Rank these 7 programs.

I aspire to break into IB one day. I performed very well academically in undergrad, but it is not a target school (Florida State University). In addition, I have no finance related work experience. Given this, I feel like my best option is to earn one of the degrees listed below. How would you guys rank the following programs?

  1. UVA MS Commerce_Finance Concentration (starts in the fall, so I can get a summer internship prior to enrollment)
  2. Duke MMS (has an option to do an internship prior to starting the program, also helps students get winter internships)
  3. Vanderbilt MSF
  4. UT-Austin MSF
  5. WSU St. Louis MSFC
  6. USC MSF
  7. Villanova MSF

Thank you in advance.

6 Comments
 
Best Response

I'm assuming that "WSU St. Louis MSFC" Is short for Washington University's Masters in corporate finance. Correct me if I'm wrong.

My ranking in descending order under the assumption that IB is the main goal:

  1. Vanderbilt
  2. UVA
  3. UT Austin
  4. Wash U
  5. USC
  6. Villanova
  7. Duke

This ranking places additional weight on East Coast placements. On the West Coast, USC would probably be ranked higher, but it's hard to tell how good/weak the program is since I can't find a decent employment report.

“Elections are a futures market for stolen property”
 

In agreement with the ranking above except UT/WUSTL should probably be equal, I don't think either program has an advantage over the other (except UT is in Texas and Texas is the best).

Array
 

I compiled a similar list as I was applying to schools this year. Seems that you are putting a lot of weight into the internships before the school year starts. Even though a summer internship would be ideal, I know Vanderbilt, Texas and Wash U students have been able to intern while they are in school.

 

Main shops hiring Wash U students throughout the year for internship positions are:

  1. NISA (Fixed Income Asset Management)
  2. Butcher Joseph & Co. (Investment Banking)
  3. Cultivation Capital (Venture Capital)
  4. Health Capital Consultants (Healthcare Business Valuation Consulting)
  5. Monsanto (corporate finance)
  6. GrayBar (corporate finance/Consulting)
  7. Avondale Partners (Equity Research)
  8. Macroeconomic Advisers (Economic Research)
  9. Villhard Growth Partners (Private Equity)

I'm sure there are others but these are the ones that employed people that I personally know.

“Elections are a futures market for stolen property”
 

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Array

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