Business School Prospects from LMM PE?
Hey all,
I work for a lower middle market private equity fund, and not one you'd have heard of. Senior personnel don't have MBAs, so no luck for an alumni rec. I'm still a ways out from being ready to apply, but before I start moving in that direction I wanted to get feedback. I realize that adcoms are willing to "blink" at a missed box or two on an otherwise attractive application, but how far does that go? Are M7 schools still in the cards for candidates from no-name shops? No banking background (think valuation/due diligence/economic consulting style work, also no brand name). My goal would ultimately be to stay in PE but move into a larger MM fund
Hi DTDTX, any of these topics helpful:
Fingers crossed that one of those helps you.
Bump, also interested. Maybe one of the MBA admissions consultants can chime in Linda Abraham VantagePointMBA mbaMissionKrista
LOL You rang? (Sorry, totally dating myself with my Addams Family reference.) So the answer is...it depends. You can certainly come from middle market but what sorts of things have you worked on? Cool stuff? A couple of successful transactions and turnarounds? Have you had an impact? Interesting challenges? That all plays into things, along with who you are outside of work.
Goals-wise, I recommend being more strategic than "stay in PE but move to a larger MM fund." Are there specific skills you need? Why? What's the case for an MBA?
If you are a ways out from an MBA, is there an opportunity to jump ship to a firm working on cooler stuff? Or are you happy where you are because you have lots of great opps?
It would be helpful to have some stats...but those are my initial reactions! Krista
Thanks for tagging me.
I'd like to hear more about what you have done as opposed to what you haven't done. Can you fill me in? Nothing you wrote above tells me you can't get into an MBA business schools">M7, but there's just not enough info to encourage or discourage. Here are some specific questions:
There's more, but this should be a start.
My first question would be, can you move into a larger, brand name PE firm from your current position? If so, making such a move would enhance your business school credentials. Similarly, a move into an operations role at a company (maybe one of your firm's portfolio companies?) could also really sharpen up your business school application. While business schools are filled with IB and PE veterans, very few candidates actually have operating experience which could really set you apart.
If you want to get to business school sooner rather than later (without changing jobs first), then you have to tell a really compelling story around why you need an MBA given that you want to return to the PE world. You need to talk about things other than network and access to top firms.
Tell that unique story that only you can tell.
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