MSF or add a Degree?
So I finally got a 27' S&T internship offer. The problem is that I am a 2nd year student with Junior standing. So I will get my bachelor's next year (Like I have a shit ton of credits). From my understanding, I can't really take a gap year, nor would that be useful.
Should I start searching for top 1-yr MSF programs to make it a nice, even 4 years, and possibly put myself ahead? MSF seems very expensive, especially for target schools. But cost can be figured out. Or add another major like Econ, Accounting, or Risk Management. The problem is that other BBA majors don't seem too useful to me.
Need thoughts + opinions
self bump
Whichever is cheaper. Depending on the state you’re from adding another major is more likely than not going to be less expensive than getting a masters. I’d recommend getting something that doesn’t have too many extra credits you have to do, and has online classes available as well. You only need to extend your grad by a semester (Fall 2027).
If I ended up doing a MSF, would that put me ahead of others in a pool of people and possibly have a compounding factor for the future, like 5-10 years down the line?
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From what I’ve seen and heard , an MSF doesn’t really boost your resume too much.
I was accepted to MSF at Villanova/Georgetown/Notre Dame after 2 years of experience. I haven't gone and not sure if I will go (in several interview processes right now). However, I do have access to a lot of the school's resources and they gave me a school email. I regularly chat with grads of the program, as well as graduates of the MBA and undergrad programs. Coming from a complete non-target, this network has been extremely helpful - more than 4 years of undergrad. I see this as the potential biggest benefit of a MSF for you long-term if you use it well.
The degree is nice, it will probably give you an edge compared to someone with just a bachelors. It might help if you do well and want to get an MBA one day. Assuming you are a top student - I would consider applying to these programs. I only applied to one and it was a free application due to my major and GPA. The one I got into has a scholarship program that is granted to a large portion of the cohort, making it close to free for those who get it.
Also, it is pretty well understood that if you get into the Vanderbilt MSF you will likely have a very strong placement in banking.
Is networking a large part of getting into a MSF program?
Getting into, as in networking as a prereq to get accepted? No, can't say I've heard of that. Probably just speaking with the school's representatives of the program is about as much you can do. Wouldn't hurt to network with current or past students to gain insights on the program. They are all highly responsive in my experience.
For what it is worth, the schools I listed are all relatively small, private Christian schools (I went to larger state school). Grads of these schools generally come from a similar background, bond over their experience (sports, faith, clubs/activities), and remain loyal to the school, in part because of their upbringing and part because it helped them place well. So networking is not part of getting into program, but you could make it a valuable outcome of being in the program and graduating from it.
My main want from a program like this would be overall career advancement, but also for it to be worth it. From my research, these top programs are incredibly expensive, and will run me 85k tuition + living just for a year. I understand that these programs have merit based scholarships which is incredibly helpful. But how much should I expect from it?
Info is, I have a relatively high gpa (3.7-3.9) gpa at a large state school, pretty decent internships (local banking, and now incoming S&T), great club and leadership experience, have yet to take GMAT.
What size company and what location is your S&T internship at? What sort of state school? Do you know what you want to do (S&T?) after graduating?
It probably would not immediately help your career advancement unless you want to re-recruit, which would be an option. It could definitely help down the line if you do well and pursue an MBA. And again, access to a new network could help you a lot (depending on your current school as well). Networking is a lagging indicator, so it may take months or years (unless you rerecruit with the help of an alum?) for "advancement", and you will hold the degree for the length of your career and life, so it should be helpful for however long that is. Saying in an interview "I graduated a year early and wanted to continue school for a Master's degree" immediately signals you are smart, hardworking, and serious. On top of that, a "semi-target" school on your resume.
My advice would be to think in terms of your career. Analysts are a dime a dozen, and the talent pool is wide and deep. However, after the junior years, depending on what you want to do, a master's degree could begin to be a differentiator. Whether it be from tapping into a stronger network, applying to a better MBA program, or all else equal having a slightly higher credential (and brand name) than a competitor in an interview. 1 year and $50k is nothing in terms of a 40+ year career in finance. I spoke with a grad of the program the other day who worked for a year, went to MSF to rerecruit, and is now in RxCo and made $150k last year. Probably the best $50k he will ever spend.
I can tell you that my stats were nowhere near yours, and I received a scholarship bringing my total cost of the program below $50k. I had GMAT waived, but if you can study and get a good score on GMAT, you should get some sizeable scholarships. Also, just keep your GPA high as possible. I would say that at least for the school I was accepted to, with your stats, you'd probably go for very little (under $30k) + rent.
The applications are cheap. Just get a good GMAT and apply. You can leverage whatever scholarships you get against each school to get more $. If you are serious about your career, I would strongly consider MSF. If you don't really care and just want a decent job for a few years then exit to a chiller job, extend your graduation at state school by a semester, do a semester abroad, or travel/party for the semester you graduated early. From personal experience, I would not recommend.
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