LSE Finance & PE vs. MIT MFin Opportunities– Seeking Advice

Hey everyone,

I’m Italian, studying at Bocconi with a strong GPA, and currently deciding between LSE Finance & Private Equity and MIT MFin. My long-term goal has been the infamous IB to PE golden path, but over the past year, I’ve picked up coding (I code daily) and co-founded a fintech startup focused on facilitating M&A deals (though I haven't been actively involved recently).

MIT’s 1.5-year program offers strong quant/ML exposure and allows for both summer and off-cycle internships, but IB in the U.S. is insanely competitive, and with my limited prior experience, MIT isn’t worth it for that path. In London, with LSE’s more corporate finance-oriented curriculum, I would aim for IB.

I also have an upcoming interview for a financial due diligence internship at a well-known consulting firm in the PE/transactions/corporate finance division, and I’m starting a search fund research project with a local business school and a small fund (not well-known globally, but still a PE signal).

I know IB/PE is competitive, but it’s where I see myself in the medium-long run. HF/quant roles are extremely interesting, but I lack direct experience, I’m not a probability/LeetCode genius, and I worry about job instability. I get that HF/quant and IB/PE have similar expected values but very different variances in terms of career path and remuneration.

Would love to hear from those who’ve faced a similar choice. Would you jump into the void and shoot for MIT and more quantitative roles, try to recruit for IB at MIT, or go for the more conservative route at LSE?

Also, I’d love to connect with people working in these industries across London and the US- feel free to comment your or reach out :)

Thanks!