Columbia Value Investing Program vs Hedge Fund Intern
Would like to hear thoughts for CBS MBA students if one is lucky to be able to select one of these choices in second year. Which is more prestigious and better for long-term
1) Join Value Investing Program
2) Intern at HF (e.g. $500M AUM tiger grandcub)
Based on the most helpful WSO content, both options have their merits, but the decision depends on your long-term goals and priorities.
Value Investing Program (VIP):
Hedge Fund Internship:
Key Considerations: - If your goal is to build a career in hedge funds, the internship might be more impactful for immediate job placement and networking within the industry. - If you’re looking for a broader investing education and a prestigious credential that can open doors across various investing roles (mutual funds, private equity, etc.), the VIP could be the better choice.
Ultimately, the hedge fund internship might edge out in terms of direct career impact for hedge fund roles, while the VIP offers a more academic and network-driven prestige. If possible, try to leverage CBS’s flexibility to explore both opportunities.
Sources: Booth vs. Columbia for MBA, Q&A: Recent Columbia Business School grad that went to a HF after school, Q&A: Reflections on 1st Semester at Columbia Business School, Q&A First Year CBS MBA Class of 2017, MS in Accounting and Fundamental Analysis - Columbia Business School
*Bump*
Would like to know if Value Investing Program is still as prestigious within the CBS community and if the career opportunities from the program are far better than normal CBS recruiting?
WSO has posts on its historical prestige and stats. Wondering if they still apply in 2024
VI branding helps, but IMO career opportunities are better because those guys get better training and peer support
Why not do both? I was in the VI program and did both, as did many of my peers. Yeah it’s time consuming and you won’t have a lot of free time but tbh buy side recruiting is shitty and you’re going to have to accept that your MBA won’t be as carefree/fun as your peers doing banking and consulting. Short term trade off for a way better/more interesting/often more lucrative career.
As for the current state of it… I am an alum from within the last 5 years. The VI program is still great and beneficial if you’re looking to go to the buy side. You can have good outcomes without it but certain opportunities are only routed through VI. I also have a pretty great network on the buy side in the form of my VI classmates and it can be a little incestuous in terms of who helps who etc among alumni. Would highly recommend pursuing it if you’re at CBS and want to recruit for buy side. It’s a good amt of incremental work but well worth it IMO.
This is really helpful. I'm an incoming CBS student interested in the Value Investing Program and the overall process. Would it be okay to DM you?
Sure. I’ll shoot you one.
Curious to know what are the "certain opportunities are only routed through VI"?
I've recently been through the VI, things may have changed, but I don't think I've experienced anything unique - all the value-added elective classes that can bring job opps actually accept students who are outside of VI
There were probably 5-10 analyst seat openings at HFs / a couple boutique AMs that were routed specifically through the VI admins to my class. It wasn't a huge number but incrementally more than if you weren't in VI which can be a huge difference when recruiting feels impossible at times.
And at least in my class, I had friends land interviews through the VI only classes. AVI opens some doors for that (though depends on which section you're in). I landed a HF interview that way.
I have also heard that the recent VI cohorts have struggled a little with recruiting / job market hasn't been great, so perhaps you didn't experience as much of this.
I can see that some people from Private Equity program end up at top global macro hedge fund while most of VI program alumni are in fundamental long-only hedge fund or mutual fund. Would like to hear insights on whether VI program is useful for those interested in global macro after MBA.
Not really useful, I don’t know anyone from my class who went in to macro.
Columbia PE program is a joke, per my friends who were in it (and looking at CBS PE placement)
tbh I think some VI people are a joke as well e.g. doing tech company post-MBA..
Columbia PE program is a joke because the 2+2 folks went to H/S/W, given C only good for publics.
Saw few VI students who end up with no job offer in IM. In this case, how can they find the same career opportunities after graduation? Would it differ much from on campus recruitment?
they take a different job and keep trying, or they give up and use the knowledge for their PA instead
are you currently a first-year student? congrats on your internship offers.
I've recently been through VI program, happy to chat offline if you're concerned about missing out anything.
Hey! If you can DM, would love to understand more about the CBS VIP and discuss my background with you. Thanks!
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