Seeking Advice on Career Path in Finance - Undergraduate Student

Hello everyone,

I hope you're all doing well. I am seeking some advice on my career path in finance. 

I am currently an undergraduate student in the fourth year of a finance-oriented program at a semi-target business school. My ultimate career goal was to work in private equity (PE), specifically in the corporate sector. Over the past two years, I have completed two six-month internships as an investment manager at private equity real estate (PERE) funds, which I chose as it was relatively easier for an undergraduate to break into.

During my last year, I managed to secure an interview with a prominent corporate PE fund for an internship. Unfortunately, I failed the technical test, which has left me quite disappointed. One of the issues I've been facing is that my undergraduate grades have been too low to apply for top Master of Finance programs. However, I have a good chance of getting into top MSc in Real Estate programs.

Outside of my internships, I have struggled with procrastination, which has impacted my academic performance. Despite this, I believe I still have untapped potential to work diligently and excel in a master's program or a preparation program that would open doors for my career.

I am in need of advice on how to proceed. I am considering two options:

-> Stick to my initial goal of securing a job in corporate PE after graduating from my undergraduate program. To solve my problem with tech interviews, I could seriously prepare myself and enroll in a financial modeling preparation program.

-> Pursue a top MSc in Real Estate program and continue working in PERE. I could potentially achieve a 4.0 GPA during my MSc, which might allow me if i'm tired with REPE to apply for top Master of Finance programs later on (assuming they would focus more on my most recent academic performance) and then maybe go to corporate PE.

Another pressing concern is whether I should focus on preparing for the GMAT to target MSc programs or on financial modeling preparation for potential full-time offers once I complete the real estate private equity internship I am doing (prestigious fund).

My primary objective is to maximize both prestige and compensation in relation to the number of hours worked, which is why I am not considering a career in M&A.

I would appreciate any insights and advice on how to approach this situation. Please feel free to share your thoughts on whether my objectives of focusing on prestige and max comp might be retarded or not. I am open to constructive criticism, as I want to ensure that I am making the best possible decisions for my career path.

Thank you for your time and input!