Advice needed: Apply for MSF admissions this cycle or the next (Imperial vs MIT/LSE/Oxford)

Hi,

I would like to get opinions on this: basically I just graduated a couple of months back and have just started work in a bulge bracket (one of GS/MS/JPM) as a technology analyst - over the course of my internship last summer I grew interested in finance (specifically I'm drawn to market centric roles in portfolio management/market risk/trading) and am keen to break into these roles at some point. I am considering masters programmes but haven't taken the GMAT - therefore pretty much the only program for 2016 admissions I am considering that doesn't need a score would be Imperial's MSc Finance.

I'm not from a target undergrad school but my undergraduate academics are quite decent (top in my university for my major) - if I delay for one more year I could possibly give a shot at MIT, LSE or Oxford finance programmes (since I don't think I can get a decent gmat score before Jan/Feb considering I'm working full time).

While there is no guarantee I can get a gmat score high enough or get admitted, would delaying my masters application by a year be more logical or should I just apply for Imperial's Msc Finance and attempt to break in into the finance field one year earlier? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

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