European MSc in Finance Profile Evaluation

Hi everyone,

I am currently in the process of applying for a second Master at the following schools and thought I'd try to get some feedback and perspective on my applications:

-Oxford MSc Financial Economics -LBS MFA -LSE MSc Finance

Goal is IBD in London and then later on PE.

Stats:

Age: -23

Education: -Bachelor in Systems Engineering at a top tier European engineering school (top 5), 3.5-3.6 GPA, 2:1 in UK scale -Master in Financial Engineering at the same school, 3.9-4.0 GPA, I will likely receive a prize for this performance (among the best in the program's current cohort)

Coursework was very quantitative and programming heavy in nature.

Tests: -GMAT: 720 - 49Q, 40V, 8IR, 5AWA

I scored consistently much higher in mock tests and will likely resit at the end of the month to aim for a 750+ (mainly by improving to a Q50, which I feel is well within reach given my background and mock tests results). Maybe someone can tell me if this is really worth it or a waster of time.

Work Experience: - 6 months Big 4 Valuation - 6 months mid-tier BB IB in a continental office (will start soon) - TA for two courses during my undergrad

Extracurricular Activities: - 1st and 3rd place in two school wide consulting business case competitions - Selected to attend workshops organised by two different MBB companies (those were akin to Spring weeks and were recruiting events) - Research/dev project for one my school's lab - Dev project for one of the campus' start-ups

As you can see no associative experience whatsoever or anything related to finance as far as extracurricular activities go. This, the GMAT + 2:1 undergrad, and the fact that I would be applying for a second Master in the same field of studies are my main sources of concern.

What does WSO think?

17 Comments
 

Quia et tempora omnis et laboriosam. Et sit corporis et sit. Libero omnis illo deserunt at.

Quia ratione qui illum nam. Dolor quod ut reprehenderit quisquam. Et tempore id repudiandae possimus iste doloribus tenetur. Perferendis earum voluptatibus eum aut et. Minima possimus velit qui et rerum rerum. Non aut et sed quas ipsum laudantium. Inventore similique molestiae explicabo eligendi eveniet voluptas.

Career Advancement Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.4%
  • Guggenheim Partners 02 97.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 97.4%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.5%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 99.0%
  • Evercore 01 98.4%
  • Banco Santander 04 97.9%
  • BMO Capital Markets 13 97.4%

Professional Growth Opportunities

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.5%
  • Moelis & Company 01 99.0%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.9%
  • JPMorgan No 97.4%

Total Avg Compensation

November 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (17) $409
  • Associates (58) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (29) $183
  • Intern/Summer Associate (16) $161
  • 1st Year Analyst (84) $151
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (77) $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

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...”