35 Comments
 

uchicago but honestly IB SA recruiting is over and you're unlikely to get HF from either

network hard to do a boutique/MM internship and then FT recruiting (although not sure how market will be in next months)

 

Based on the most helpful WSO content, here's what you need to know:

If you're deciding between UChicago Booth's MiF (Master in Finance) and Columbia's MFE (Master of Financial Engineering), your choice should depend on your career goals and skillset:

  1. Career Path (IB vs. HF):

    • UChicago Booth MiF: This program is more aligned with traditional finance roles like Investment Banking (IB), Private Equity (PE), or Asset Management. Booth has a strong reputation for finance and provides excellent networking opportunities, especially for IB and PE.
    • Columbia MFE: This program is tailored for quantitative finance roles, such as Hedge Funds (HF), Quantitative Trading, or Risk Management. It emphasizes technical and programming skills, which are critical for HF and quant roles.
  2. Skillset (CS Weakness):

    • If your computer science (CS) skills are weak, UChicago Booth MiF might be a better fit. The program is less technical and focuses more on financial concepts, business acumen, and networking.
    • Columbia MFE, on the other hand, is highly technical and requires strong programming and quantitative skills. If you're not comfortable with coding or advanced math, you might find it challenging.
  3. Prestige and Networking:

    • Both schools are prestigious, but Booth has a slight edge in terms of overall brand recognition in traditional finance roles like IB.
    • Columbia's MFE is highly regarded in the quant finance space, particularly in New York, which is a hub for Hedge Funds and Quantitative Trading.

Recommendation: If you're unsure about your career path and have weak CS skills, UChicago Booth MiF is likely the better choice. It offers more flexibility for traditional finance roles and doesn't require a strong technical background. However, if you're leaning toward a career in Hedge Funds or Quantitative Finance and are willing to improve your technical skills, Columbia MFE could be a great option.

Sources: Booth vs. Columbia for MBA, IB VS. COMP SCI, MSF Class of 2018, Comprehensive Undergraduate Target Schools Tier List 2020, MFE right after graduation vs IB

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 

"Colombia" bro you want to study in South America?

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

Lucas@Pincus

in NY, actually

It’s “Columbia” not “Colombia.” Colombia is a country in South America. 

"If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them." - Bruce Lee
 

i was deciding between yale asset management and booth mif and im taking yale. feedback from booth is that it's hard to recruit as an international (about a month ago they said 30% of their class had found a summer internship, though that has changed now). booth curriculum is great but many people want the trad banking / consulting roles. 

 

i posted the original comment. just want to say that i chose booth. i had no idea how overwhelmingly strong the brand is. spoke with people who said they are intending to surpass MIT's MFin in the coming years. between yale and booth, i asked around 40 people in the industry, and only 1 said yale. 39 for booth. 

 

lmao what? yale's network is infinitely better than uchicago, especially at undergrad/non-mba master's level.

i struggle to see the uchicago program surpass mit, let alone vandy/georgetown, until they have a much stronger career report (and given how 80% of their class is international, i doubt it)

 
Most Helpful

im surprised at how uninformed your comment is haha. this is less about yale vs Chicago, and more about SOM vs Booth. Booth is a clear winner. I surveyed MDs in three different continents to reach this conclusion. Booth's program has $60 million in funding from the founders of AQR, making it better funded than the other programs. 

MIT's 2025 class is literally 93% international. LOL. 

vs Booth being 80% international. 

The incredible thing about Booth though, is the career services. Here is an excerpt from quantnet: "I think over 60 of us have summer internship offers. For those still recruiting, the program just recently sent out internal referrals and arranged interviews for more than 20 students with BofA Markets (Summer Asso), PB and IBD as well as with BlackRock, and Neuberger Berman." 

someone at the program mentioned that faculty have been given a mandate to surpass MIT's MFin over the next few years. I also have personally spoken with people who chose booth over Yale as well as people who chose booth over Princeton. 

 

Hey bud, I'm supposedly in the same class as you, but I'm taking a gap year and am currently applying for those programs. Do you mind DM me your profile if it's fine for you? FYI, I'm an international from a lower semi-target (maybe non-target, idk), but yeah, just wondering how the whole application season last year went for you. Also, given that you are probably already in the program, have you had more verification of what you've heard? 

 

hey, I got into booth. out of curiosity, was it people who work there who said they want to surpass mit?

could you give feedback on the program and its career support/opportunities, now that you're in it?

 

Hey bud, I'm supposedly in the same class as you, but I'm taking a gap year and am currently applying for those programs. Do you mind DM me your profile if it's fine for you? FYI, I'm an international from a lower semi-target (maybe non-target, idk), but yeah, just wondering how the whole application season last year went for you. Also, given that you are probably already in the program, have you had more verification of what you've heard? 

 

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