2024 MSRE/MSRED - Columbia, Harvard, MIT, NYU etc.
Hoping to start a new thread for the upcoming class. Welcome general discussion about where you applied, which schools are your target vs backup, and why. Stats are helpful as we near decision time. If you are not applying but have knowledge of the programs, would be great to hear from you as well.
I applied to Columbia, Harvard, and NYU. Waived GMAT.
Stats: 3.5 and 3.9 GPA overall and in my major respectively. Respected state school (~top 25). ~2 years on the deal team at a real estate GP shop. Good story (I hope). Name brand internships outside of real estate.
NYU should work
Referring to ease of admission?
Yes
What made you go the MSRE/MRED route with "~2 years on the deal team at a real estate GP shop?"
My firm (EU-based) decided to shutter our office (Boston) and shift strategies following a terrible raise in '23. I've been struggling to get into processes in this market. Looking for alternate routes. The RE thesis I've been pursuing on my personal balance sheet has seen great success so I can afford to buy time and go to school if it means landing the type of Analyst/Associate role I'm looking for. I am also looking to make the move to NYC and this could offer the opportunity to expand my network there.
Best of luck to you. That makes a ton of sense.
bump
Does anyone have any advice for YOE before applying to these programs?
Have less than a year of FT experience at an institutional developer and also an internship with the same shop under my belt.
wo
Would be nice to hear from current Harvard students given this is the first year of the MSRE program.
Should be good enough for NYU, Columbia is a toss up as I have heard admissions got exponentially tougher from 2022-2023. I know nothing about Harvard as they are a brand new program. If you need a safety school I would suggest applying to Georgetown. I mean this respectfully - if you had a cumulative GPA above a 3.0 in undergrad and can pay full boat, you have a great chance of getting in. It is truly "pay to play".
Are you referring to MRED programs in general, or specifically Georgetown?
What? haha
Appreciate the candor. NYU was my backup. Interesting what you say about admissions getting harder. The advice that I am shoo-in at NYU and looking good for Columbia came from guys who were part of '23 admissions.
6
I would do everything in my power to do internships and/or gain actual work experience in place of those two years or one year at any of the listed MSRE or MSRED programs (in fact I would add ~most MBAs to that as well). Google MSRE MSRED program books and they all have the same book regimen which you can self-study together with Adventures in CRE. Experience is absolutely king. NYU MSRE for Finance, Columbia MSRED for Development is the credited/oft bandied about advice.
Generally agree with this sentiment but feel applying was important for a couple of reasons.
1. The network. I'm putting a lot of weight on the network that can be gained through students, faculty, and having a year during which your part-time job is networking.
2. My time is better spent working on my personal investments than accepting a job outside of investing. If I can't get a job, I believe the "MSRE path" allows me to kill two birds with one stone. It allows me to spend a year or two working on my deals part-time while ALSO moving the ball forward in my career through education/networking/credibility building. The deals I've put together in the last few years yield enough cash flow for me to live off of so if someone said my alternatives were to expand personal deals while moving the ball forward through a MSRE or take some back office gig that consumes 70hrs/week, I would work on my personal deals / MSRE.
The scrappy internship route is not lost on me. I am working right now to paper a "consulting agreement" with a REPE shop that is basically a month-to-month acquisitions analyst gig to keep me sharp and in the game.
Target part time MBA if you can - you may regret going the MSRE route later on, and the opportunity cost could have been used on an MBA. Best advice is do a LI search and see what the degree you are considering got people, then decide MBA or MSRE.
bump
Much easier said than done. Job market is pretty terrible now and it’s very hard to sell yourself without any knowledge OR experience. Most applicants have both and there are a ton of applicants.
Schooling has always been a good way to bridge no knowledge or experience to that first initial job.
Understandable. Ok, if that is the case - then I would be very structured on my solo type work with weekly and monthly goals/milestones and only focus on msre~d programs located where you want to work long term and that have strong to very strong program centric local alumni and internship opportunities which do not depend on out-of-program networking (or the larger institution aspects). The older the program the better as it will have longer tail relationships generally.
Great advice. Thank you!
Hi there,
I had an Associate asset management interview today and aced it but after I had to do a quick excel test/basic data formula's/manipulation for 15mins, I unfortunately got way too nervous and only completed half of it and just froze, as I did really well on the interview, would they pass me regardless? OR would they pass me and weigh the interview more than the test result? Or would they need a certain benchmark result for the test in order to pass me/even consider the interview?
Also, should I ask them if I can re-do it or shall I wait for them to come back to me and see what they say?
Please let me know your thoughts below.
Thanks
In at NYU
Waitlisted at GTown GRA
Columbia pending
Shooting for Columbia.
3 years as a broker in CRE in a leadership position
3.0 college GPA
Leadership in NAIOP
Hoping to go dev or Repe
Is anyone considering Cornell program ?
I am, I think the Cornell program is a better option for me! Applied to Harvard, Cornell, and Columbia.
Hi! applied to only columbia, coming from a construction and development background. did anyone’s recommender receive an email from columbia today?
Not that I know of. What did it say?
It was a thank you letter for the recommender's contribution to the application process. It also said that this year was highly competitive and that decisions for admission will "soon be finalized". Seems like it was a mass email to all the recommenders.
Email in question:
I am writing to thank you for your recommendation on behalf of an applicant to Columbia GSAPP this year. We take the review of applications very seriously, and letters of recommendation play a crucial role in this process. This is why we very much appreciate the time you took to write and share valuable insight.
The review process is highly competitive this year based on a growing applicant pool, and we are especially impressed by the high quality and thoughtfulness of applications from a range of backgrounds and experiences across the country and representing over 90 nationalities.
In many of the compelling personal statements and inspiring portfolios, we can recognize that the School’s efforts to anticipate change are resonating among this generation of creative talent who will have the opportunity to further develop their work at GSAPP in order to lead the forefront of our disciplines of the built environment. Your contribution as a recommender is vital in helping us to identify the future cohort of students who will bring the capacity and sensitivity with which to engage and advance the complex challenges of our time. At Columbia GSAPP, students find a place to grown and discover their individual potential while developing the intellectual and professional skills required for successful trajectories in their fields.
The decisions for 2024 admissions will soon be finalized, and we look forward to welcoming the new Columbia GSAPP students to New York this summer and fall. It is an exciting moment for the School, and we invite you to stay in touch through our public programs or social media, and encourage you to reach out if you have any questions or are visiting New York or Columbia and would like to meet in person. Please feel free to connect with Associate Dean of Admissions and Outreach, Steffen Boddeker, with any questions.
Sincerely,
Andrés Jaque
.
Looks like Harvard decisions are out. I got in. Good luck to everybody!
Many congrats!
Haven't received anything yet, guess I am rejected...![]()
congrats! didnt get in but Got in Cornell with $$$. Waiting on Columbia and MIT!
Can you please share your stats?
Congrats. Could you please share your stats.
Was just randomly reading this thread but wanted to say congrats! Wishing you the best
Anyone have an idea when Columbia and MIT decisions are expected? Perhaps this week or next?
Anyone apply to USC?
I did, still waiting on decision.
Did you hear back yet? Also applied
Anyone know which schools give best scholarship $$$? If so how much?
delete delete .. no longer accurate
Greed_Is_Good - Congrats on Harvard MRE admission! Fellow classmate here, I got in too :)
Congrats!
Would you mind sharing stats?
Scroll up.
Total 4 years in buy-side and sell-side. 3.5 GPA non-target. Strong leadership involvement beyond work
What is the rationale for choosing a Master's degree focused on Real Estate Finance and Investment, Real Estate Development and the Harvard program which was very architecturally focused iirc if you wanted maximum generalist portability.
I gave my rationale up at the top of the chain at length but wanted to correct you on Harvard if I may. I think you are thinking of an old program in which you could concentrate on RE within a master's in architecture (m.arch).
As of last year, Harvard has a MRE (Masters in Real Estate) program that stands alone. As someone who was concerned with being able to focus on the technicals, I was put at ease during the open house. Of the 20 or so fellow students that I met, only two were urban planners, and one was an architect. The rest of the students seemed to have similar goals/backgrounds to mine.
The professors were extremely impressive, most with REPE backgrounds and multiple that had started their own firms. The likes of which include Dan Cummings who founded Bain Capital's Real Estate group in 2018. I met about ten of the professors for this program and came away wondering how this program was making the university money by hiring such great talent with such a great student/professor ratio.
When I was at the Columbia open house (unbelievably poorly run btw), the director of the program said "We want to become the Harvard of real estate programs". I had to chuckle... I think someone already has.
As someone who graduated from NYU MSRE and have friends who did columbia, harvard, etc. name brand helps, but 99.9% of it is if you are going to put time into it instead of just checking the box that you got a graduate degree. Know plenty of people who went to columbia, did no internship or a shit one and are stuck doing peasent work.
Remember Columbia is only 1 year with no flex to go part time or stretch it out like some others, meaning you have one shot at summer internships/1 year to network and play the dumb student card as it's otherwise fulltime and if the internship sucks or you didnt get something you wanted, you're not screwed but the degree may not be very helpful if you don't have good prior experience.
If you didn't have good prior experience you HAVE to do at least 1 solid internship, preferably 2 that will get you in the door somewhere. If you got an MBA from Stern, Harvard, or Columbia that will certainly open more doors without having solid internships, but you need them for an MSRE, especially if you're competing for jobs in top markets like NYC.
This is really helpful. For internships, since summer is the first semester of most of these 1 year programs, it seems like fall would be the big semester for internships? Basically network like a madman starting June?
I guess so, timing is a bit awkward in that regard. I started part time at NYU and then went full time. Did it over the course of 2 years.
Fair point. 1 year creates a crush of impetus to get the needed experience before you are spit back into the market and the timer starts ticking again.
If you're an inquisitive student wanting to connect with alumni or other people to grab coffee or connect to hear more about what their role is like, people will give you the time of day. Once you're back in the mix, nobody cares. Student card is very valuable for networking and glad someone instilled this on me early on.
Thats why , as someone who is pivoting from credit risk to REPE, my tops are Cornell and MIT. The name brand means nothing and real estate is always about hustle and grind. Experience trumps all - make time for the internship . Most people who go to Harvard and MIT already are in their respective feels and want to go to a bigger firm. Its an easier jump.
Columbia/NYU is great in terms of location but you have such a large pool of students. Being in the city and all, I doubt you can form as many meaninful connections with your cohort. There are a large quantity of alumni from NYU and Columbia, but is it quality? At least for Cornell, being a "cornellian" creates a experience that is unique across Cornell's UG, Grad programs, etc. Call it, bonded by suffering lol.
TLDR: You need an internship to pivot.
Tons of Cornell UG grads do the NYU MSRE program. Have not seen the same trend for Columbia's MSRED. Maybe it is to diversify or maybe for convenience as they are already working full-time in RE and living in the City. Either way --- graduating without several relevant internships is a bitter recipe for distress.
Don't discount people you meet in person. Some of the best relationships you make are people in your class. I got two incredible internships solely from other people in my class. The great thing about NYU is that it is in the city, and its flexible. You make a great connection and someone offers you a job. You start the job and switch to NYU part time. Also because you can do part time at NYU you get a significant amount of kids in your class who are already working full time in the business. Guess who is getting first look at a job/internship that is opening at their shop? When everyone is a fulltime student, this does not happen. Plenty of flaws in the program but a lot of people don't realize how huge a benefit some of this stuff is until you are actually there.
I really appreciate the advice. I'm hoping to pivot my career from land development/construction to RE development, and through the help of others who were in my shoes their advice was to get a MSRED so here I am. I always knew with my background I would have to try earnestly to get an internship during my time at school. The number of internships is limited and I'm worried with my lack of experience in real estate (and even finance) those who have better experiences will have an advantage. Does anyone have any advice for MSRED students who are in different backgrounds to secure internships? Or if people were in a similar situation and can share their experience?
I didn't want to take the time to read through the whole chain so someone may have touched on this point further. MSRE <> MBA, internships are paramount if you don't feel like your experience is sufficient as of yet. This is why I did the NYU program vs Columbia, the rep honestly isn't that much worse past the initial thought that one is maybe slightly just slightly harder to get into. Consider that when accepting whichever program you choose, your network will also be 1000x larger at NYU than either Columbia or Harvard program with a maybe slightly inferior brand name.
Anyone who is really boots-on-the-ground in NYC for a respectable about of time in RE does not think Columbia's MSRED is better than NYU's (it is actually the opposite) nor are they conflating it with their JD, MBA or hard science PHD programs. If your program does not have a large and accessible alumni network - you are losing 50% of the program's long-term value from the outset.
In at Columbia as of 5 minutes ago! Let's goooooooo
In at Columbia too
Any $$$?
In at columbia as well!! anyone plan on accepting?
probably going cornell instead.
Why if I may ask? Just curious.
In Columbia as well! Congrats to everyone!
In at Columbia as well. They didn't send me an email, I had to check through the portal... thanks for letting me know lol
May I ask when will be the deadline to accept Columbia's offer？
April 15th I think
Just got a congratulations email from MIT's GradDiversity but nothing on the application portal yet. Really hoping it's not a fluke, but looks like decisions might be released today?
Same here... almost couldn't believe my eyes, really hoping it's for real!
Likewise, hope it is not a technical glitch lol
dam didnt get it and dont see anything in my portal. congrats
i don't see anything on my portal either
In at Cornell too! big choice to make between that and Columbia, would love to hear anyone else's thought process...
How long you have for you considering to accept Cornell or Columbia?
Mid April
background?
top Canadian eng school. 2.5 years exp total
Starting goal is to break into NY development, but am open to the many different faucets of RE... being picky is tough in this market
If I have not yet received any notification from Columbia, does that indicate a rejection?
That doesn't indicate anything.
Got in Harvard and MIT. Both are great schools, but which one do you guys think has a better program for MRE?
I'd go harvard. Whats your background
Both schools have strong brands, but MIT’s program is the one with more reputation as the Harvard one is barely going to be graduating its first-ever MSRE class.
Feels like you can’t go wrong for either, though.
Strong feeling that Brands dont matter as much in MSRED when discussing the top 4/5 programs (Harvard, MIT, Cornell, Columbia, NYU). If anything, Harvard's brand is the strongest. However, after speaking with many hiring mangers and MD's at RE recruiting firms, experience trumps all. Find a place where you can have the best internship timeline and alumni impact. Will Harvard MBAs and UG's respond to you as a Harvard MRE grad (my reponse is no)? How tight is the alumni community (my answer Cornell is the strongest)? Does MIT focus on helping students find careers or do they admit students who already have a path laid out? all to consider.
TLDR: MSRED is not a silver bullet . Like in real estate, its all about experience, grit and network.
edit: This is harvard second year as a real MRE, but they have been around for a long time under the arch house.
Congrats! May I ask your background?
Why won’t people just do an MBA if it is clearly looking like a better degree in terms of recruitment? I am trying to understand the rationale behind doing an msre
because some people just want a network and classes in real estate. Recruitment is important but people might just want the job skills and do something entreprenurial.
I think RED has its regulation/financing-driven framework that not general business shall to care of.
Outside of Wharton, Columbia and maybe a few others, would say RE-specific recruiting at MBA programs is a lot worse than MSRE programs. Most of your classmates are going to be focused on consulting/IB/tech/entrepreneurship and most bschools will focus efforts on those areas.
MBAs aren’t as favorable in RE because you end up with a “worse” network (most won’t be in real estate), irrelevant coursework in business admin/corporate finance/marketing and mostly the same exit ops unless you’re talking Wharton or Columbia. If you know you want to do RE, there is an argument for doing an MSRE at Columbia, Cornell, NYU, etc. over an MBA at Sloan, Yale SOM or Tuck.
That being said, MBAs have significantly more flexibility.
I cannot take a marketing class. I simply refuse
This is understated, if you want RE, outside of the brand rep of having an MBA from an elite university MSRE's really do put you in a better position.
accepted to Columbia and MIT. leaning Columbia due to city, free networking events such as yrepny, paid networking leadership such as ULI NY. We will see how the director responds to the program's mission to find careers during the open house. I know Columbia cohort this year is much smaller and competitve with 50% being internationl --> meaning a 70-80 sized cohort, half being your domestic homies and half being your international classmates. Columbia is also not like STEM designated like Cornells, meaning these internationals have a higher likely hood of not getting visas and going back to their country.
I like MIT but seems very academical - program director said it is supposed to be academical but the year goes by quickly. You have to know what you want from it because there is a small margin for error and hesitation. Also, I disapproved of his comment regarding how they want to make Real Estate an academical field of study hence why MIT has a real estate program. If they were so serioues of a great academical study they would have a similar two year program like Cornells and pump more money into it (apparently the board and donors dont give back much). Even so, no guarantees in this job market - better off be in NYC. Also 50% of the 30 students are international.
The cohort is around 90 students usually isn't it?
STEM designation is a huge factor for me, coming from Canada, all that extra time to settle in the US will make the year at Columbia relatively a-lot more high stakes.
Since pivoting to a major US market is half the reason I'm pursuing an MSRE here, it might be better to play it safe than sorry in my case... even though Columbia students have no problem landing NY roles, the timeframe might thin the margins too much.
Yet at the same time, engineer degrees here are 5 years, and another 2 years of school for a non-MBA degree (especially in Ithaca which my uni town was essentially the Canadian equivalent of, desolate and windy) is something I feel I don't want to put myself through lol, especially because the 1 year at Columbia finds people lots of success too.
Would appreciate some input on this dilemma if anyone is going through / has gone through this scenario.
The qualifier for any MSRE grad from any program to have "no problem landing NY roles" post-grad is graduating with a certain level of relevant experience. This cannot be stated enough. A year will go by faster than one thinks. These MSRE/D programs are not magic bullets. The one-two punch is strictly MSRE + Relevant Experience. Even Wharton MBA's enter the market with a certain level of experience. And believe it or not - even those folks can quietly struggle if they don't hit it right.
Is anyone else going to the admitted students open house at Columbia this month?
Yes, most likely. Happy to connect beforehand. Still trying to decide between Harvard and Columbia.
Pros and cons of each for you? Congrats btw!
For those admitted to MIT, is there a tuition deposit required by 15 April? I can't seem to find anything about it.
Believe so
anyone who attended the Columbia open house able to shed some perspective? decision deadline is looming
All the MSRED people were studs. Plus they were all tall, dark, and handsome. Which definitely adds to the vibe, and quite candidly, the overall prestige of the program.
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