MIT Sloan MBA Opps

I see, I would imagine that M7 programmes would all have a great chance at interviews. Unfortunately it's probably nearly impossible to tell how many tried and failed! That said, I'm sure with prior IB experience you'd get a look from most top PE funds.

With the MBA before VP, that's actually an interesting thought! Maybe an EMBA would make more sense in that case because the students are older and may have some power over decisions. If you think about it, the network from a normal MBA would likely be too junior to really help generate fees within 5 years (i.e. most become consultants). I guess you could talk about it at the time, but in my view, unless you need it for progression or for an exit, it's a massive opportunity cost at that level. 

Not OP but just the nature of the game. Typically IB is seen as the main pre-requisite to exit into PE. If you scout LinkedIn's for any worthwhile PE firm, would say 90% of people have previous direct IB experience.

IB - analysts get into IB from undergrad. Don't want to sound too judicious but the "WSO outlook" at least is that the top quartile analysts leave for PE/HF. Therefore A2A promotes are the "analysts that didn't interview well" along with the MBA hires that, via the MBA, upgraded from their old careers (industry work, Big 4, etc) to IB. Once you get into the firm, generally the only requirement to move up is to a) not suck at your job and b) put in the hours. For the MBA hires, IB is "the goal", not the stepping stone that analysts see it as toward PE. You'll see that for MBA hires - even HSP - that get hired into say, GS/MS, even they rarely make the jump to PE. Simply put, MBA hires without prior IB/consulting/PE experience aren't looked favorably upon for PE roles.

Then, if you think about it, the people at the bottom of the the totem pole for PE are the cream of the crop analysts with IB experience. Most PE's have a 2-and-out program as well, where senior associate promotes are more rare, and typically upward mobility comes as a result of hiring these target applicants with 2 years IB experience and MBA stats.

Would like to once again caveat that this is the "WSO outlook." My personal prestige is that prestige/what you "should do" matters much less the older you get. And similarly, PE is so competitive with what is becoming similar pay brackets that it's probably easier to make a cushier living working in IB as a senior professional. Sure, if your goal is making $10mm a year (with likely no life outside of work), then IB will probably never do it for you and you'll need PE/HF for that. But if your goal is making $400k a year sending your kids and wife to country club dinners and only working 45-50 hour work weeks, then becoming a senior VP in IBD in a satellite city is probably best