MBA

One or two deacades ago, IB must be the most popular career out of MBA. looking at HBS's employment report in 2021, only 2~3% went to IB, while 30% for consulting. More surprisingly, Columbia sent 16.3% to IB and 33.4% to consulting in 2021. I am not curious about the difference in the nature of the...

16 Mar 2022

How did you go about getting the best letters of rec for your MBA application? I feel like I could get decent letters from these 3 groups of people: Former boss (Director at the bank I worked at) who worked closely with me for ~1 year and can speak to my day-to-day work A friend in the industry...

07 Jul 2022

2 years at tier 1 investment banking in NY (Think GS TMT, JPM M&A, Evercore M&A etc..) Now at tier 1 Hedge Fund in NY (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...

09 Sep 2021

Just locked down a summer VP role at a middle-market infrastructure/renewables fund (most recent fund ~2B) and couldn't be more excited. Especially sweet because I came into my MBA program from a consulting/nonprofit background intent on making a pivot to energy/climate/infra investing and have been...

25 Feb 2022

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...

04 Jan 2021

Hi, looking for advise here: - I am incoming international student, accepted to W/H/S MBA, originally from country you never heard of (ex. Kyrgyzstan) - background: corporate development in giant renewable energy Co outside US but with global exposure. My job is to evaluate incoming M&A...

30 Apr 2022

I am a recent M7 MBA graduate who accepted an offer to be a Private Wealth Advisor (Starting as a PWM Associate) at Goldman Sachs Private Wealth Management (GS PWM). I worked in finance before business school and went to MBA to stay in finance to multiply my earning potential. I was attracted to GS...

31 Jan 2022

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....

13 May 2021

Currently a second year PE associate at a MM fund ($1bn+). A lot of friends/acquaintances from undergrad are now starting at business school. I never thought that an MBA was worth it (no MBA requirement at firm, didn't think it would add value for me, not sure I want to take 2 years off my career...

24 Aug 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...

23 Jan 2021

Hi All, I will be an MBA summer associate at an upper middle market investment bank and I wanted to see how I can best prepare for the role. Would TTS (Training The Street) be useful to prepare for the summer associate position or is that unnecessary? I have a near 100% understanding of the 400...

06 Apr 2022

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...

03 Feb 2021

I am a first-year mba associate in a BB coverage group. I was initially really excited about the job but all the negativity over the past year has me scared, and I am in need of a little encouragement. This post is for people who enjoy IB (especially career bankers). What do you enjoy about the job?...

06 Aug 2021

I would like to get into IB straight after bachelor, to gain some experience and then do a MBA in the US. In this moment, I have 3 options for my bachelor: semi-target uni in the UK (Bath, Manchester, royal holloway, city, queen Mary) Erasmus university Rotterdam/UVA LUISS (economics and business...

19 May 2022

Looking for advice on culture, how it compares to other mega funds in terms of comp (longer term not necessarily just at Associate level), culture, brand recognition / prestige, exit opps to hedge funds (not Analyst level but at Associate and above levels), and MBA placement. Assume that location...

19 May 2022

Thanks for taking the time. MAIN GIST OF QUESTION: Can I do a MiF/MiM and still apply for Associate Strat Consulting or IBD because of my 3-4 years of experience? McKinsey Recruitment FAQ seems to imply that if you have 4 or more years of experience between undergrad and non-MBA Masters you can...

08 Jul 2022

Hi all, I am 27 years old and have worked at a mid level bank (think Sillicon Valley Bank, Signature Bank, First Republic Bank, etc) for 3 years and prior to that, 1 year of real estate loan processing experience. My current work experience: In my current role, I am essentially a sales support...

21 Nov 2021

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15 Nov 2021

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...

09 Sep 2020

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...

11 Mar 2021

My GPA is 3.74/4 from a no-name Canadian university My experience is building REPE essentially managing ~$6Mn in assets, I also manage my PA and have achieved substantial returns investing in stocks and real estate. However, no reputable finance experience. I'm not trolling to piss people off. I...

16 May 2022

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...

09 Dec 2020

Could use the forums help on this one: I'm a 1st analyst at a small VC fund. I'm working ~60-70hrs/week, getting paid peanuts and not learning much. I can't simply change jobs and apply to IBD because I'm international and my visa will expire in January -- meaning I'll have to go back to my...

21 Jun 2022

Hey everyone, long time lurker, first time poster. Title about sums it up: I went to a non-target undergrad, immediately moved into non-target MBA (coronavirus was my motivator), now interested in breaking into buy-side AM in Charlotte, NC. I recognize it won't be a straight, traditional path, but...

06 Sep 2021

Hi guys - I currently live in San Francisco and was fortunate to have been admitted to UC Berkeley Haas and NYU Stern on full rides, as well as a partial scholarship to Columbia Business School. End goal is to work in healthcare / biotech / pharma product management in the Northeast. Would love to...

20 Mar 2022

Hello Folks, I am in a dilemma regarding a finance/consulting career in Canada. and I am in desperate need for advice. I hold a BBA in Finance, and currently work in research (1 year and 2 months so far) (local consulting boutique). I am from north africa, but would love to move to Canada and get...

09 Aug 2021

Hi all, I have an idea, and I would like to get your opinion. I am a senior at a US target school going to an EB for FT and I am an international student. My firm usually is good with transferring to London but I would like to develop my career in the US. I have no particular interest in pursuing an...

30 Oct 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...

02 Sep 2020

I know this has been talked about but I'm curious how many people at the post-mba level regret not doing consulting. I chose banking because I've always worked in financial services in some capacity and I enjoy finance. The problem is that as an IB associate I dont feel like I get to scratch that...

24 Jan 2022

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...

20 Aug 2020

I'm assuming that i'll probably get some "daddy's boy" comments here, or something along those lines, but i'll gladly take them if I can get some advice. I am currently in the process of leaving my job in wealth management and starting an MBA in the Fall. The MBA program I'm going into is a two year...

10 Jun 2022

Hey guys, I'm graduating from a target school in the UK and have landed a Goldman Sachs IBD role in London. I am from Denmark originally and I've always wanted to study at a top tier US school (but could not afford it for undergrad). Which routes could I go post graduation if I leave Goldman for a...

16 Apr 2022

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...

09 Jun 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...

16 May 2021

Profile: International, Asian Male, no name UG, hoping to apply to an MBA in 3 years or so. GPA: Don't know the US grade, above average in my class GMAT/GRE: haven't taken GMAT but GRE was 325 Extracurricular: Volunteering in underserved communities I've just started working in the finance industry...

11 Aug 2021

Long story short: I didn't plan on applying for MBA school for 2022 entry because I wanted to wait until I felt confident that classes would be in-person all year round. However, my asian parents are basically threatening to disown me if I don't apply for fall entry this year. They're obsessed with...

10 Jan 2022

Looking for advice. Details of my profile below. Background & Context: Am a white Male w/ ~4 years of experience at T2 strategy consulting Attended a top undergrad b school (think Haas/McIntire/Ross) GPA = 3.6 | GMAT score = 740 Interested in transitioning from consulting into IB post-mba Outcomes...

21 Mar 2022

I am a recent graduate from Dalhousie University in Canada. I achieved a BComm degree with a 3.32 GPA. I am currently two years out of school, and am working at a PWM firm in Calgary. I've always dreamed of a career in banking, but was never ready to make the commitment until now. I believe that I...

14 Dec 2021

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...

19 Nov 2020

I'm an incoming first-year analyst at a mid-tier BB in a coverage group currently at a top 20 school. I know I don't want to go into PE/HF after two years, but loved my internship and learned a lot so might stay for A2A (pretty unlikely but a possibility) or move to corporate strategy. Does anyone...

25 Sep 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 &...

12 Apr 2021

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11 Apr 2022

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...

16 Feb 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...

23 Jan 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...

08 Mar 2021

Breaking into a top brokerage as an investment sales analyst in NYC (think CBRE, JLL, Cushman, ES) was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I went to a non-target, didn't study finance or real estate, had no previous experience, was a career switcher and several years out of school, and lived...

09 Mar 2022

Hi all, I am a 25yo, UK based, BSc Comp Sci, 3 software dev experience in a BB bank markets team. My goal is to quit coding and move into strategy consulting or some thing more pure finance (like IBD). I am recruiting for (and almost sure I will get an offer for) a tech Product Manager role at...

06 Jul 2022

Help a moron out for a second. Background: Mid 20's at a T-2 city Graduated a year ago from a non-target with a 3.4 GPA, now almost 9 months into financial services role at a FinTech. To not remain hopelessly locked into operations my whole life, I gotta look for the next best move for myself....

04 Jul 2022

Hi boys, here I need your insights. I'm kinda lost to honest and need your wisdom. My situation French, 27yo. I got a Master degree in Audit/Finance. Worked 6 months at PwC as a back office auditor. I got a small brick and mortar grocery store with 2 friends, that doesn't pay us. It's an unique...

07 Jul 2021

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...

18 Mar 2021