Right MBA for undergrad finance major

I wouldn't exclude Chicago/Wharton. The business school experience is fairly customizable--you get out of it what you put in. Both Chicago and Wharton have clubs/classes focused on PE and asset management, so if that's what you're interested in, you can take advantage of that at any school you go to. Also, even if you've done a lot of finance, you still might have blind spots that you could try to round out in business school (marketing, operations, real estate finance, venture finance, advanced statistics, etc..) Finance heavy schools like Chicago/Wharton will tend to have classes in non-finance areas that are fairly advanced and might help you develop skills that would be useful long-term in PE.

I think a focus on finance will emphasize your specialty and make you eligible for higher-paying positions in the field of finance. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the financial services industry is looking for more people who have MBAs in Finance and finance-related fields. Along with Chicago/Wharton, you might want to take your chances applying to Bentley. Their MBA programs are well ranked and have a good reputation. Worth checking out.

I have a similar profile with the exception that I have an MA in finance (in addition to 3 years experience and passing first two levels of CFA). I decided to take a general MBA. I hope it will be helpful in the future as I rise through the ranks. I guess more finance focus would be great if you wanted to go into trading and/or do quant stuff. If you target PE work or value investing, understanding all business functions (strategy, operations, marketing, etc). is as important as ability to do modeling and valuations. That being said, I would recommend to target top 5-7 schools as the network you build will be one of the main benefits from an MBA.

I think it would serve you well to continue in finance. Since you already have such a strong foundation, you can build on it even more. Diversity is important but diversifying at this point will seem sketchy and undecided…unless you have really clear reasoning that you can convincingly explain. You can still get an MBA if you want to. I’d read through some more reviews of colleges like California College of San Diego reviews and apply to a broader group. CCSD has an MBA program that you can complete in 15 months and even get an emphasis in entrepreneurship if you’d like.

If you want to return to PE, definitely apply to Wharton. And Chicago for that matter. Lotta funds out there that will only look at HSW candidates. Wharton has also really been upping their management/leadership game. While Kellogg may have a reputation for management, you'll get it at any of the top programs. I do know of a handful of guys in post-MBA PE in Chicago that went to Booth and Kellogg, and an equal amount in the Southeast that went to Darden. I'm just saying that you'll get a significantly higher number of looks at HSW. You'd probably be better off at one of the targets and just broadening your degree emphasis to "Finance and xyz."

Thanks for the replies. The OP is almost a year old now, so I'm finished with the application cycle at this point. Got two interviews and one wait-list out of the "HSW" group but ultimately didn't make the cut. In at one of the other top schools though so I'll be doing that - plan is to cast a broad recruiting net for PE/HF/asset management and just focus on finding a team and investment strategy that I fit well with and could see as a long-term career.