Incoming PE Analyst On-Cycle Preparation

Hey,

I'm a rising senior at a top target returning FT as a PE analyst at a top firm. Given A2A is not a certainty, I was wondering if people typically recruit for on-cycle to jump to another fund to guarantee associate?

Additionally, how would my candidacy / profile be viewed against banking analysts? Would I still get HH calls to interview at similar shops? Would it put me in front of the line given I already broke in?

Wondering if it is worth the effort this senior year to prepare.

Thanks in advance for any thoughts!