Vandy MSF Waitlist - Advice needed

Just got waitlisted at Vanderbilt’s MSF and trying to decide next steps.

For context, I come from a non-finance background. Recently spoke with someone who worked on Wall Street and now runs his own consulting firm. He connected with a few of his former colleagues, including one at Wells Fargo who’s heavily involved with recruiting. Their advice was pretty consistent: don’t waste time or money on an MSF and instead focus on getting relevant work experience and aim for an MBA later if needed.

That said, I’m now sitting on the Vandy MSF waitlist and trying to decide:
• Is there anything meaningful I can do to improve my chances of getting off the waitlist?
• Or would you recommend letting it go and focusing on work experience instead?

I may also have a potential consulting role lined up (NYC or Florida, TBD) and plan to reconnect with this contact after the holidays.

Would appreciate any insight, especially from people who were waitlisted at Vandy MSF or chose between an MSF vs. work experience.