Path to B-School

I'm curious as to what are the different path's that one takes to get in to a top tier b-school for his/her MBA degree?

I come from a semi-target out here in the mid-west (think Wisconsin, UIUC, Indiana etc.) and am aware of a lot of kids doing 2 years at a BB, 2 years at PE and moving on to Wharton or HBS.

Is it possible to transition to business school by working in a boutique for 2-4 years (since a lot of boutique's turn their analysts in to career bankers) ?

Any inputs or personal experiences would go a long way in being helpful. Thanks!

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It's possible to transition to business school by doing almost anything over 2-8 years. Seriously. MBA programs aren't just ex-BB analysts, pre-MBA PE associates, and MBB consultants. You have Teach For America/non-profit people, ex-military people, ex-corp fin people, CPAs, and a ton of other walks of life.

MM IB -> Corporate Development -> Strategic Finance
 
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