MBA

When you're in college, everyone acts like as soon as you land an IB offer you'll be happy. As soon as you hit the IB desk, everyone acts like as soon as you get that PE offers you'll be happy. As soon as you hit PE, you've got 2 years to figure out MBA or lateral to an LMM or corp dev position and you can be happy. If you stay the golden course and go to Harvard/Stanford/Wharton, mostly you end up right back in PE or IB in roles you had sought to leave to pursue some unmet satisfaction. From there, most in PE can't really climb to the top and get stuck in the middle somewhere. I see this

04 Jan 2021

2 years at tier 1 investment banking in NY (Think GS TMT, MS M&A, Evercore, Moelis, PJT) Now at tier 1 Hedge Fund in NY on the investing side (Think Citadel, Mill, P72, DK, Silverpoint, Anchorage, Renaissance etc) Non-target ~3.0+ GPA (I don't like sharing personal stories but as a brief background story...my mother passed away freshman year who was single mother, and I had to support my younger brother financially by working full time while going to school) Have not taken the GMAT but I will try to get 740+ Expecting good letters of rec from previous employers EC geared towards my background

08 Sep 2021

2 years at tier 1 investment banking in NY (GS, MS, JPM, Moelis, Lazard, Evercore, PJT etc..) Now at tier 1 Hedge Fund in NY on the investing side (Think Citadel, Mill, P72, DK, Silverpoint, Anchorage, Renaissance etc) Non-target ~3.0+ GPA (I don't like sharing personal stories but as a brief background story...my mother passed away freshman year who was single mother, and I had to support my younger brother financially by working full time while going to school) Have not taken the GMAT but I will try to get 740+ Expecting good letters of rec from previous employers EC geared towards my

08 Sep 2021

I recently graduated and will be starting ft in CLT as an IB associate. I don't know if I will stay in banking long term but I do know that I want to be in financial services in some form. My question is am I going to miss out by not being in NYC at the associate level and higher? Obviously the money would go a long way in CLT but I can't help but feel like I will miss out on opportunities by being there. Appreciate it.

27 May 2021

Hey guys, Ik this topic may have been discussed several times but I wanted WSO community's opinion on whether a value of a top 3 MBA in the US changed post-COVID. Background: 2-3 yrs of experience as AN/AS1 at a BB foreign office (i.e. Canada/London). Reason for attending a top 3 MBA: Move to the US + get a degree other than just an undergrad degree (i.e. prestige lol) & grow my network + lifetime banker Option 1: Am I able to join as an As2/As3 post MBA in NYC (with my current employer/a new employer) or do I have to join as a first year associate? It'd not make a lot of sense to do that

16 May 2021

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08 Sep 2021

Current 3rd year Associate at a boutique consulting firm (think FTI/Huron/Navigant) doing client-facing technical/financial consulting work. Planning to apply for my MBA next fall and I'm targeting Tuck, Kellogg, INSEAD and will probably apply to Harvard/Stanford to test my luck. I'm coming from a non-target undergrad and feeling concerned that my current company may not be prestigious enough to help me get into a top MBA program, especially since to my knowledge my company doesn't send many (any?) people to top MBA programs. So I'm thinking of making a job switch and looking at 4 options

09 Jun 2021

Applying to top MBA programs Senior- I have some lower grades (B range) this semester due to getting COVID around midterms. My overall GPA is pretty solid but this semester would bring it down, and my school offers the ability to take classes P/F due to the pandemic. I have two elective classes with As but the other grades aren't great and would lower it. I'm worried if I took my major classes P/F but left a couple (the easy electives) as grades it will look more suspicious to admissions than just pass failing everything. Would it be better to just pass/fail the entire semester and then note

09 Dec 2020

Hi - incoming full time analyst in a month. Recently was admitted to an MBA program deferred (Wharton - am likely going to accept), but am wondering if I should have this listed on resume/Linkedin for PE recruiting. I know there's some preference for H/S, but I wasn't sure if recruiters would see already being committed to W as a detriment or a positive. Any advice appreciated!

05 Jun 2021

Has anyone ever heard of someone pursuing a MBA while working full time in a PE shop? A pretty ambitious arrangement, but was wondering if that has ever happened before. Thanks

14 Apr 2021

Hoping to get a better assessment on Georgetown MBA and if its reputation has changed on the street over the last few years. I'm aware Georgetown undergrad is stronger than its MBA program but its US news MBA rankings has risen a few spots this year (not sure if this means much) and wanted to know if it's partially because of any improvements in IB placement recently. I'm hoping to learn more on IB placement in NYC. Any specifics on BB/EB/MM banks that that Georgetown MBA places well in would be helpful to know as well. Thank you.

02 Apr 2021

Because of my gmat score and the dismal state of MBA applications, I know it makes absolutely no difference what I write here. Normally, I would tell you I want to get an MBA so I can start a business raising puppies for poor schoolchildren in war-ravaged, droubt-ridden regions of East Africa, or that I have a brilliant idea for a website condescendingly providing opportunities for women and minorities to better themselves even though they're much happier the way they are than I am. But just this once, I'd like to answer this question honestly.

11 Oct 2011

Hey there WSO community, Currently 3 years out of school. Can best be described as a "senior analyst" with a large CRE private equity shop in an asset management (with some underwriting/acquisition work) role. However, I'm looking to move into more of a development or acquisitions role, either with a REIT or mid-size real estate PE shop. Reasons why I'm considering leaving my current role: - Many of my managers/mentors were 'let go' in 2020. The team is now fundamentally different, and options for growth seem limited (although they are basically promising me an associate-level promotion at the

11 Mar 2021

I'll cut to the chase and save ya'll the 'yOu ShOulDn'T hAvE gOtTeN yOuR MbA" comments. -I'm well aware of the fact that i've been finessed into enrolling in their non-target, bullshit 1 year MBA program. I graduated there with my bachelors in business management and a concentration in finance in 2019. Unfortunately, a top tier school in every fucking major except....you guessed it Finance. This essentially made it extremely difficult to find any internships relating to IB, PE, or any analyst position since there are no relationships and any reputable financial institutions that would even

23 Jan 2021

Hi monkeys, I'm starting to look at potential MBA programs (US only), planning to matriculate in 2021. Here's my profile: American female Went to large medium-tier school known for its business program (think UT, UNC, IU, UIUC) - 3.75 GPA. Accounting and Finance Currently working at a large tech firm in corporate finance (Google, Amazon, FB, Apple). Promoted twice in 3 years - this is my first job out of college Decent EC both in and outside of college (research, club prez, company-sponsored involvements), still volunteering and doing some alum stuff GMAT - 740 Perhaps my biggest "in" - I've

02 Sep 2020

Hey Guys/ Gals, I have been following WSO for a few years now. This is my first post and my goal here is to seek advice, as well as extend it in anyway I can, given my situation. Situation: I went to a non- target in the south for undergrad and managed to get a F150 corp dev job right out of school this year. I went through a pretty extensive networking effort to obtain an IB role these past few years, but nobody wanted me as their slave. I am super grateful for this position during a pandemic-- and although I am only a few months in-- I am receiving great exposure to senior executives

20 Aug 2020

Hi everyone, I've been thinking of pursing a MBA for quite some time and would greatly appreciate additional perspectives on my candidacy. I'm aiming for HSW (shoot for the stars) but wonder if those schools are even worth applying to. As a side note, I come from a working-class background and would have to finance the degree myself. I worked through college, managed to pay off my student loans, and saved ~$100k. I'd hate to spend it all and/or take on +$100k of debt, so financial assistance will play a big role in my decision. What are everyone's thoughts on non-M7 (NYU, Yale, Cornell) and

16 Sep 2021

Looking for some opinions here. Even if nobody responds I guess it's helpful to get my thoughts out! TL;DR: work at top firm, considering part-time MBA, does it make more sense to do T15 part time or shoot for M7 full time if plan is to transition from acquisitions in one asset class to development or generalist acquisitions? I currently work for a well known firm on the level of Hines, PGIM, CBRE GI in NYC/LA. I currently work on acquisitions for one asset class. I'm 2.5 years in, love the culture/company and overall fit in really well with the team. I went to a (very) non-target school and

23 Jan 2021

So with round 1 mba admissions cycle starting to get into full gear, a lot of applicants are very anxious. I recently had a chance to catch up with an old friend of mine who just graduated from a top 5 business school and was a student member of the adcom. After talking about a lot of random stuff, I asked him about mba admissions and for his thoughts on the process. Since he graduated, he was able to give more details than usual. I'm gonna paraphrase what he said in quotes regarding a few issues that I brought up. 1. Importance of the GMAT

22 Jul 2012

When should I do an MBA? "As soon as you can, after at least 1~2 year of work experience. There is no need to wait to have 3-5 years experience or more to do an MBA. In fact, the younger you are, the better, and the more attractive you will be to investment banks. After 32~33, even with an MBA, it gets very hard to get a job in investment banking. The main reason is that the lifestyle is unlikely to appeal to people with families, or people that don't have the physical stamina to work extremely long hours. While some people in early or mid thirties can still make the switch, it will require a

16 Feb 2021

I finally got an offer from a leading MM bank after recruiting for 4.5 years. I started my MBA at a top 20 school, which was a good school but didn't have a lot of IB alumni connections. In retrospect, I should have gone to a better MBA school or gained more work experience prior to the MBA. However, coming from an engineering background with few finance connections, I didn't know how the process worked. I had several internship and full-time superdays in the MBA, however never landed an offer. After the MBA, I took a job in real estate underwriting and asset management but kept poking around

13 May 2021

Hey everybody, I'm a current IB analyst at a top boutique bank--think PJT/CVP/EVR/Qatalyst/Moelis. I've recently been extended an offer at a very good, but small L/S hedge fund with about $3bn in AUM and a long track record of very consistent returns. It's an amazing fund with great culture, but isn't exactly a "name brand" hedge fund. While the fund seems like a perfect fit, I'm hesitant to take the role because I'm afraid that it will negatively impact my chances of getting into a top MBA program (namely H/S), as well as future recruiting prospects since it's not a name brand fund

03 Feb 2021

Hey guys, I am and looking for some advice. I'm hoping to get into TOP 15 MBA. What are my chances given below profile? BS Economics from regional west private school 3.65 GPA 770 GMAT European/Asian (shouldn't matter but throw it out there) 4.5 years in BB Ops & Finance (Account management & project management), experience in BI analytics Career Goal: Switch to consulting (MBB dream) International background, lived & studied in EU, Asia, and U.S. (multiple citizenships) First in family to receive bachelor/graduate degree EC: Regularly teach refugee children Math & Mandarin via non-profit, &

12 Apr 2021

Hi all, I am an international student who has been considering applying to a top MBA program in the states (this is an uncommon path in my country) and wanted to know if I would realistically have a chance at GSB, HBS or Wharton. My profile: - Currently working in equity research under a well-regarded analyst at a top BB (JPM/GS/MS), have been doing this for two years since I finished undergrad. - White male, senior member of the firm's local LGBTQI+ affinity group (I am LGBTQI+) - STEM major at a very well regarded university locally, top 50 internationally but little known in the US, 3.7/4.0

08 Mar 2021

As the title suggests, I was admitted to Yale SOM and NYU stern for the full-time 2 year MBA starting fall of 2021. I am interested in going into IB and have been leaning towards picking Stern due to its strength in finance and wall street. It appears that Stern places well at most top groups in BBs and has great representation at EBs. However, I really like Yale's energy and the lower COL in New Haven and more collegial feel is a big draw. NYU obviously is a big draw for those who already live in NYC and I worry that I won't be able to make the same connections that happen when everyone is

18 Dec 2020

Hey Everybody - if any of you are looking for a quality GMAT preparation I'd encourage you to check out our partnership with Veritas Prep here because WSO members get 10% off: http://www.wallstreetoasis.com/veritas-gmat-prep-… For those of you thinking of an MBA with admissions questions I've spoken with Stacy Blackman and she and her team have agreed to answer any questions for the WSO community. Any questions you have about the admissions process I'd recommend that you post them here in this thread.

02 Mar 2009

I will be attending an MBA program this fall that is a target for BB/EBs in NYC. I have read some threads on this page about which groups to target but they mostly are in the context of best feeders into PE for IB analysts after 2 years. Since I will be going in as an associate, pivoting into PE is not on my radar. I was wondering if there was a recommendation on going for a product group such as M&A vs. an industry group at BBs that have industry vs product groups. My thought is that I do not want to pigeon hole myself (I also do not have work experience that maps cleanly to an industry group

04 Jun 2021

TBT: Originally posted on September, 2012 Props to bankerella for an insightful post delving into the mind of the newly-minted first-year investment banking associate. The only thing it was missing was a blanket apology for all of the seasoned analysts who, for the next few months, have to put up with the insufferable "value add" of their MBAed colleagues. Analysts, if there's anyone you shouldn't be afraid of, it's a bumbling first-year associate fresh out of b-school. Remember, you already do all the work around here – make it clear that until they find their footing, you will be running the

11 Sep 2014

These are my top 5 schools. Do I need a reality check? 1) MIT 2) Columbia 3) Tuck 4) Oxford 5) Fuqua I want know with my profile what are my chances at a M7 or T10. School: No-name state school. Finance degree(change degrees around a lot) Demographic: White male GPA: I received a 3.71 GPA, Only took 12 credits a semester as I had to work while in school. One semester I got a 3.2 GPA the rest I was around 3.5-4.0 GPA. Took me 4.5 years and I had to drop 1 class due to COVID and one semester due to health issues..(7 W's on transcript) Intern Experience: Accounting role at a Asset Management firm

14 Sep 2020

I have an undergrad degree in civil engineering from India with a 2.64/4.00 and a masters degree in construction management from USA with a gpa of 3.57/4.00. I scored 326/340 on my GRE. Should I opt for community college math courses or take online financial modeling courses to offset my low gpa? I had applied to NYU and Ross for Fall 2021 but got rejected and I would think it was because of my GPA(keeping aside my essays and LOR assuming they were good enough and my 5 years of work experience in construction engineering). Thoughts? Comments?Cheapshots?

07 Apr 2021

A lot of people are unable to live the 60-80 hour grind building excel models or fixing up powerpoints for their MDs and clients. I heard a lot of people exit PE to Product Management but they usually get their firm to sponsor them for an MBA and then make a switch. Would you go right for the jump into tech if you had the choice back then or still go for the grind which comes with the money?

24 Oct 2020

MBA Advice/Question: I asked a similar question in the RE forum but I think this is a better place for it. I'm looking to transition from RE to IB/PE and I was recently accepted into Columbia's full time MBA program. I have about 5 years of excellent experience in real estate investment banking and buy side acquisitions. I've run transactions, originated clients, sourced deals, etc. Through my experience I've really learned to enjoy advising on capital structure, cash flow valuations, running deals, etc. Yet, I feel that what I'm doing and RE has become stale. I work in middle market REPE

18 Mar 2021

Currently deciding if I want to study and take the gmat and apply to some of the deferred mba programs during my senior year of college. For background, I'm currently a junior at non-target about to start as a SA at a BB that has around 100% offer rate for ft within my group. GPA 3.85, internships at f500 company, mm trading desk, now BB every summer during college. What kind of roadblocks will I encounter as I progress in my career from a leadership perspective? How much less likely is it that I could stay at a PE fund if I break in after working 2 years as an analyst at my BB? I'd have to

17 Mar 2021

Just graduated from ASU with an EE degree and business minor and am becoming increasingly disenchanted with working as an engineer. Finance appeals to me because of the high ceiling on career growth and performance based compensation. I went to high school in AZ and got a 90%+ tuition academic scholarship which means I essentially went to school for free (cheaper than community college). Big difference in my opinion between kids at ASU that are from in-state on scholarship and those that are from out of state and at ASU just to party. Learning that employers tend to not make this distinction

13 Oct 2020

I did not go to a target school nor have I had a finance internship. I went to the University of Victoria in Canada and my background is in entrepreneurship and sales. I am currently the sales manager for a painting company. I want to work for a top private equity real estate company to gain experience and then eventually do my own value-add multifamily deals and developments. How do you break into a top private equity real estate company like Trammell Crow Company, CBRE Global Investors or Greystar without an MBA or prior experience? Has anyone done it? What are the possible routes to get

12 Oct 2020

Hey guys, got the official figures from the CMC and investment banking club at Kellogg. Of the 51 people who recruited from IB last winter, 45 received internships. I've seen quite a few threads asking for these figures, so figured that I'd post it here. So for anyone who is wondering, if you go to a top business school, it has been phenomenally easy to get a banking job the last few years. This might change with recent salary increases and work/life balance changes, but the competition is nothing like undergrad.

12 Oct 2014

The last thread on this is five years old now, but mentioned GI Partners, GTCR, Madison Dearborn, and BainCap. Are there any other PE firms that are known to consistently sponsor MBA for their associates in 2020?

03 Sep 2020

Thoughts from everyone? The one that stands out to me is Ross being placed above Fuqua and Yale SOM... 2014 U.S. News & World Report MBA Ranking 2014 Rank & School Index Score 2013 Rank 2013 Index Score Ranking Change 1. Harvard Business School 100 1 100 -– 1. Stanford GSB 100 1 100 -– 1. UPenn (Wharton) 100 1 99 +2 4. Chicago (Booth) 97 6 96 +2 5. MIT (Sloan) 95 4 97 -1 6. Northwestern (Kellogg) 94 4 97 -2 7. UC-Berkeley (Haas) 93 7 93 -– 8. Columbia Business School 91 8 91 -– 9. Dartmouth (Tuck) 89 9 90 -– 10. New York (Stern) 88 10 87 -– 11. Michigan (Ross) 87 14 82 +3 11. Virginia (Darden) 87 12 85 +1 13. Yale School of Management 86 13 84 -– 14. Duke (Fuqua) 85 11 86 -3 15. Texas-Austin (McCombs) 82 17 79 +2

11 Mar 2014

How are the hours for a post M7 MBA associate in comparison with analysts. Also how hard is it to get into IBD, post MBA, with a consulting background?

13 Apr 2014

mod (Andy) note: make sure to check out fellow writer Aaron Burr's response in "How to deal with THAT associate" September: the time of the year when hundreds of newly-minted MBAs are unleashed upon their new groups. To those highly-educated individuals who are about to take their rightful place at the helm of the global economy: we here at WSO salute you. The learning curve is steep and your associate class is probably full of people from the same school who look, talk, and think like you do, but if you master the following key phrases, they will help you stand out from even the toughest and

05 Sep 2012

Yes, this is technically unethical. Yes, this is bizarre and desperate. But I'm wondering how effective the following strategy could be: 1. Start getting actively involved in a gay professionals organization; try to assume a leadership role. 2. Write a compelling essay about coming out of the closet last year and having to tell your conservative christian parents about it and learning to become comfortable with one's identity. Given how obsessed top b-schools are with "diversity" and filling the various "niche" groups in their incoming class, I'm wondering if this strategy can have any merit

31 Oct 2011

Hi, I am new to Wall Street Oasis, but have a very important question that I do not feel has been drilled at enough here (despite what some may think). I want to know what the importance of an MBA is for someone looking to go into private equity and hedge funds. I am currently working to complete my degree at Dartmouth and am a sophomore. I am thinking that it is a good time to put my educational career to a close after I graduate. I feel that my undergraduate degree will be enough to carry me and that an MBA is nice, but not in any way necessary.

01 Oct 2011

Hi All- Was considering Deferred MBA programs. I am a senior undergrad who interned within an IB group at a BB and will be returning full-time this summer. Was wondering what others thoughts are on Deferred MBA programs - especially for a college senior who will be an IB Analyst after grad. A lot of these deferred programs allow me to work a while before i begin the MBA program so my thought process was stick a few years in IB (2 or maybe even more as an associate).

05 Jan 2021

Hi All, I'm currently an analyst at a EB (EVR / CVP / PJT) and business school has always been something I've wanted to do for various reasons, one of which is the optionality it provides for going abroad (originally from Asia). I know from personal sources that CVP sponsors MBAs, although I'm not sure what the clawback is / how long you have to stay after you come back from the MBA. I've been hearing EVR and LAZ also sponsor, although lesser known - although not from a personal source so not too clear on that. Do people have more visibility into who sponsors / what the terms are for

24 Dec 2020

Hi all - I really wanted to break into a mid/large cap PE fund/HF and I am currently drafting a career plan. However, I am really stuck in terms of where I should spend my time/resources to achieve my goal and would like to hear your thought before I make any decision. Intro - Got an engineering degree from one of the T5 world's leading universities - Started my IB/PE career at a boutique and stayed for 2 years (not a well-known shop but gained a few live deals experience) - Now working for a family office that focuses on small/mid cap PE investments and I am going into my third year (not a

19 Nov 2020

Good morning all, Hello, I am a non-traditional applicant (US citizen) and was lucky enough to receive acceptances to Tuck, Darden, UNC, and Fuqua, and interviewed at Yale which I will get a decision on by 4 April. All of these are for the full-time 2 year MBA programs.

25 Mar 2014

Hey all, Was reading through Flake's ER Q&A posted around the holidays and thought that his thread was fantastic. My experience / background is a little different than his was, so I wanted to start this thread as an opportunity to help provide at least some insight into other ER routes that aren't predicated on being at a BB. Forgive me if it's redundant to some of you, but this was something I wish I would have had when exploring other options. For a bit of background information on me, I went to a very small non-target UG school and studied Finance. It was a writing intensive college, which

02 Jul 2012

Currently in a FLDP at a top tech firm. Curious about how it translates to MBA placements - is it possible to go to a top MBA program from corporate finance at a tech firm? Or would I have to try and switch to corp dev for a few years before applying to MBA, to increase my chances? I've read that it is possible to switch into VC after a substantial number of years at a tech firm - will this improve the chances of landing an M7 school, as opposed to just staying at a tech firm? Thanks.

12 Sep 2020

So I haven't yet decided if I'm going ahead with applying for MBAs (currently weighing if the total cost is worth it). In any case, I'd like to get an honest opinion on which schools I should be targeting if I do push through (and which schools I shouldn't bother looking at). I worked in AM BO for 3 years right out of school and secured a FO rotational program at the same bank. Gained significant transaction experience. Now at a boutique which offers far more visibility and promotion potential. The goal after doing the MBA is most likely to stay in finance but move from AM to REIB or REPE

09 Sep 2020

Hey Forum, I'm a Canadian business student who has gotten into McGill Commerce, Ivey's Advanced Entry Opportunity and the Schulich School of Business. In the long term I would like to work in the States, and therefore I plan to do an MBA in a top-25 school. Which of these schools would be my best bet? I know McGill has a great reputation in the States and their commerce program is pretty great but everyone knows Ivey is a better program and has better opportunities. I'm also looking into Schulich because of the cheap tuition and it's reputation (ranked 10th in Economist Ranking, #1 business school in Canada according to WSJ, Forbes and Economist).

15 May 2011