On Cycle Preparation

Hello all, I'm a senior at a low target school (Duke, ND, UVA) with a 3.8+ and got a return offer from a high-performing mid-tier BB coverage group this summer with ok exits.

Before I take a month or two off to relax at school, I want to come up with a plan to prep for on-cycle well in advance to make sure I'm maximizing potential. I definetly have the interest in investing, but I've never built an LBO from scratch, and have a lot to learn and practice over the coming months.

I know all the banks banned recruiting on the job, so I imagine this has pushed PE firms to start earlier with seniors. I have some mentors who went through the process a few years ago, but I imagine the landscape has changed a ton.

For any recent grads who just went through the process or are going through it right now, I'd be grateful to get a better understanding of: 

• What materials did you use to prep?
• When did you start preparing?
• Is there a networking phase like IB SA recruiting in the fall of sophomore year or is it just chats with HHs right before on-cycle kicks off a long time from now?
• How did you determine what kind of fund/strategy you were interested in? 

Thanks so much for any insights.