Small Long/short fund vs overseas IB

I am an underclassmen at a target with the goal of going into IB. I currently have two options for a summer internship: Working at a top PE firm or a top tier bank in a Middle East country or working at a small long short fund or the SEC in NYC. On the one hand, the ones in ME are appealing because of a big name BB or PE. On the other hand, an internship in the US might seem more appealing on my resume. Which one of these would be better fir the ultimate goal of going into IB in NYC at a top BB.

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If you're a freshman, go with the internship that you're most interested in. This early in your college career, having any of these internships on your resume will open up a lot of doors for sophomore recruiting, which in turn will open up a lot of doors for junior year recruiting. Congrats on getting some really solid offers as a freshman! If you're able to land these offers as a freshman, I have no doubt you'll land any offer you want as a sophomore and junior.

 

Depends how small the HF is. If its a legit shop at least $500m go for what you are most keen- should help your story as per why you want to stay in NYC post graduation etc rather than going back to the ME (assuming you are from there). If not go for BB/PE, brand name is important to build your CV imo. Was at a shit shop during my freshman year yet did a we did a deal with a well known PE fund and that helped a lot in terms of credibility.

 
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