got into M7 deferred MBA - when should I go?
I was recently accepted into a non HSW M7 program for deferred enrollment (2-5 years). I just started IB in NYC and would like to eventually break into VC. Should I head straight to MBA after 2 years of IB?
I would say if you can get into a great buyside role (MF) after your analyst stint then you could go 2 years analyst, 2 years assoc at PE, B-school, then go back into PE to a UMM firm as a VP/Principal with a clearer track to Partner. For large PE funds, the upward mobility is less certain so you can leverage that experience in post-MBA PE recruitment.
If you can't get a good buyside gig after your analyst stint then I would say go to b-school right away. The thing is post-MBA PE recruitment isn't as structured as buyside recruiting for Analysts and the roles are generally VP/Principal level. But if you go after 2 years in banking you could still potentially get a Sr. Associate role given you would be on the younger side of b-school candidates.
Just my take, not that interested in buyside but speaking from what I've seen colleagues do.
Going to disagree with a lot the comments so far - you SHOULD NOT go to business school after your two year Analyst stint. Almost all VC/Growth Equity funds recruit IB Analysts to come on as a Pre-MBA Associate, so by starting in IB you are in prime position to break into VC/Growth directly. Most of these Pre-MBA Associate roles are not partner track, so the expectation is you’d go to b-school and then recruit for a Post-MBA role. This is a very common path and would set you up well for later stage VC and/or Growth funds that value the IB skillset.
There’s also an argument that could be made to do 2 years at a tech startup after 2 years in IB, then get your MBA and recruit for VC out of school with both IB and start-up experience. This path would make you particularly attractive to the earlier stage VC funds that value some operating experience.
In either case, getting some sort of additional experience to complement 2 years of IB before b school will serve you well and make you a more attractive candidate for Post-MBA recruiting. Regardless of what admissions says, the MBA is not a complete reset especially when it comes to buyside roles. More Pre-MBA experience = better.
Plus, you’ll simply get more out of your MBA with 2x the experience under your belt. IMO 2 years experience is not enough to be ready for school.
Source: I was admitted to a similar deferred admissions program a few years ago and have spent a lot of time thinking and talking to others about when to go.