This is a good thread to refer back to: Want a Career in Banking? Ask a Senior Banking Exec
IB is a field where, for better or worse, it does seem to matter quite a bit whether your school is well-connected. There’s a lot of “It doesn’t matter where you go, just what you do when you get there” advice on CC, and in many cases it’s true, but for certain kinds of business careers you’re better off listening to people who really know the specific terrain vs. generalizing from other experiences or browsing LinkedIn.
Babson is an interesting option, because it’s so strong for entrepreneurship, and seems like potentially a fantastic educational experience for someone with your interests. But I’m not clear on paths from there to IB. There are clearly efforts being made to make those connections (Student-Run Investment Banking Program Fuels Success) but you’d want to do a deep dive into how that’s working out.
It doesn’t sound as if the smaller-school environment appeals to you, though, and you’re only looking at those because of D3 recruiting. You could look into larger D3’s with business schools, like WashU and Emory… I don’t know that these make the “feeder” cut but then again, does UMiami? You have UChicago on your list, which is also D3 - any athletic potential for you there?
I agree that IU-Kelley sets a good baseline - if you’re direct-admit there, no need to apply anywhere you wouldn’t choose over IU.
How are you spending your gap year?
Good luck!