Hey all,
I searched for more information on this but I can't seem to find a "definitive" answer.
What are people's thoughts and sentiments regarding Columbia's MSFE in order to break into Investment Banking without any prior finance experience?
Is there any information on their acceptance rates for students who apply to this program?
Im an engineer with no prior finance experience (graduated about 8 months ago), who wants to break into IB as soon as possible, and I dont want to wait until I have enough experience to start an MBA program at a target, because I think I will be too old at that point
Plus i am tired of engineering and i'm beginning to hate my job more and more everyday...
Thanks
Columbia and MSFE are both legit. However, IMHO, it seems like this degree would be more suited/looked for for trading/structuring roles rather than IB....although I'm sure IBD will still look!
MFE recruiting is past their heyday but obviously they still get jobs. And just like undergrad, top programs get recruited more.
What do you mean past thier heyday? Arent these programs relatively new? (10-20 yrs old)?
I guess to rephrase my original post is... is $80,000 (est.) worth it (will it pay off) or will it be another huge liability on my balance sheet.
.
MFE recruitment peaked in 2006 / 2007 and it has all been downhill after that. You should take a look at the coursework. You will be learning a lot of Math and programming. You could get entry level analyst position. Then later on, you could go for Top 5 MBA. Columbia MBA would be much more relevant for IB. In MFE classes, 80% of the students will be Indians and Chinese. Like I said, be prepared for heavy Math and programming work. If you don't like Engineering, why would you like Financial Engineering.
Financial Engineering at Columbia? (Originally Posted: 01/10/2010)
How is a B.S. in financial engineering looked upon in i-banking?
get a good GPA and you're fine. Relax you're still at columbia.
not very helpful for iBD, if even at all. better for S&T.
my question is whether FE (with all its derivative pricing/hedging models) is going to be useful at quant HFs which are not doing options market making or something similar
Okay, so probably an Econ-Math major would be better for IBD?
Are you in the business school or is this more of a math department degree? Financial engineering should be fine as long as you have taken core fiance classes and can interview well.
Columbia SEAS is a lot less prestigious than the College. Bear that in mind.
You obviously do not know enough about Columbia or Harvard, where you pose to work. It is not possible for you to be a second year analyst with an MBA and JD, unless you are really really incompetent. Banks recruit only college students for analyst positions, in case you don't know. Why do you have to lie about your background? Columbia SEAS is actually more sought after in Wall Street. Nobody should listen to your lies and attempts at pretension. I have no respect for people like you, not that I had it for you beforehand.
Do you even know what you are talking about...? most people who get offers are from SEAS...
Why don't you just major in whatever you like and take relevant courses - corporate finance & Financial Accounting? Having said that, I believe many Wall St firms are after SEAS kids, since they're better equipped in many ways.
Yes, I am talking about SEAS. Truth be told, I like both Econ-Math and Financial Engineering. I'm just wondering if either is preferred for IBD. And is the college really that much more prestigious than SEAS?
all columbia schools, dont sweat it.
just do well and take relevant classes. you'll be fine.
most columbia students that head to BB's are economics major in the college. SEAS kids arent really the banking type if you know what i mean. their interests lie elsewhere like engineering firms, phds, etc.
try to transfer to the college
Do whatever you like/passionate about, if you're good then you'll be fine
Hmm all these comments about more prestige and less prestige among Columbia's undergrad schools. I don't see it. Not in recruiting on campus. Frankly I think for those that wish they got an Ivy League education, but didn't, it may be hard to understand. A Columbia degree it's not about prestige. The prestige comes simply from surviving four years of the intensity of the workload. Since all the four schools take the same classes it seems misinformed to project one's own wishes on t o differentiating the colleges.
"Indians and Chinese"
and french
Advice for New Freshman, how is Columbia University's Financial Engineering Program? (Originally Posted: 01/22/2013)
Hey, Monkeys, first post in this forum. Currently I am studying in an all male liberal arts college in Mid west. Double major in Econ and Math. ( We don't have the finance major as a liberal arts college)At the time when I chose the college, I didn't decide to go into Finance and I really want to study liberal arts and they gave me a large amount of scholarship, so I turned down several Target School to go to my current school. My college is really small, less 900 people for the entire four grades. I don't think it's a target school, but our alumni connection is very tight. So every year we have quite a few grads go into investment banks on wall street. Our school have a financial engineering program with Columbia University, it's a 3+2 years program. I am already in it and will be in Columbia two years later. ( I am a freshman but technically I am a sophomore because I took a gap year after high school) I could get two bachelor degree from these two institute. I came from China, by the way. I have already decided to go into Investment banking after my interned with one of our alumni in Chicago Stock Exchange this winter break . The thing is that I talked with some of the alumni who are in the finance industries, some of them strongly against going to Columbia for that program, some of them are fine with them. I am here for more advice. Ps, I like my current college and don't planning to transfer....
The next generation of Louis Bacheliers...
MFE > IBD
go to www.quantnet.com, they have reviews of the program. I SUPPOSE you can get into banking with an MFE, but I feel as if there is an invisible hand pushing MFE graduates into quant roles. I mean lets be honest, you are going to be doing some pretty high level shit in an MFE program. The second you tell an MD or an Associate what you did in school their eyes will glaze over and they will instantly think "quant". Nothing wrong with quants, just saying what I think is implied with an MFE.
Is COLUMBIA's Financial Engineering Program fit for I Banking? (Originally Posted: 01/23/2013)
Hey, Monkeys, first post in this forum. Currently I am studying in an all male liberal arts college in Mid west. Double major in Econ and Math. ( We don't have the finance major as a liberal arts college)At the time when I chose the college, I didn't decide to go into Finance and I really want to study liberal arts and they gave me a large amount of scholarship, so I turned down several Target School to go to my current school. My college is really small, less 900 people for the entire four grades. I don't think it's a target school, but our alumni connection is very tight. So every year we have quite a few grads go into investment banks on wall street. Our school have a financial engineering program with Columbia University, it's a 3+2 years program. I am already in it and will be in Columbia two years later. ( I am a freshman but technically I am a sophomore because I took a gap year after high school) I could get two bachelor degree from these two institute. I came from China, by the way. I have already decided to go into Investment banking after my interned with one of our alumni in Chicago Stock Exchange this winter break . The thing is that I talked with some of the alumni who are in the finance industries, some of them strongly against going to Columbia for that program, some of them are fine with them. I am here for more advice. Ps, I like my current college and don't planning to transfer....
Columbia's Financial Engineering is a great program. It can give you a solid technical foundation for trading or certain type of hedge fund careers. But for i-banking, it may be over-qualified in the math and technical area.
I-banking, after all, is a sales job. When I say this, I don't mean it in a negative way. I-banking's main function is to understand what clients need, devise ways and strategies to meet such needs, and effectively communicate to the clients and execute such strategies. It's focus is Client Advising, and whatever modelling and analyses you may do at the junior level, the purpose is to support that focus. For this purpose, your liberal arts training will serve you well. Yes, you need to pick up some undergraduate accounting and finance concepts, but you don't need that heavy-duty math in the MFE program for i-banking.
I could understand that the liberal arts colleges are ideal choice for I banking, but the thing the fame of the college does matter. My college is really small in size with around 250 graduating class size and most of the graduates went to law school and medical school. Comparing to those big name target school, I don't think I am that competitive. On the other hand, Columbia is an ivy and looks pretty good on the resume compared with a all male liberal arts college in mid-west.
Generally, MFE will not lead to investment banking.
https://www.quantnet.com/forum/
http://mfe.berkeley.edu/careers/placement.html
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