9 Comments
 

Well if you are already attending the MSF program then it's not really stupid to turn down the FT offer. If banking is what you want to do then a banking internship is infinitely more valuable.

This to all my hatin' folks seeing me getting guac right now..
 

1 million GBP

"They’re all former investment bankers who were laid off in the economic crash that Nancy Pelosi caused. They’ve got zero real-world skills, but God they work hard." -Jack Donaghy
 

A corporate banking job at a top bank is not bad, you could use your experience there and look to network and leverage that into an IB offer after a year instead of spending another year at a cheap school like Vandy.

 
Best Response

I think it really depends on what your current needs are and how much value you think you could extrapolate from the MSF.

If you plan to do a top MBA, it may be prudent to consider whether you could leverage the FT offer into something that looks good after 1-2 years (like IBD). The MSF sounds like a good option considering the non-target background; with an advanced degree, you could not only score better jobs, but if for whatever reason you decide to still do an MBA, it will help your application even more so.

If the FT offer pays you well and you think you could turn it into something good, I think you should consider taking that. Worst case scenario is that you work for a few years and decide that an advanced degree is worth your time; best case, I think, is that you leverage your credit analyst role for something in IBD at a similarly large firm.

The MSF is good but may, essentially, not be necessary. Try to find out how alumni from your school tend to do in terms of MBA admissions. If it's a complete long-shot, then perhaps the MSF is a good idea to rebrand yourself right now and then just take the IBD job out of the gate.

However, as said before, if IBD is really what you want to do, I am strongly of the opinion that the SA+MSF route would benefit you long-term. Not only would you do IBD from the jump, you'd also be a much, much more suitable candidate for a direct promote to Associate, once that time comes. And if you decide later in your career that you're sick and tired of banking, your MSF and background in the field will help you immensely in top MBA admissions.

Basically, I think the MSF route edges out a W here.

in it 2 win it
 

Take the SA position--Vandy has a great MSF and you don't want to work full time in a role that you don't like. If you went the FT route, you could work a few years than break in with an MBA--but if you have the opportunity to get an IB internship, that's absolutely key. Take the internship, do well at it, get good recommendations, and move to the MSF. Who knows--if you perform well, your healthcare bank may convert you to FT.

 

i lost everything...

"They’re all former investment bankers who were laid off in the economic crash that Nancy Pelosi caused. They’ve got zero real-world skills, but God they work hard." -Jack Donaghy
 

Et quis cumque et incidunt voluptatum. Est minima ad dolorem vel in et. Error mollitia dignissimos cupiditate placeat sit. Dolore voluptatem ea tempore eos.

Vel inventore exercitationem sunt adipisci ullam. Laboriosam quia facere est facere ut et dolores. Corporis laborum incidunt inventore in et. Dignissimos est sunt enim voluptates consequatur.

Et atque non eius. Occaecati et vel nihil odit est est amet nostrum. Perspiciatis aut quod velit sequi dolorem. Dolorem sunt ex et est. Quaerat quo et sit.

Sint blanditiis aut blanditiis corrupti odit nihil nisi. Minus placeat voluptatem magni deleniti.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • 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 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.3%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 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 (79) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $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

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
4
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
5
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
9
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
10
numi's picture
numi
98.8
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...”