Hello,
Just want your opinions on my odds of getting into LSE's MSc Accounting and Finance.
-Top 55 US undergrad BS in Accounting, Overall GPA 3.6
-Studied Abroad at a prestigious Japanese Univ. and had a 3.9 GPA (Study abroad GPA is not calculated in my home school's total GPA, but I am given credit for the course taken)
-660 GMAT (quant 49)
-Work for a BB in the finance department (finance rotational program)
-CPA
Thanks.
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I'd say you have a good shot.
so went to either Tulane Miami, Ohio State, George Washington, Yeshiva or Maryland
I was literally about to post the same thing. Why would anyone bother to specifically write top 55 if he were in the top 50? haha.
I'm guessing Tulane
i've seen several Tulane folks lurking around here recently
as to OP's viability:
sure, you have a shot. GPA is high enough and GMAT is in range for the Accounting/Fin MSc. definitely worth applying.
International tuition is expensive, I asked my advisor about LSE, found out he studied in England for post-grad. He said they treat Americans like cash cows, i.e. if you think you have a shot go for it because you will have good odds of gaining acceptance and paying them exorbitant tuition, room and board.
That being said, there is of course a trade off: LSE is a great place to begin a career.
For Master-level course at LSE, there's rarely a difference in tuition between EU and international student. And tbh, most MSc students in LSE aren't even British. So just because you're an American should not give you too much advantage on that front.
Now regarding your credentials, I'd say it's still worth applying. I think the cut-off GMAT score for this program is around 650, so you might be on the lower end. Overall GPA of 3.6 is reasonable as well. What's important for UK schools is your Personal Statement. Make sure you write a killer PS.
Overall, MSc A&F has a pretty good record of placing candidates into IBD. To the best knowledge, it is the best program in LSE if IBD is your goal. But competing for a position in IBD in London is tough, especially if you don't have a EU citizenship or speak a second European language (although these are never deal-breaker if you're an exceptional candidate).
Wrong, it's the easiest business related msc course LSE offers. The program will still give you a shot at IBD, but wouldn't say it has a good record of placing candidates in IBD. Maybe you're thinking of msc finance.
Wrong. MSc Finance is brand new. Before 2008 LSE didn't even have a Department of Accounting or Department of Finance, it was called Department of Accounting and Finance, MSc Accounting and Finance being the bread and butter IBD course. They have recently split into two departments but kept MSc Accounting and Finance in the Department of Accounting.
MSc Finance is the new up and comer, still don't know how they've been placing, I'd assume it's pretty good. In recent years LSE has created a boatload of new MSc's, next year adding MSc Private Equity (or something like that). They've done this so that they can keep admission rates low for each major (hence, remaining "prestigious") yet allow more students in and laugh all the way to the bank. Bascially MSc Accounting and Finance, MSc Finance, MSc Finance and Economics, MSc Accounting and etc...take 90% of the same classes.
In recent years MSc Accounting and Finance has not placed as well due to (A) weak market (effected all majors) (B) more students to compete with from new majors.
Whether it's an "easy" course or not is neither here nor there (probably is the easiest out of all of them actually, but they are so similar this is almost irrelevant). This is the last thing on the mind of recruiters that recruit from LSE. Thanks to its past position as THE course at LSE, MSc Accounting and Finance still carries strong name recognition on the street (the only thing that actually matters), albeit it's been watered down by the increase in new majors which has effected recruiting for everybody in every MSc.
It's funny that "I'm posting myself out" as you so boldly state "MSC Econ & Finance> Finance >accounting & finance." I don't know where you get your information from, you have no basis for what you are saying, I stated pretty clearly that they are all equal in terms of IBD recruiting and the reasons why and I did so using....like...you know...facts.
I don't give a shit what anybody thinks of any of the programs at LSE, I don't care if MSc Accounting and Finance is the best program in the world or the worst program in the world in your opinion (it's not even my program). What I do care about is you spreading misinformation to somebody looking for help, which is one of the main problems on this site lately, people that don't know shit dishing out information like they invented the game.
It's pretty clear that you don't go to LSE, you've not been near LSE nor do you know much about the recruiting process from LSE or at London banks...so don't come on here and post horse shit when the OP is looking for some real advice.
Who do you think has higher placement msc finance or acct & finance? Whether it's due to the Finance program accepting higher caliber students or not, the fact is it has better placement records. It doesn't take an expert to figure that. I'm enjoying this.
Since LSE doesn't release placement numbers for individual programs, I'd like to know where your "fact" is that the MSc Finance has "better placement records". Stop wasting everyone's fucking time, unless you're at LSE, been to LSE or are somehow close to the situation then you're spewing out bullshit at a record pace.
I've seen it with my own eyes and been through it, placements are the same everywhere, and are even similar for non-finance programs.
I'm done trying to help out, it's a pain in the ass when some know it all kid who's still jerking off in his state school dorm room while his roommate is sleeping comes on here trying to show everyone that he's got all the answers. You don't know what the fuck you're talking about. Ask any MSc Finance kid how he feels, he'll tell you he feels ripped off because it's almost the same program with basically the same recruiting as the others, just 3000 more expensive.
If anybody wants to trust this kid, go right ahead. If you want advice from somebody who's actually from LSE, feel free to PM me.
You've got passion, I must say. But I don't understand why you're getting all worked up though. No one is disagreeing with you on all the constructive points you made in your monologues. All I'm saying is that Msc Finance>Acct and Finance . It has a more rigid acceptance criteria, which means it will have better qualified candidates, and hence better placement. And not to mention, the class size is much smaller for Msc Finance. Given a choice btw the two, one should surely pick Finance over acct & finance. LSE brand either way is still great. I don't understand why this so overwhelming for you to accept. What did LSE do to you?? Maybe it's not such a good idea to go there after all??
Have recently been to the UK and all the people that I met with MSc from LSE had the Accounting & Finance one. Rebelcross is totally right. Go on fuckin linkedin.com and see with your own eyes. I haven't seen 1 single person who has a Msc Finance. Accounting & Finance is by far the most common Finance related Msc from LSE. Browse PE website's team section and you will see. Browse Linkedin for Christ Sake and you will see. This whole Finance>Accounting & Finance is stupid and childish. As the other guy said what matters in the end is the LSE brand. stop being a little bitch
the MSc in Finance is apparently brand new, and has a smaller intake, which greatly accounts for the absence of MSc Fin grads entering your purview whilst in the UK.
You're missing the point. It's annoying when somebody who is not close the situation comes on here and posts so called "facts" about LSE when somebody from LSE is trying to tell you what it's really like. It's kind of like those college kids on here who post what it's like to work in banking or what will give you the best exit ops before they've ever even stepped foot into an invesment bank.
Whatever program is better or has more qualified candidates is neither here nor there...frankly, I have not noticed a significant difference in candidates from different programs...but if you say so I'll take your word for it. The problem is you seem to think that that somehow makes a difference in recruiting when I keep telling you that it doesn't actually work out that way for the reasons I've stated above. There you go again stating that MSc Finance leads to better placement because it has better candidates...which simply, does not happen. Just because that seems like the logical result of what should be the case for recruiting, does not mean it works out that way. So don't come on and misrepresent "facts" when you say that better recruiting takes place in one program just because it logically follows that that's how it should be. I'm telling you that that's not the way it is, and all of my former classmates in each of those programs could tell you the same. Whether this is just or not or reflects a failure in the recruiting process, I don't know and I don't care. The situation is what it is and it's something LSE students have to live with.
Thanks for your comments.
How do you guys think I will do if I apply to the following given my stats? - Imperial Msc Finance - Warwick Msc Finance - Cass Msc Finance
Also, do you guys think it's worth it to give up y job at a top BB for a Msc Finance at any of the top mentioned schools (LSE included)? I know that these programs could be pricey (not to menton risky and a yrs worth of income given up).
I would ideally like to enter IBD or investment research after my Masters is complete.
Just as you have a shot at LSE acc& fin, you will have a decent to good shot at these schools, Cass being the least competitive of the bunch. If you already have a job at top BB, why do you wan't to do a Msc Finance???
I want to get into IB or Investment Management, and hopefully these programs would open some doors.
But you're already at a BB bank??? then perhaps getting a MBA from a top school down the line seems like a better option.
This time we agree. Without IB experience it will be hard to land an IB gig even coming from LSE, and from those other schools it will be quite difficult. You will be fighting an uphill battle.
With BB experience on your resume already you should be able to land a top 15 MBA. MBA's are built for certain types of people, one is career switchers. You should be able to land something out of an MBA (at worst a regional boutique somewhere, at best a solid BB) and you will come in as an associate. With the MSc you'll, in effect, be throwing away two years of experience.
I don't think my GMAT is high enough for a top 15 MBA. I thought that I have better odds getting into a top Msc Finance program than a top MBA program from the states.
660 with a killer app could land you something. Apply to all 15 there's a good chance you'll hit at least one. That being said, you are not going to land an associate gig after an MSc, unless you had a few years of IB experience under your belt already. If you're really concerned about the GMAT, I would focusing on taking it again a few times. All you have to do it bump it up 40 points and you'll really be good to go.
so, you're hoping to get an associate gig after a msc finance?? From what I've heard, doing an Msc Finance or acct&finance seems primarily geared towards newbies, and to some extent career switchers. Maybe you'll still have a shot at an associate gig, but I would definitely look into that. The only top UK Msc Finance suitable for experienced professionals is one offered by LBS. But then again, you would need a 700+ GMAT score to have a good shot. Honestly I think you need to take another crack at the GMAT and aim for an above 700 score because that makes the most sense in your case.
Do these Msc programs place well into jobs in investment research or jobs on the market side (structurer, etc)? I dun mind getting a job as an analyst either. I just want an oppoerunity at a FO job.
Also the prestige of LSE or Imperial would be nice on the resume.
Just insert FO in all previous posts where you see the word IBD and the same reasoning stands. ER is particularly difficult to get into from my experience (maybe somebody in ER can comment). It's a pretty good gig with good exit ops, decent work-life balance and there just a lot of spots to go around. Very competitive.
Would a top 15 B-School not also look good on the resume? Don't get lost in the moment, you don't want to drop $40,000 down for nothing (unless money isn't a concern), try to work with what you have first, it seems like a better option. I would consider MSc for you as being a distant second option.
To go back to OP's original question, I got a conditional offer to the MSc Acc&Fin as a senior in undergrad accounting with a 4.0 GPA and 720 GMAT. They required me to maintain at least a 3.8 GPA. No CPA, work exp, or prestigious study abroad.
I imagine this GPA requirement would seriously loosen up for applicants from better schools (I came from a small state school), but hopefully this information helps nonetheless.
LSE requires work experience plain and simple. They say the minimum is three years with excellent credentials. Average is 5 yrs.
LBS you mean.
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