Hi all,
I applied to a variety of business/finance related programs this year in order to break into IB M&A. I got accepted to the following programs:
Wash U. St. Louis MSF
Claremont Mckenna MSF
MIT (waiting list) MSF -- probably can't get in
UVA - Master of Commerce
Duke - Master of Management Study
I graduated from non-target but good engineering school on west coast with B.S. in Electrical & Computer Engineering, minor in physics, GPA 3.3 and worked full time to support myself through college, published one research paper (second author) on Advanced Physics Letter. I spent all my undergraduate years doing research for professors and working so I don't have internship experience in finance and right now I am trying to get a internship before going to one of the programs listed above.
I want sincerely ask for your comments and thoughts on these programs: which can better prepare me for a career in finance? I know that getting to a good program/school is only a small step towards to my dream of working in IB and I have a lot of work and hurdles ahead of me; but since I am going to spend the money, I should go to a program that I can benefit most from.
Thank you all!
Basically, you're attending the graduate programme to give you a shot at a bulge bracket, front office opportunity, so you want to go to the school with the best placement record.
MIT is clearly the best amongst those programmes, so if you get in, you should go there. Otherwise, based on recruiting efforts, I'd say Duke > UVA > Wash U >>>>> Claremont.
Do the UVA or Duke programmes get to use Darden's or Fuqua's b-school careers services centre? If one does, but the other doesn't, I would attend the programme that gave me access to the b-school. If neither does, Duke and UVA are roughly equal in placement, so you're not going to go wrong picking the school/location you like best.
Congrats on the acceptances, and push MIT every week or two to see what your status looks like on the waitlist.
Brotherbear, thanks so much for your opinion.
Like you said, MIT has very strong recruiting opportunities but one thing I am worried about is its price tag of 100k for one year without specific placement record.
Duke's program is housed under its Fuqua B-school and has access to both Duke and Fuqua career service. UVA does not -- its program is structured within its undergraduate McIntire program.
Once again, thanks for your response!
You have an engineering background so why not do a MSQF
CMU Princeton MIT
In the traditional MSF space
Vandy Villanova BC UIUC
UVA is a good choice, but they have weird requirement pertaining to when you graduated UG.
I am not going to shit on Dukes MMS because people on the board who I respect go there, but you will be paying a lot of money for a MBA lite and the Duke name. It is a new degree and it is debatable how well the recruiting will be. Your not going to compete with the MBA's for jobs and Masters students have trouble getting UG jobs because of the perceived over qualification.
My philosophy is that if your going to drop the cash you might as well learn something while your at it. Decide which area of the country you want to work in and then look for a school well respected in that area.
Anthony, thanks for your sharing your thoughts,
Although I have an engineering background, I don't like many aspects of being a quant.
Its been a struggle to decide between UVA and Duke. Actually both schools cost about the same. I believe UVA's program has been establish a year earlier than Duke. If you have something to say about MMS, would you mind send me a pm? It sounds like the program won't teach anything, if that is indeed the case, then it is surely not a program that I want to go to.
I've heard good things about the UVA's placement in IBD this year, it's a more established program than Duke, if you're going to take that route.
UVA's McIntire is very good indeed, but that might be just for the undergraduate, I need to contact their director regarding the placement this year for their Master of Commerce program.
Thanks, Vermont!
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