Masters or IB

I am about to be a senior at UWMadison and currently have an internship at a small investment bank in chicago this summer. I was wondering what the best oath would path to take would be. Would it be to go get a masters at an Ivy League right after graduating, work here for 2 years and then get the masters, or strive for an offer at a big bulge bracket and potentially get a masters after 2 years from there. Please let me know your thoughts.

2 Comments
 
Most Helpful

What type of masters are you trying to get? If you're already on the path to IB, there's really no benefit of post-grad. it's very expensive and the only degree that has value in finance is an MBA. You'd need 2-3 years of work experience to even apply to top MBAs, and you'd come out with an associate job after $200k and years of school later. Analyst to associate at a BB is an automatic promotion in most cases, so ultimately a step backwards to do an MBA if you are already headed that direction. Most people who do an MBA are doing it because they started in an unrelated career and need the MBA to switch to finance. 

It seems like you just want the ivy league brand - once you get into IB that really does not matter. Focus on your career instead of spending extra money on school that won't get you any farther. Even if you don't get the BB offer and start at a smaller bank, that still puts you in a position to lateral up down the road.

 

Pariatur dicta ipsa consequuntur nemo. Sed vel maxime illum hic ipsum sint commodi et. Sed ea quidem voluptatem amet doloremque asperiores architecto accusamus.

Voluptate veritatis et reiciendis facere rerum soluta et. Harum fugit alias aut. Voluptatem dolorem sint fugiat laboriosam sed et cupiditate.

Eum non illum est quia. Expedita id adipisci tempore facere beatae asperiores.

Ducimus quaerat consequatur repellendus excepturi. Dolorem eaque sed officiis distinctio ipsam eum sequi. Saepe quas excepturi illum nemo officia. Omnis tempore sed reprehenderit veniam dolor vel. Quae et corrupti reiciendis non non. Excepturi sequi eaque expedita accusamus perferendis facilis beatae.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.2%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.2%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.6%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.2%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (78) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (72) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”