Ohio State MSF vs Villanova MSF
I have made both Ohio State's and Villanova's MSF Programs. I am really torn between the two and would like to hear some opinions on what others think of both programs. I'm from NYC so my preference would be to live and work in NYC. I know Villanova places well in NYC so it would seem that would make it an easy choice for me. However, Ohio State offered me a large scholarship, significantly lowering what I would pay in tuition compared to Villanova. I have yet to hear back from Nova in regards to merit based scholarships, but I expect to soon. If I went to Ohio State, would I have trouble networking and finding a job in NYC? Which program has the better curriculum? Better reputation?
I really appreciate any responses in helping me make this tough decision. Thanks.
I'd really appreciate it, thanks. Could you maybe give what you think the pros and cons of the program are. Also, what is own job placement and your fellow classmates placements (if you know them) looking like?
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I would be wary of this information. Placements like that are usually highlighted on program's marketing materials but none really appear on Villanova's. The placements in this program are historically opaque. It's really too early to tell how the class of 2018 will do and I'm skeptical of anyone that talks about "FO AM."
So you are calling this dude a liar?
I have a spread sheet with all the placements going back to the inception of the program that I created when I was a grad student and gave to the admissions office that I think they still maintain. The program consistently had 70-80% employment rates at graduation and every year about 30-40% went into some form of FO finance role.
Over the years things would shift, and you'd have a class that wanted more F500 vs banking, and some years where all the kids really were gunning for banking, but in general, the MSF program placed into MM IBD and ER, with a growing number going into real estate, insurance or credit.
The school is right outside Philly, an hour and a half from NYC. Has MM IBD OCR and would definitely be called a semi-target. It has been around for over 10 years so they now have MSF alumni to help with recruiting, in addition to normal alumni and the firms that come on campus for OCR. Not sure why you are skeptical about their placements or a students ability to get placed.
Yeah i have a spreadsheet of WUSTL's placements as well. 50% BB IB and 50% Mega fund PE. You see how meaningless that is? If a program truly had great placements then they would advertise that. They would allow the governing bodies to audit and to confirm the information. This is common sense.
Is the kid lying? I don't know. That's the point. What I do know is that people, while they're in the program, tend to paint a relatively rosy picture. When the program ends and they don't land a prestigious job, then you get a different response (which we've seen on these forums). Again, it's all anecdotal, which is why Nova needs to start putting out concrete placement information.
Until then, I'm skeptical. That's all I'm expressing: skepticism. I think it's still a better value proposition than Fisher MSF.
Also, your claim that the program has "MM IBD OCR" has been denied by just about every student on this site that has ever attended that program. The sentiment is almost unanimously that OCR is nonexistent. That's actually not so bad. You don't need to have great OCR to get great placements (that's where curriculum and name brand come to play), but it's a claim that simply isn't corroborated.
Stifel and BMO come on campus to recruit for IBD and Equity Research at the UG level. Historically, they have taken 1-2 kids each at the MSF level. All the BB's come on campus for MO roles and select UG's for their interviews through professor recommendations or if you are in the fixed income society or equity society.
The UG school is very well represented on Wall Street. It is a pricey, north eastern private school. The vast majority of the business school kids head to NYC to work after graduation, creating a huge alumni base which drives recruiting.
Side note - my comments were about the school as a whole, not specifically the MSF program.
And I do have a spreadsheet. This isn't some fantasy claim. And I think my website and just about decade commenting on the degree, talking with and knowing just about every adcom and visiting campuses should give a little credence when I say something.
No, I'm not serious. I was making the point that unofficial placement lists are irrelevant. The school needs to post transparent placement information each year to highlight the strength of the program. Not doing so is a red flag, no matter how many "lists" alumni may have.
You should read the content more carefully next time before you rush to respond.
Well one student isn't really a useful dataset. That said, I agree that WUSTL's placements lately do not look good. What does that have to do with this discussion? Nothing really, but I do acknowledge WUSTL's struggles lately.
I'm not following you. WUSTL's report specifically highlight the % employed 3 months out and 6 months out. They also provide geographical distribution of placements, list of hiring companies and median/average salaries.
Yeah, I don't really know much about Nova beyond my own experience with them and what grads have said on these forums (which hasn't been good) and that's kind of the point. Also, what does Vandy's placements have to do with this discussion? You're all over the place lady.
lol...