Full ride to LBS, prior FIG/PC/restructuring internship experience, targeting BB/EB IB or GE, SA or grad scheme?
Background: final year Math & Finance at UK uni, first-gen uni student. Just secured a full-ride scholarship to LBS (MAM) starting August 2026, so funding isn't the constraint here, strategy is my issue
Prior experience, quick rundown:
- UMM Global Banking - DCM (Received return offer) - this is a top 5 balance sheet bank
- EY-Parthenon - M&A advisory
- Mid Sized Asset Manager - insurance-linked securities & private credit
- T1 HF - quant trading (received return offer)
- T1 Rx CO- restructuring, (received return offer) & currently ongoing however they've also explained my team is willing to defer to after my masters
- Ran my own minecraft hcf business for 7 years, £200k+ profit, so I've got a genuine entrepreneurial/commercial story too
Goal is BB/EB IB or GE longer term.
Question for the forum: given I'll be starting LBS in 2026, should I be gunning for a summer analyst position in 2027 as the primary route in, or is going straight for off-cycle/grad scheme applications in parallel a better use of time? Trying to figure out where recruiting effort is best spent given the timeline, and whether SA offers from a MAM realistically convert to FT at the same rate as they would from another program.
Appreciate any insight, especially from anyone who's recruited into IB/PE from a masters in Europe or UK
Pls no troll comments
