BD PE Placement in MBA programs?

Hi everyone, quick question—does anyone have insight into how business development roles in PE are viewed in MBA programs compared to investing roles at the same firm? I'm considering making the pivot from corporate development to a BD associate role at an LMM PE firm as part of my path to business school (likely focusing on investment banking, likely wont get an investing role). Would it be worth leaving an established startup to pursue this opportunity? Looking forward to hearing your thoughts.

7 Comments
 

What caliber of MBA are you hoping to attend (H/S/W, etc.)? How's the rest of your app (undergrad, GPA, test scores, etc.)?

At a glance, I would only switch if you're genuinely interested. I don't think MBA programs would look upon BD roles any more favorably than corp dev. If anything, might be worse since investment team roles will get prioritized for admission at top schools.

 

Gotcha, best of luck in the process. Based on your long-term goals, I don't really see the BD PE fit, unless you somehow angled towards a healthcare fund, but then I think you'd pigeonhole yourself on the BD versus investing side. Entering PE post-MBA is hard too (lots of threads here). I'd say a logical path might be moving from your existing corp dev role to a healthcare-centric corp dev opportunity? Your other ideas feel like too many steps removed.

 

Est eius reprehenderit maiores vero. Eaque quo aut ipsam et quia voluptas. Hic qui eos magni sed occaecati. Eligendi dolorum quas ea.

Corrupti laudantium fuga omnis dignissimos. Nulla fugiat non praesentium velit.

Laboriosam nobis iusto sit dolores impedit atque rerum occaecati. Magni aliquam sequi sit recusandae ullam aut et minima.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Private Equity

  • The Riverside Company 99.6%
  • Blackstone Group 99.3%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.9%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.5%
  • Vista Equity Partners 98.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Private Equity

  • Blackstone Group 99.6%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 99.3%
  • The Riverside Company 98.9%
  • Ardian 98.5%
  • Warburg Pincus 98.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Private Equity

  • Bain Capital 99.6%
  • The Riverside Company 99.3%
  • Blackstone Group 98.9%
  • Starwood Capital Group 98.5%
  • KKR (Kohlberg Kravis Roberts) 98.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Private Equity

  • Principal (9) $653
  • Director/MD (24) $547
  • Vice President (99) $363
  • 3rd+ Year Associate (104) $281
  • 2nd Year Associate (235) $272
  • 1st Year Associate (411) $229
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (33) $157
  • 2nd Year Analyst (97) $134
  • 1st Year Analyst (272) $124
  • Intern/Summer Associate (38) $81
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (355) $61
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”