Hey guys,
I got accepted to both Dukes MMS and Boston College MSF and am having a tough time making a decision.
I am hoping for a job in IBD. Played a year of professional soccer, hoping to boost resume. Not completely set on IBD but where I believe I want to be and willing to hustle for job opportunities.
Studied finance undergrad. A little unsure on which program will position me better as I start my career. Thanks in advance for any feedback.
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I finished BC MSF in the past couple years so can speak to that program at least. I have no insight on Duke's program although am looking at their MBA. I did the part time program so if you are going full time adjust accordingly but hope this helps.
Academics wise I enjoyed the program. It had a good mix of professors from Industry as the program runs at night (think the earliest classes start at 4pm but mine were 7pm exclusively). From my memory a few of the professors I had were current MD from Oppenheimer (believe he moved), retired partner from GS AM. There were also Directors of Credit at Boutique firms, an M&A lawyer, Research Quant, etc. I enjoy learning from industry people but that is somewhat preference. Classes you can take include Investment Banking, M&A, Equities, Fixed Income, etc.
The key to BC MSF is actually their undergrad recruiting portal which was very useful (EagleLink). Get access to that ASAP if you enroll, as OCR positions get posted here. From there, you will go the selection process with the undergrads. A number of BB/MM/Consulting firms will have full time roles. I applied to a few in IB but was not selected and ended up taking a position with one of the large AM firms (interviewed with them through OCR but ended up joining a different group fulltime). I would argue BC's MBA recruiting leaves something to be desired I think given its proximity to MIT Sloan and HBS and it is also a part time program/less prestigious then the MSF. The MSF is also a very diverse group and I would estimate half of the students in my cohort were international students. I will be interested to see if that figure changes given the pandemic/clamp down on student visas. Many like myself were also employed during the program so I would argue recruiting for IB (while I was interested) wasnt really on the mind of many of my classmates. Given our location close to Boston, AM and Consulting were bigger targets if you will. Just my two cents.
Thanks a lot. Was the career center/counselor helpful in the job process? How's the alumni network? I would be doing the full time program.
No problem. The career center was helpful in the sense that they are the ones that provide access to the undergrad recruiting portal. They open apps in August for a lot of the full time positions (since you will be full time) and then companies will come to campus throughout September for first rounds and then go from there (obviously this could change with COVID). Time is somewhat of the essence, so whatever school you select I would suggest moving soon / gaining access to the resources available to you ASAP. It can be somewhat of a numbers game of submitting x full time application with cover letters. They take time.
I was already employed for the duration of the program so I didn't use a counselor or any of those services although I am sure they are available if you wish. Alumni network is decent in Boston. I took a look at the Duke MMS employment report and the list of names is impressive along with their graduation employment stats (93% within six months employed). BC doesn't post one for their MFS and just from my experience and colleagues, I doubt 93% were employed within that time period but I could be wrong. Salaries are very similar from my experience/prior knowledge.
I think it also depends on where you want to end up. Both will place majority in the Northeast (BC more so) but if you are interested in say, the south or midwest, Duke may open those doors for you. Either way if you can, get an internship for the fall to boost your resume. I also would advise networking with alumni from your undergrad. You mentioned playing professional soccer - did you go a D1 school for soccer? You should have a solid story / alumni base already.
Banking recruiting is all about prestige of undergrad. Go to Duke - they have great recruiting. The difference in outcomes between these two programs is massive and you should 100% go to Duke MMS if IB is your goal. You could also consider UVA MS Commerce, Vandy MSF, WashU MSF, MIT MSF.
A little worried about the limited finance courses within the MMS program. Is that a deterrent when going through IBD recruiting?
No it is not a deterrent. People recruit for banking all the time from liberal arts majors. Truly, the name of the parent university is the most important thing. Also, get in touch with the career services office - they will answer your questions.
You've already got your undergrad finance coursework. Duke is the better name, with warmer weather. Check out the MMS employment report for where MMS grads land.
Can confirm Duke will be a lot warmer than Chestnut Hill in January
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