Stanford vs Columbia
Hi, I am a senior at a non-target and have decided to go to grad school in the coming summer/fall. I hope I can break into banking or S&T (structuring) after I graduate. Please shed some light on my choices.
So far, I have received offers from Cal (M.S. IEOR), Stanford (M.S. Management Science & Engineering) and Columbia (M.S. Financial Engineering). I have ruled out Cal because I don't like the city. So now I am choosing between Stanford and Columbia.
Stanford's program is broader and more flexible, but its incoming class size is much larger (about 200). Columbia's MSFE is one of the best in FE and it seems harder to get into. I am leaning towards Columbia because of its location and the resources dedicated to the program. However, Stanford gets better recognition outside the states, which is important as I am an international and may not work here after I graduate.
What do you guys think? Which one places better in finance? Any advice is appreciated.
You really also want to be asking this question on QuantNet where you'll be talking to folks with quantitative/ financial engineering backgrounds. I believe Columbia does rank better overall in their ad-hoc ranking system based on papers cited by other academic institutions, but both are excellent programs that have good placements on the street.
Do you like New York City? Bear in mind that Columbia is essentially in Harlem and a very thrifty lifestyle in Manhattan- like most students live- looks dramatically different than a vacation w/ family to New York. If you're not absolutely certain you'll like New York, I would steer you towards Stanford.
If you want to work in New york City, pick Columbia. If you want to work in Hongkong or Singapore, pick Stanford.
I'd go with Columbia. It's in NYC, and it will be easier to meet w ppl and get an internship/job. You don't need a "broader and more flexible" program at this pt, that's for undergrads.
So you ruled out Cal b/c of it's city, essentially Palo Alto and Berkeley are extensions of SF. Sorry to steer off topic here but this makes no sense to me.
It is my understanding that Management Science and FE are different, and your decision should ultimately be based upon where your interests lie. FE involves the theory behind derivatives valuation and gets into some pretty heavy stochastic calculus. It is good if you want to do quant work, or some sort of analytical role at an Asset Management firm. It places very well, and a lot of smaller firms based out of New York would recruit there but not at Stanford. If that is what you are interested in, I would go Columbia. It will be fine for a structuring or research job, but not investment banking. Stanford is a lot more broad, but I'm not sure that they offer the same curriculum in FE - they seem to offer curriculum in manufacturing, strategy, etc. Plus, there will be more finance opportunity in NYC and Columbia may fare better with recruiting. You should definitely rule out Cal, as both programs are better.
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