LBS or St Andrews for MSc?
Apologies for the click bait title. I posted this question before but didn’t get any responses and would really appreciate some advice.
Ive been studying econ at a target in the UK and have 1x M&A and 1x PE internships under my belt (but not big names). I currently have 2 options for MSc and the deadline for choosing is fast approaching: 1. LBS MSc Financial Analysis 2. St Andrews MSc Mathematics
I am already aware that the LBS name > St Andrews in the London recruiting world (although have been surprised with how many St Andrews undergrads have got BB/EB offers in the last couple years)
However, I am also aware that the LBS cohort hasn’t don’t very well in recruiting this year (especially for non diversity) and given it is really expensive the ROI is a major consideration for me (for reference St Andrews costs about 12k).
From your guys’ standpoint, i would ask what your general opinions would be on me taking St Andrews Maths over LBS? Yes, I think taking StA Finance over LBS MFA would be foolish as StA MSc Finance is definitely a non-target - but it’s maths course is very well regarded and places top 4-5 in the maths rankings just behind oxbridge and imperial, so curious what you guys think of this move.
Try and find StA post-grad alum in IB. You will struggle is my guess.
That said there's a broader issue here. If you (presumably) struck out on recruiting this year, what do you think a masters is gonna do?
Couple things to address your points:
Obviously LBS has way more people in the industry than St Andrews - St Andrews isn’t a business school and there are probably 80% less IB applicants per capita there, which distorts the comparison of network a little bit. Not necessarily disagreeing with you here but just some thoughts.
I didn’t strike out of recruiting this year either just to quickly clarify - my M&A internship is at a LMM IB (Panmure Liberum/Torch) and I had another comparable MM offer. I guess I struck out of BB/EB (although I don’t mind MM IB personally) but my point is that I’m not really doing a Masters to fix a “striking out” issue, more so just to enhance my profile, and in the case of St Andrews, study maths which is a subject I’m quite interested in academically, while still differentiating myself a little bit from the massive pool of applicants.
Apologies, I interpreted the internships as already completed. Makes more sense.
I honestly don't know how much anyone's going to care about doing Maths Vs Finance within IB. I'd understand the case if you were gunning for S&T or even Research. They'd definitely value it.
Surely your profile would have been best improved by taking a FT offer and then lateralling after 1-2 years. No cost, salary, experience etc. much better choice imo
Tbf from Torch especially there is room to lateral due to their tech focus. If you can build a profile of UMM deals there (which they do advise on), you could move somewhere bigger. Panmure Liberum I'm not as familiar with.
If you're financially ok with LBS and living in London, it's a no-brainer unless you want to surround yourself with wealthy Americans at St.Andrews playing Lacrosse. You're right that recruiting-wise LBS has underperformed + they've massively increased cohort size (Think there was an FT article on this). From my experience LBS is a social course more than it being academically rigorous (I'd be baffled if anyone thought a Master's was meant to be intellectually stimulating or academically impressive, its not). I also think more people there are less hardo (don't get me wrong hardos are everywhere but the median LBS student imo is much less hardo than a LSE/Ivy MBA), plenty of Europeans there purely for social aspects rather than actual recruiting purposes. Get used to Maggie's on Thursday, e-cigarettes and sundowners.
Appreciate the insight and understood on your points. Yes, I do live in London and have been throughout my undergrad, the cost (and by extension loans) is something I’ve been trying to wrap my head around for LBS.
Definitely would agree that there is more absolute risk by going to StA but trying to understand the extent of this with the maths course.
Go to LBS and recruit hard before you even start your course, you’ll be fine
What did you end up choosing?
Haven't chosen yet but will probably be St Andrews everything considered
Personally think it’s a terrible decision. Good luck though
I'm looking at St Andrews vs Bristol as a masters and St andrews is 15k more would it be worth it?
I would take LBS every day even for a cleaning WC program, finance is a very closed world, brandname matters a lot
LBS and it's not even close. Masters in the UK are mostly a cash grab (universities that place well at the undergraduate level are not a good metric to use for comparing postgraduate programs - see UCL undergraduate vs. master's; the latter has terrible placement). There are only a couple of targets at grad - Oxb, lbs, lse, and maybe imperial. StA master's is not great for placement.
Have you made a decision?
Yes - ended up getting an EB off cycle so not pursuing MSc anymore. In hindsight LBS would have been the right choice.
Happy to hear your success!
Could you PM, as I would be super interested to hear about your journey and am deciding whether to pursue a masters
Hello there! (this is my first ever post on this website, pretty excited).
I have accepted an offer to study a MSc Finance and Management at St Andrew's. Having read a few of these comments, I have only now started to realized how much of a "non-taregt' StA really is, especially at the MSc level.
However, my short/mid term goal is to land an offer for a graduate programme within private banking, commercial banking, or finance (accounting, ACA)... Not particularly bothered about IB!
So please let me know whether my decision to undertake this MSc was sensible. My background:
Opinions? Thanks!
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