How Useful is an MBA Network for PE Recruiting Pre-MBA?
Hi folks, I recently got into Booth's Scholar Program (deferred enrollment) and had several questions.
Are there any penalties if I accept now and reapply elsewhere after 2-4 years other than the lost deposit (I remember seeing somewhere that Wharton is very strict about this but I haven't read anything in Booth's admission criteria that explicitly forbids this)
I am entering IB and want to transition to PE. I am thinking of leverage the Booth network for PE recruiting pre-MBA. How useful is the Booth network pre-MBA?
The way I look at it is I am basically paying the few k in deposit in exchange for having this on my resume and for its potential PE recruiting advantages via the network (should I decide to reapply or not get an MBA), thoughts on my thought process?
Thanks in advance for all your inputs. Stay safe.
Booth very clearly states on their website/admit portal that the Booth Scholars Program isn't binding. You won't be penalized (if that's even possible normally) for applying to other programs later.
"Booth may hurt more than it helps"--> the early acceptance is non-binding, so at the very least it's just a credible sign to PE firms that you were on top of your stuff and a top MBA program wanted you early.
If non-binding, then definitely worth keeping to hedge.
I stand by my opinion about not including it on the resume, though. Again, others may disagree, but I’m just letting you know the thoughts that I would have as someone at a UMM/MF who has played a role in recruiting.
If I saw booth deferred on the resume, my first thought would be, “Why was this candidate rejected from HBS, GSB, and Wharton?”
Risky proposition given that even if it’s viewed as a positive thing by a certain interviewer, the benefit will not be very material relative to the risk
You should know that these deferred enrollment application cycles are way, way more selective than regular cycles. They explicitly express preference for STEM majors and candidates from non-traditional backgrounds. Many top candidates from H/Y/P type schools with 3.8+ GPAs who are going into banking/consulting can't even get into Booth/MIT/Columbia, let alone H/S/W early.
I hope your associate counterparts at other UMM/MF firms aren't as uninformed about these early programs as you are
Well, I guess this is a perfect case study as to why, as stated, I’d recommend not including it on the resume.
You think the decision makers at these firms are tracking 2+2 criteria and acceptance rates for each schools? No. All they know is that we have a few juniors on our team who were HBS/GSB deferred admits.
So, once again... the risk isn’t worth it. Most seniors don’t know the details of these programs. They see Booth, and then wonder why you were rejected from HBS/GSB/Wharton when we have associates who were accepted to those 2+2 programs, and why (in their minds) you locked in that offer early.
Look, I’m not shitting on Booth. Great school. But I can tell you that at least my MF might have more questionable reactions than positive ones.