$50/hr Internship + Likely Return Offer… Would You Still Delay Graduation for IB?

I’m a Canadian undergrad currently interning in a specialized non-IB role at a major bank. The position sits adjacent to capital markets and involves some exposure to corporate and institutional clients, but it is not a traditional deal execution role.

I’m trying to make an important career decision and would appreciate honest advice, especially from anyone in Canada or anyone who has moved from a non-IB banking or markets role into IB, corporate banking, DCM, or another more deal-oriented seat.

The internship has honestly been a strong experience and I really like my team. So the team is good, the hours are very reasonable, and there appears to be a realistic path to a solid full-time offer if things continue to go well.

The issue is that I do not necessarily see myself staying in this specific area forever. I enjoy the client-facing and capital markets aspects of the work, but longer term I am more interested in IB, corporate banking, DCM, or another role that is more directly tied to transactions, credit, or capital raising.

I am now debating whether I should:

1. Secure the return offer, finish school on time, start full-time, and try to lateral internally or externally after gaining some experience; or
2. Delay graduation for another internship cycle if I can land a true investment banking role, even if that creates risk around my current return-offer path.

I think the main downside of pursuing the fall IB internship is that I would likely lose my current full-time path, while also delaying graduation. That creates a fairly large opportunity cost between the extra semester of school, postponed full-time earnings, and the risk of walking away from a strong offer without certainty that the IB path converts.

So my question is:

Would you delay graduation and take the risk for a real IB internship before finishing school?

Or would you take the strong full-time path in front of you, build experience, and try to move later?

I am not asking whether IB offers better lifestyle or near-term economics. It does not. I am asking whether the long-term optionality of getting direct IB experience before graduation is worth the opportunity cost and risk of walking away from a strong current path.

I would also appreciate thoughts on how realistic paths like these are:

Non-IB banking/markets role → Corporate Banking → DCM/IB
Non-IB banking/markets role → Internal lateral into a more deal-oriented seat
Non-IB banking/markets role → Boutique IB / valuation / Big 4 deals

Or whether moving into IB becomes significantly harder once you start full-time outside a directly deal-facing role.

Thank you.