MSc Finance Profile Evaluation (LSE Finance, LBS Financial Analysis, Oxford Financial Economics)

Hello everyone,

Im planning to do an MSc in Finance next year (straight after i finish my undergrad) and will be applying after this summer.

Basic profile:
Semi-target uni in the UK. Think Bristol, Bath, Durham, Warwick, studying Economics & Mathematics. After two years my average is 72% First Class Honours which converts to GPA 4.
Currently finishing up my work placement year in AM in one of the largest private banks in Europe, but i have sort of Middle Office job. I have also done a summer internship in AM in one of the eastern european countries after my first year in uni
CFA level 1 passed
One remarkable thing is that I have spent like 10 years playing chess internationally and earned FIDE Master title at the age of 15
My placement ends in July 2019 and i will be attending LSE Summer school Advanced Corporate finance course and i believe this is useful given that i will be applying for LSE Masters

I haven't done my GMAT yet and do be honest not sure if it is worth it given that i don't need it for LSE and LBS and it is only required for the Oxford course. Although i understand that it may strengthen my application for all masters anyway. What do you think guys? If i do it, i am sure that i will get 700+ but this may mean applying later for masters because i need at least two months to prepare,

My top three choices are LSE Master in Finance, LBS Financial Analysis and Oxford Financial Economics.
I know that LBS values work experience a lot and i think this is my weak point because i haven't done any BB or EB internships and there are guys out there with a much better work history. With regards to Oxford, i have a good quantitative background and solid grades, so i guess it will depends on my GMAT. I personally think that i have the highest chance at LSE, especially given that i will be doing a summer course there this summer. I will obviously apply for other unis as well such as Imperial and probably HEC (but don't really think that i would love to be in Paris).

What do you guys think about my chances? Do you think doing GMAT is worth it? Is my profile strong enough for these programs or should i aim for a lower tier courses? My final goal would be to get a job in IB in London.

I will appreciate any advice! Thanks in advance!

 

Thank you! Did you mean to take gmat if i want oxford? My max elo was 2340, not sure if i even need to mention it somewhere because most of the people don't know what it means

 

Thanks for your advice! Actually i will have to work on my recommendations a lot because i literally attended 0 lectures during my second year and don't even know names of my lecturers.. But at least i know for sure that i can get a very good recommendation from my work placement

 

If I were you I would take the GMAT, especially if you are confident you will get a high score. This will be needed for Oxford (you want to get 730+) LBS (700+), HEC and Bocconi (probably 670+). If you can get these scores, I think you would be competitive for the above programmes as you come from a semi-target, have a 1:1 and a year’s worth of work experience.

I also believe you’d have a decent shot at LSE, meaning you wouldn’t have to waste time doing the GMAT, but applying exclusively to LSE is risky as their admissions process is quite random...

 

I was thinking MIT because my final goal is to end up in New York. So if i get top european masters, the plan is to work in london and then move to NY internally. But if i get to MIT, i might have a chance to get a job in New York straight away, but not sure about that because visa issues are worse in US

 

With that profile you shouldn’t have a problem being accepted at LSE and LBS. If you really want the MFE at Oxford go for the GMAT. Otherwise, I don’t believe it is necessary in your case, even though it will probably improve your chances and give you access to other MSc.

PS: you still have plenty of time to prepare and apply to any of these masters, so you have time to take and even retake the GMAT if it goes wrong in the first place.

 

Vero sed natus omnis autem reprehenderit qui perspiciatis. Autem sit voluptatem voluptatem maiores quasi. Ut dolore ratione ea aut et aut.

Esse non qui ut impedit. Repudiandae repudiandae voluptas nihil.

Rerum ut iste inventore ad. Nisi ullam voluptatibus voluptatem. Exercitationem autem expedita veniam delectus. Saepe officia voluptatem harum sed laboriosam error est. Officiis porro ratione vitae voluptatem quaerat.

Officiis ipsa aut est at. Eaque neque est dolorem similique. Veniam qui modi non voluptates sed illum occaecati. Eius et sint veniam inventore aut ut sit. Consequuntur consequatur sunt sunt nam. Doloribus omnis autem blanditiis eligendi libero temporibus aperiam quae.

Career Advancement Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. (++) 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (86) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (13) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (202) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (144) $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
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
6
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
7
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
8
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
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...”