MSc finance as the last resort

Is it really necessary to go to a target uni to pursue MSc finance?

I have offers from Queen mary, leeds, Loughborough, Strathclyde

Yet to receive from:

Warwick, imperial, Durham

* Warwick and imperial will cost around 37k for the one year MSc finance program. Is it really worth it?

Thank you

18 Comments
 

These schools (Queen Mary, Leeds, Loughborough, Strathclyde) are not semi-targets, they are solid non-target masters programs.

If your goal is a FO role from an of these schools, you're going to be very disappointed. 

I suggest pushing for the target or semi-target masters programs in the UK or in Europe. 

Happy to give my thoughts, but you can find quite a bit of info on the below posts: 

https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/european-masters-rankings

https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forums/20-most-frequently-asked-questio…

 

I feel my chances of getting offers from warwick and imperial are less since I had applied to these unis very late and also my grades aren't that high.

If I don't get offers from these target unis do you recommend I should drop this year, get good GMAT score and perhaps cfa level 1, then apply for the next year intake?

* I'm really confused. I've heard taking a drop year will negatively impact my employability in the future? I'm a fresher about to graduate this June. I rejected my job offer since it was no way related to the field of finance. 

 

It will have a detrimental impact, unfortunately; however, doing an MSc at your other options will pretty much end your chances of FO finance altogether - at least in the next few years. I'd suggest you've got two options: try getting off-cycle internships, anywhere, and reapplying for Imperial/Warwick/LSE/Oxbridge/LBS next year, or taking a lower MSc, hopefully with not too much debt, shooting for Big 4 etc. (should be possible from Leeds or Durham) and then trying to transition after a few years. 

 

You mean taking a drop year just to prepare for gmat/cfa level 1 or any other certification will have a detrimental impact on my employability in the future?

What I'm assuming is that even if I get into imperial(MSc finance), it'l be hard for me to get FO roles since there's a gap between my bachelor's and master's ..?

 

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