commodi nulla sunt quam et. Aut recusandae iste fugiat. Unde aut enim porro officiis nihil. Nostrum velit quis labore minima molestiae ipsa. Est praesentium sunt repudiandae nam voluptas. Sed voluptatem sit pariatur.

Career Advancement Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.3%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 03 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.3%

Professional Growth Opportunities

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.3%

Total Avg Compensation

September 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (51) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (26) $182
  • Intern/Summer Associate (15) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (76) $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
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
Mimbs's picture
Mimbs
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...”