Consensus that it is going to happen in next 2 weeks. But do monkeys think it can happen tomorrow? It's technically 2026 and don't see any reason why it couldn't break the dam. KKR will likely be the one to kick it off this year.
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Heard it’s kicking off at midnight tomorrow…
Model tests timed to begin at the ball drop
Had a coffee chat turn into a 12 hour interview with Apollo. Think their process is already wrapped up…
There is no chance it kicks off 1/1 or 1/2. There are no senior people around and it would be silly. The logical answer is that it will probably be 1/5. Good luck
my understanding was that seniors will be still trickling in from vacations that first week, plus there needs to be some time for momentum with coffee chats / networking events to build. My personal guess would be 1/12
dont think theres any shortage of momentum but agree that 1/12 makes the most sense especially if they want to do any in-person interviews
The exact start date really shouldn’t change anything for you all. We’ve already communicated that January is when activity will pick up, so the priority is simply being fully ready by early January. Whether things kick off on the 1st or the 5th won’t materially affect anyone’s preparedness.
At this stage, your time is best spent locking down behaviorals and building a clear, well-reasoned tier list heading into on-cycle. The latter also is super helpful terms of confidence under pressure and being able to articulate a compelling “why firm / why PE” story. Once things start, offers will move fast and processes will overlap. Most offers are extended within 24–36 hours, and realistically you’ll only make it through ~2 - 3 processes with interruptions from other shops along the way where you have to make hard decisions on firms. Much easier to do that when you are very confident in your list. Have 3 top tier firms (would drop all others; ideally firms you have coffee chatted or have in-person events for) and maybe another 3-5 on the would accept exploding no questions. If you have more than 10 firms you would accept for on-cycle, you should probably narrow it down.
Thank you, appreciate the guidance
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