**Ambitious college grads eyeing Wall Street are already networking for 2027 private equity roles—skipping celebrations for coffee chats.**
**Wall Street-bound grads face early private equity recruiting pressure, with firms like KKR and Apollo reaching out before their banking jobs even start.**
**Private equity recruiting is starting earlier than ever, forcing finance grads to prioritize coffee chats over graduation festivities.**
**New investment bankers are scrambling to prep for private equity interviews—some sleeping on floors to stay ahead in the high-stakes hiring race.**