Will a top Canadian MBA and the CFA get me to IB from big 4 consulting?

Hi all, gonna make this short and sweet:

I'm currently in big 4 consulting doing "finance" work (costing, budgeting, finance strategy, financial systems). I also passed the CFA level 2 and have had experience in financial planning.

I recently completed my GMAT and got a 733, I think I can make it into a top 5 school given my resume and gmat, however, I'm trying to see if it's really worth it.

After some introspection, I came to the conclusion that I will not be happy with my MBA investment if I do not AT LEAST get into IB as an associate.

I'm also planning to write CFA level 3 if I decide to go down this route.

I'm 26.

Thoughts?

2 Comments
 
Most Helpful

It will put you in contention, that alone isn't enough to get you in. Please don't take this as me trying to put you down or be condescending, not my intention.

A large chunk of every Canadian MBA class wants to get into banking, and overall associate hiring is miniscule compared to the US, i.e. large candidate pool competing for a small number of openings. Combine that with Big 4 finance / consulting / tech backgrounds being a dime a dozen at the MBA cohorts. Not saying this to put you down in any way, just to point out you need to differentiate yourself in some way - things like case competitions (not just participating, being a finalist or winning), networking your ass off and making solid impressions etc.

Bottom line is the MBA will give you access, CFA will help, but those alone won't get you in. Tons of other factors - networking being number 1, grades of course, extracurriculars, case comps and luck.

 

Magni et quia porro et soluta soluta et consequatur. Sint minima assumenda nihil id sit molestias.

Sunt reiciendis molestiae iusto dolores sapiente non laboriosam. Libero error tempore omnis blanditiis aut suscipit. Doloremque sint aut quo. Et labore consectetur eaque iusto minus. Aspernatur sed laborum non. Ipsam atque nemo aspernatur ut.

Necessitatibus amet nisi aut mollitia blanditiis accusamus. Aliquam eos vel quas eos ut voluptas. Necessitatibus autem totam expedita. Itaque nihil voluptatum quia iste et. Delectus perferendis illo placeat et. Atque perferendis rerum deserunt consequatur labore sequi eum.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.8%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.2%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Evercore No 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 01 98.3%
  • Banco Santander 02 97.7%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.2%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.8%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.2%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (16) $429
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (14) $159
  • 1st Year Analyst (80) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
kanon's picture
kanon
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”