Nova msf; UVA masters in commerce

Just got accepted to both of these programs. Econ major from a non target LAC. Internship at a wealth management company. I'm interested in Asset Management or IB. Looking to work in the northeast. I am leaning towards UVA because of the OCR. Anyone able to compare the programs and have any info about OCR at both places? Thanks

 
Best Response

I had the same decision to make a month or two ago so I can share what my thought process was. At first it felt like it was a no-brainer coming from a complete non-target that UVA's OCR and brand name were superior. But after sitting back and thinking about it I ended up with Nova. First I am an applied math major and really want to go into ER or AM so Nova's program is definitely more relevant and the curriculum closely follows the CFA exams, not a big fan of UVA's curriculum. Also ANT always stresses how great Nova alumni are and he is absolutely right. I have already reached out to a few alumni and I definitely feel that they will go to bat for me. Also UVA is 50K with living expenses where Nova is 32K for tuition and I live within 15 minutes of philly so I will most likely stay at home and save the extra 10K. At the end of the day I really feel that if I bust my ass Nova will give me everything UVA can, I just might have to work a little harder but ill end up saving 20K and hopefully pass some CFA exams along the way. Hope this helps.

 

If you have time, you might consider applying for the Duke MMS program. If not, I would suggest UVA due to (what I imagine to be) its superior OCR.

You should PM ANT. He actually did the Nova MSF, and could shed some light on it.

Incidentally, what is your first choice, I-Banking or Wealth Management?

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Bernankey:
It doesnt matter how rigorous your academics are...all that matters is who recruits at your school. the odds of getting a FO role coming out of nova are astronomical. Go with the school that has better recruiting.

If by astronomical you mean 40% of people from my class (excluding one student who went for a PhD) then I will agree with you. And this isn't factoring the number of kids who interviewed and didn't get it and those who never wanted IB to begin with.

On campus recruiting is important, but it isn't the end all, be all.

 

I'll allow others to comment since I am sure I've spoken to you are some point, but you already have two internships, another isn't going to do much at this point. I love the UVA program and have nothing, but good things to say about it (same with Nova). I would say if you want to intern during the program, Villanova will have the advantage. It also places basically exclusively in NYC and Philly so if that is where you want to be, the decision should be easy.

 

Cool. Yeah, no worries. Like I said, I will let others comment. I've spoken to a couple great UVA people as well as Emma and think the program is awesome. Hopefully some other people will provide different insights.

 

Do most student who intern during the MSF do so during the fall and spring? I am assuming it's not easy to find someone to take you part time during the summer with all the students in the area willing to work a full time SA. I have only contacted a few firms in the area but that has been the usual response.

Also just how competitive is the fellows program and what are the most important things they look for in a candidate?

 

Some intern, some don't. I did my internship in the spring, but I typically encourage students to start it towards the end of summer/early fall. It will be a juggle, but you have every Friday off and your schedule flexes so you have time to intern some mornings and some afternoons. If you intern for free most places are understanding.

Interning is not the end of the world, but it can benefit some people. I know many guys who didn't intern and got good jobs. Depends on what you think is the best for you.

As for the fellowship, yes, it is competitive. They look for a variety of things so I can't really say, but you should probably have a strong application (GPA, GMAT, Rec's, etc). It is a pretty big honor and looks great on your resume (not to mention saves a lot of money).

 

Yea I am definitely going to apply for the fellowship and hope my research experiences and published paper can give me an edge.

I am stuck between pursuing an internship or not. I am thinking about not interning and giving all my attention to recruiting in the fall. My internships are with smaller, lesser-known firms but I doubt I will be able to land anything more prestigious throughout the year so I am not sure of the value of a fall internship, since it won't really even contribute to my resume come FT recruiting.

Looks like its just me and you for this thread ant lol, I hope other MSF monkeys are getting some good info out of the thread also.

 

I think you will be competitive when it comes to the fellowship. The research experience will help. Honestly, if you get the fellowship I would not worry about interning. Every fellow I know was very successful with recruiting. You need to remember that you will be working pretty closely with a professor and they act as gatekeepers for non OCR positions. You'll be fine, don't worry.

 

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