What MSF/Mfin/MFE programs should I target?
Sorry if this isn't acceptable here, but I was looking for some advice on what schools to target.
Undergrad: B.S. Math with business administration minor from large state school in florida
GPA: 2.7 overall 3.1 major trending up towards the end
GMAT: 730 - 49Q 41V
No work experience.
I know the GPA is terrible, but I know I can get 2-3 great letters of recommendation and write some good essays.
What schools should I target? Any other advice you would give me?
How long have you been working? Or are you straight out of undergrad?
If that was you at 21-22, but you are now an S&T or IBD Associate at a major bank at 25, a program like Princeton would give you a long, hard look. You may even have better than 50:50 odds at an interview.
Without some distance between you and that undergrad GPA, you're going to be a tougher sell at the broader top tier MFE programs. Chicago may see the upward GPA trend, along with the references, and give you a shot, but I don't think the other programs will like the GPA.
So if you're in undergrad, I would look at the tech industry right now. Microsoft, Google, Amazon don't care that much about GPAs or pedigree so long as you know your stuff. Work as a developer there for a couple years then get an MBA and go into IBD or ER and focus on the tech sector.
I'd see you getting into Villanova, BC, Ohio State, Duke's MMS. I'd suggest looking at the UMich MS Business and ND's MS Business. You'd be competitive at Vandy, maybe WUSTL.
You'd probably get scholarship money at some other programs.
Focus on getting an unpaid internship to build your resume.
...and that's what you called solid, thread ending advise :)
Thanks for the replies. I'm hoping to get some work experience before I go to grad school but that aspect isn't turning up as good as I thought. So I'm trying to lay my options open. If money isn't too much a problem, would getting a computer science degree, I could finish it in 3 semesters, be helpful? I feel I'd be an easier sell to get a job, I could boost my GPA, and I think it would help tremendously with trying to get into MFE programs.
Any thoughts?
Do you mean a comp sci masters? Or just an additional UG major? If you did an additional comp sci major and had good grades I could see it boosting your MFE chances. I don't know if it would necessarily increase your job prospects other than bumping your GPA a little.
Honestly, just focus on networking. You can probably get some solid traction that way without additional degrees or tack on majors.
I'm finding it difficult to land a job with just this Math degree, I'll be honest. With graduate school ultimately in the future, what positions do you think I should be targeting? Location doesn't matter at all.
With the grades you have now, not factoring in grade school, I would try and find a decent corporate finance gig. Find some alumni at a company and start talking with them. You can explain your GPA away with a bunch of stories/reasons and you did a tough major so the 2.7 isn't as painful as say a 2.7 in humanities. I'd be open to a lot of positions since your GPA will be a hurdle that you will need to overcome.
Ok. Thanks for the input. I'm going to keep on pushing for a finance position and hopefully something falls my way. Also going to put out some grad school applications out soon. I'll definitely look into those ones you mentioned, thanks for that.
No worries and good luck. Let me know if you have anymore questions.
So I know you already gave me 4 solid schools to look at, and I'm liking what I see, but is there any other schools you can think of that would be worth looking at for me? Thanks.
Stay away from Villanova and McCombs for...uh...no reason :)
seriously though check out @TNA 's site: www.msfhq.com
It lists EVERY program
I don't think tech worries too much about GPAs and pedigrees as long as you can hit a home run in a technical interview. I'd be looking at maybe an IBM or a Microsoft. Incidentally a math major/tech background would make you a strong candidate for a CMU MSCF or MFE in a few years. Or you may enjoy tech so much that you don't need to go back to school
I've been trying to get a position in tech or finance, with no luck so far. What can I do to improve my chances for a tech job? Is there like programming certificates that are worth it? Should I build my own website so I have a project to show off? I want that extra edge.
Have you been getting interviews? My take is that Google and Microsoft interviews just about everybody with a college degree but then throws really impossible technical questions at them and wants to see projects they've worked on.
Actually, if you know how to code, I'd be working on projects. If not, take an intro programming class and/or a data structures class if you can.
I have taken intro classes to programming but nothing in depth. I just finished my GMAT prep and took it so my next goal was to get good with a programming language. So that's next on the list.
So I would just say that for a math major, if you understand order of complexity and some of the data structures out there, you don't need courses and courses of programming.
You can start working on projects now. Does your school have an ACM or programming club?
Yes they do have both ACM and programming club. Are those typically open to alumni?
Prolly not, at least not to those who didn't develop a relationship with one of the SIGs before they left. Assumed you were currently a student?
Oh, no I am not. I graduated in May. I didn't think I was 'grad school worthy' with my GPA and I also wanted some experience before. I've come to realize that I could get into grad school if I try hard enough and I've already told you the rough luck with the job search so far. MSF was always in the cards, I just was looking at 2 years off with experience, not 1 year.
You're a little more screwed than I thought given that you are graduated and don't have a job.
1.) Work on programming projects. Yes, set up a website. 2.) Try to land a gig at a good tech firm. They don't care about undergrad GPAs. 3.) MBA or Princeton MFin in a few years.
If no success:
Apply for an MSF.
Yeah, that was my thinking to be honest. I'm going to apply to some MSF programs this go around but if nothing pans out, I'm thinking about getting my computer science degree and get some tech internships while doing that and aim for Fall 2015 entrance to a program.
Start prepping your MSF applications now. That or find a job. You are already out of work and the clock is ticking. 1st round applications for MSF programs will start in another month or two and you'll have to make your decision by early spring. I suppose that is enough time to take another programming class or something.
Frankly, I would rather see you get a job in finance then going back to school, but you better start hustling. I'd probably go back to the career services at your UG school and get some help.Talk to alumni, go to OCR events, something along those lines. Find a smaller, regional bank and see if you can get a credit analyst role or look at regional F500 firms and go for a corporate finance gig. Unfortunately this experience isn't going to really set you up well for a top MBA, but you could still be competitive within the T10-20 range I suppose.
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