HARVARD EXTENSION SCHOOL ???? Master of liberal arts in finance ????

So, what do you think about the master of liberal arts in finance offered by Harvard extension school ??? is it good in order to be accepted by an investment bank?

14 Comments
 
Controversial

Its Worthless.

You'd be better off spending the money on a sex change and blow your way into IBD than getting in through a MLS from the Extension School.

"It is better to have a friendship based on business, than a business based on friendship." - Rockefeller. "Live fast, die hard. Leave a good looking body." - Navy SEAL
 

UTDFinanceGuy Despite the fact that Harvard Extension School has a unique admissions process, HES has a 32% acceptance rate, which is far more selective than most private American colleges in addition to most top 10 public universities. So, it is not completely useless, dude. You just perceive that it is useless because you either don't like non-traditional students, don't like Harvard, or don't like HES's unique admissions process, which forces students to progress towards graduation by proving themselves.

 

No, I just can call BS when I see it. If you're supposedly a Penn student, why do you give such a flying fuck about HES? 32% isn't that selective (which I don't even know how you can say that if you are "going to Penn"), especially considering those students are probably in general not going to be as impressive as candidates to other top schools, because they most likely couldn't get in anywhere else even remotely similar to real Harvard (or probably any other top 20-25 school) so they have to settle for HES.

 
Best Response
"Howard Hughes" No, I just can call BS when I see it. If you're supposedly a Penn student, why do you give such a flying fuck about HES? 32% isn't that selective (which I don't even know how you can say that if you are "going to Penn"), especially considering those students are probably in general not going to be as impressive as candidates to other top schools, because they most likely couldn't get in anywhere else even remotely similar to real Harvard (or probably any other top 20-25 school) so they have to settle for HES.

Howard Hughes Wow, your comments are so nasty that they reek of troll. You replied to one of my comments saying something like "chill out," yet you are the one using profanity. You are so bothered by Harvard Extension that you said "I found the kid..." referring to me, mistakingly pegging me as a HES student when I am a Penn student.

The reason why I say anything about Yale EWSP, Columbia GS, Brown RUE, or Harvard EXT is because I have a lot of friends in these programs who have it tough enough. They don't need it any harder, so when I see wrong information, I correct it.

By the way, who are you to say a HES degree is worthless? Your grammar is off, you make erroneous public statements based on your personal prejudices, and you are most likely still a student yourself, which destroys your credibility when you say stuff like HES is "worthless."

 

Harvard EXT really isn’t that bad as people claim it is around here.

I'm talking about liquid. Rich enough to have your own jet. Rich enough not to waste time. Fifty, a hundred million dollars, buddy. A player. Or nothing. See my Blog & AMA
 

Currently a HES student in the Finance ALM program. The classes/professors are definitely hit or miss. Not sure how the Finance community or employers in general view the degree, but I will push back on Howard Hughes statement that people who go to HES do so because they can't get into a better school. As an active duty military guy, lining up B-school depends a lot on separation timing. I chose HES because it was the best program in the area that allowed me to further my goals while still working full-time. When the timing lined up, I applied to B-school and was accepted to an M7.

 

As a ALM Management graduate, I can say that the quality of the coursework is great especially for the cost. Many professors come straight from Harvard (HLS, HBS included) or other top schools.

Post-graduation, your mileage may vary. If you get a 3.5+ GPA, you may be eligible for Harvard College's Undergraduate Career fair for entry-level positions. As for Harvard Extension's career fair, many prestigious firms take a hard pass. As an Extension student at Harvard University, you'll have to work much harder versus the other schools at Harvard to land a position in high-finance if you don't already have substantial experience and solid credentials from undergrad.

 

Autem facilis dolores a laudantium. Qui minus earum dignissimos consequatur. Error cupiditate molestias laborum voluptatibus debitis.

Tempora ad eaque dignissimos cupiditate dolore. Harum totam eum autem qui et eum voluptatum. Quas magni ut ut sed dolorem optio. Enim et iure tenetur et distinctio blanditiis ducimus. Consectetur et cumque necessitatibus aut.

Sapiente necessitatibus minima et et officia. Veniam et dolor architecto incidunt aperiam ducimus consequatur temporibus. Unde neque cum qui voluptas. Voluptatem facilis officiis non sed optio.

Praesentium architecto ab optio dolores qui occaecati fuga voluptatem. Alias reprehenderit harum eveniet cum facere quasi. Nesciunt earum et temporibus tenetur. Sed deserunt velit laudantium occaecati molestiae.

Career Advancement Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.9%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 06 98.3%
  • Goldman Sachs 01 97.7%
  • JPMorgan 01 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

July 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (15) $434
  • Associates (46) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (79) $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
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
98.9
7
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
8
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
9
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
10
bolo up's picture
bolo up
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...”