SMU MSRE or stick it out for post-grad offer
Hey everyone, I graduate in May, and obviously the job market is tough right now for analysts. I have a project portfolio, a good resume, and send close to 50 emails per week just setting up intro calls with teams. So far, I only have interest from a few teams (think CBRE, Crow, etc.) and getting an offer post-grad isn't looking so great.
That brings up my next point. I'm getting my bachelor's 2 years early at 19 (3.98 GPA), and I plan to apply to SMU MSRE for the Fall 2026 cohort. My goal is to break into the Dallas market, as that is where I want to be long-term. I'm based out of Idaho, so I've struggled to get my foot into the Dallas market, but I'm just looking for some advice. Would an MSRE help me given my age? I've just been thinking if I land absolutely nothing by May, I'll just go all out on getting into a master's program in Texas or with a pipeline to it.
Also, if anyone knows of any smaller shops that would take on an analyst, I'd love to connect. Thanks!
Considering your age, I absolutely think a master's (finance or CRE) would help. Like you mentioned, the job market for analysts is tough right now, and you're asking any shop that takes you to make a pretty large bet. Sounds like you're a grinder, but people care more about work experience than projects or the fact that you graduated two years early.
If I were in your shoes, I would seek out internship opportunities this summer with the hope of converting to a full-time role in the fall. If that doesn't work out, you'll have SMU to fall back on.
Thank you for the quick response. Also, I meant to upvote this as helpful and not funny, so my bad.
I was thinking the same thing or along the same lines. In high school I started a company, and since it's seasonal, it's taken up all of my summers since I was 15. It's a 6-figure company annually, but it is honestly capped out, and I just want to have a clean exit and move on with something institutional. My main goal is to start my own development firm down the line and raise my own deals, but getting my foot in the door has been a lot harder than I expected. I've also been struggling because the money is great from my business, and it's hard to justify going from that to an hourly internship. But, like I said, an internship would be a better move long-term.
Also, in your opinion, is the SMU program worth it? Or should I be looking at the Ivys too? I just like SMU because I value the Dallas pipeline over any "high-finance" NYC roles if that makes sense.
Given your age, I think SMU MSRED is not a bad idea (and my advice to folks in general favors a year of real experience vs a year of MSRED and the lost income / debt that comes with it). Also, I'm assuming you can afford the expense of the degree. The MSRED will give you one more year (so you're no longer a teenager and the job market can frankly only improve in that time), so that works well for you. And being an SMU student cold emailing will open many many doors in Dallas, so I'd make that your #1 goal/task while in MSRED. Good luck.
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