PE VP Recruiting

Hey WSO community,

Long term lurker on this forum (as my username implies) and have always found the content to be incredibly helpful, including both recruiting processes that I've been through. I'm about to make the transition from consulting to private equity at a fairly well-known MM shop with a strong track record of returns. While I have no idea how much I will like or dislike private equity, I am curious about VP-level recruiting (both for MBA hires and "laterals" out of associate programs).

Labanker posted a pretty good overview of what it takes to get from the associate to VP level a while ago, but I am curious about the mechanics of recruiting itself, namely:

(1) What experiences are thought to "stand out" during an associate program? Closing deals and take some level of ownership / initiative with port-cos seem to be obvious candidates, but is there anything else that I'm not thinking of?

(2) Does having an MBA make a difference in VP recruiting? Some shops don't seem to require it anymore.

(3) If my long-term ambition is to move into upper MM PE (for a combination of work, compensation, and lifestyle reasons - at least, from my current vantage point), how might this be done? I imagine that it's highly competitive and subject to timing, but am curious about what those shops might look for that I can try to develop during my associate stint.

Thanks in advance for the advice.