Please help - SA 26 (or 27?)

Hi, I'm a sophomore at a semi target and I didn't decide on doing IB until after freshman year. I have a good GPA, but did not join any of the finance clubs (and did not do a freshman internship). I am currently networking with alumni at MM PE firms in the attempt of securing a sophomore internship for the summer of 25.

My school has a big finance culture which makes it extremely competitive among the students for IB, with about 200 kids applying for it every year. Unfortunately we are not a target, so we only send about 70 per year, so a lot of kids end up striking out. (Of course not all 200 seriously prepare, but my point is firms don't chase after us like they do with other schools. You have to be at the top to stand out, and there are too many variable factors like the one below, that determine seemingly everything).

There is a highly selective finance club that takes almost 50 sophomores a year, and places pretty much every kid into IB, mostly at BBs. It is a feeder club. The club really tries to identify the talent. Applications open soon. The kids who don't make it in are left to pick up the scraps at either MMs or the few remaining BB seats.

I'm 50/50 on whether I can make it into this club. I think I can interview pretty well (strictly behaviorals), but I know a lot of my classmates already have IB/PE internships and other finance club experience, which I currently lack. I'm afraid my resume doesn't stack up. If I make it in to the club I'm set, but if not I'm going to fight an uphill battle to get my career started.

I'm worried that this club will doubt that I am serious about IB, and choose people who have a proven record on paper. If I get rejected, I'm going to have to grind hard just to likely get a MM offer. My goal is to work in HF or UMM PE eventually. (Please don't hate me for prestige chasing - I am just trying to optimize my career earnings).

Here's what I really need advice on: If I don't make it into this elite club, I'm considering delaying graduation by one semester and re-classing to class of 2028 (technically graduating in Dec 2027), combined with transferring to another (target) school. My reasoning is because I should be able to realistically secure a MM IB offer for SA 26, and then I can recruit for SA 27 at a target with an IB SA internship on my resume, and I'll have gone through the process already so I'll know what to expect. And I would underload classes to delay my graduation, freeing up time for networking and interview prep. In this scenario, I really think I would have a chance for EBs or top 3 BBs.

With my grades and SAT score, I should be able to lateral to a target. I would then introduce/identify myself as a sophomore transfer student, without revealing too much about my past. I won't lie, just dodge around the truth. I think when firms see my resume they will probably assume I am graduating early by one semester, and that I got my IB SA 26 through a sophomore diversity program or something (even though I'm a white male). Should I be worried that they grill me during my SA 27 interviews about why I am interviewing there and if the MM SA 26 knows about it? I don't want to become blacklisted. And for the MM SA 26 firm, how should I handle my relationship with them? Tell them that I transferred? What about it they find out about my delayed graduation and that I can begin full time?

Please let me know your thoughts on if this is a good plan if I strike out from a BB/EB offer at my current school. If so, what approach/recommendation would you make. And any other general advice is much appreciated.

P.S. I like to be prepared for everything and I am very stressed so it's entirely possible plan A works out and I get into the feeder club, but if not, I'd like to have a solid plan