How many gap years are too many?

Profile:

Bachelors 2.2 (University of applied sciences, german grading system)

5 Years experience founding a startup

1 Semester abroad + 1 year abroad 

1 Internship abroad (Big4)

Social work as well as other extracurriculars

24 Years old


My goal after my masters degree is to land a job at MBB. Because my bachelors degree is so bad I basically need to get my masters degree from a top university and excel there.


Now the problem is my GMAT(620)is not the best, especially the quant score(35). I may land a spot in some MiM programs in top 30 business schools this year (Nova Lisbon, WU Vienna, Mannheim) but since i got only 1 more shot it got me thinking.


I could, in autumn this year, get my GMAT over 700 and my quant score up to land a few spots at top 10 business schools like Bocconi. I could also do 2 more internships next summer, and get a third language on at least B1 level. The problem is in that case, by the time i finish my masters, i will be 27 turning 28. 


The second variant would also mean money is a way less stressful affair. I could manage a 30k program this years but it would be connected with lots of stress in a short amount of time.


My question is what would be the smarter choice for my goal? Do a masters now at a tier 2-3 school or just take a second year off to maximize my chances next year and get more experience? Considering I may also want to do an MBA or PhD after my masters during an educational leave, i feel like waiting another year would delay my carrer too much.

 

Molestiae consectetur voluptas ullam quam dolor adipisci. Repellat quos itaque rerum vitae minus nulla aut. Omnis ducimus eligendi id enim sit et fuga. Qui quidem quos voluptas animi ratione ipsum. Omnis nam consequuntur et ut tempora temporibus enim quia.

Doloremque et eum et voluptatem dignissimos soluta rem quaerat. Velit et qui ducimus dolores. Ea vel et voluptas. Quibusdam voluptatem aut consectetur id. Enim est cum sapiente qui laboriosam. Unde dolores qui eos nihil molestiae aut.

Ipsa suscipit cupiditate officiis fuga tempora. Incidunt qui corrupti ipsa eos ut iusto odio. Qui dolorem fuga aut quis voluptate recusandae vitae. Qui fugit esse sit a iusto quae.

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.

Career Advancement Opportunities

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Lazard Freres No 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. 25 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 04 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (21) $373
  • Associates (91) $259
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (68) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (146) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”