Hey guys. So I’ve been planning to get an MBA for about a year now. However, I’m starting to feel like I need to up my game in terms of the schools I’m applying to. My pedigree is nothing special (state school, B average), so I feel I need to do something to make myself a stronger top 10-25 MBA candidate. One idea I’ve had was attending an MS program and kicking ass to graduate top of my class, get two or three more years of experience, then apply to a higher caliber MBA program. I’m not so much concerned with the extra 30k. I’m more concerned of the likelihood such a move will help me get where I’m trying to go (academically at least), which is to a well respected MBA program. Like I said I’m not thinking Stanford or Harvard either, more like Vanderbilt, USC, or UT. I’m currently racking up full time experience in Corporate Financial Planning and Analysis, but I want out ASAP. I need to be in a similar position only in financial services with some kind of revenue generating group. Any thoughts from people who have gone down this path would be helpful. Thoughts of those with significant work experience would be valuable also. Edit: Oh yeah, this post is serious, not a joke.
i think i recall a post that said you were close to 30 yrs old. would you have time to get a MSF, get a few more years of experience, and then apply to business school? obviously there are many folks who attend top business schools in their thirties, but the opportunity costs are much higher. why aren’t vandy/usc/ut attainable now? why not kill the gmat and apply? those schools should be in reach.
Dude that’s the “EXACT” same reason I want to persue a MSF. Just as a springboard to a top 10 B, else who cares what’s taught in the curriculum? Just need to ‘up’ from a Bachelors to Masters, so that I bypass those filters. I hope it works out well as expected.
I’ve thought about doing the same thing. I’m not sure whether it would be an effective springboard though, especially if the school you’ll receive your MSF from isn’t impressive. Hopefully we’ll get a few opinions here. I’m yet to pull the trigger on signing up for the CFA, but I would like to know its value as a springboard into the top tier MBA programs as well.
why would getting an msf help you get into a better mba program?
naturallight Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > why would getting an msf help you get into a > better mba program? you get one more chance to improve your GPA. Also if you get into Columbia, Cornell, John Hopkins or NYU for your MFE program, it looks good on your resume for B-school.
why isn’t MFE enough?
cfaboston28 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > naturallight Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > why would getting an msf help you get into a > > better mba program? > > > you get one more chance to improve your GPA. Also > if you get into Columbia, Cornell, John Hopkins or > NYU for your MFE program, it looks good on your > resume for B-school. Then you shouldn’t have trouble getting into UT, Vanderbilt or USC business schools unless you have a very unbalanced academic record or other issue (e.g., Putnam Fellow with a 2.8 GPA in psychology major).
Gouman! I’m doing it right now. I’m a ful time MSF student, and I think it is likely that I will get an elite MBA a few years after graduation. Here’s what some of you don’t get - MSF (unlike elite MBA) does not require job experience. It can, however, get you the job experience you need to get accepted into a big time MBA, assumin you have the other stuff (which I do) Here’s my story: US army (enlisted) veteran. 710 GMAT. 3.8 undrgrad GPA (from state school known only for obnoxious b-ball coach). Passed CFA LIII. Sh1tty job experience that would keep me out of the elite mba level (though would still get in most places). Took the MSF route this fall. WOuld have jumped out window if i had to stay in last job any longer. My best case scenario is that i never need to get an MBA because of great career progression. Expected scenario: land solid FO finance job, that when combined with my stats, will get me into Columbia/wharton in a few years. WIll see what happend. I’m doing ok - Only problem is that every time I get an interveiw, the bank gets bought or the stock plummets.
joemontana Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > > US army (enlisted) veteran. 710 GMAT. 3.8 > undrgrad GPA (from state school known only for > obnoxious b-ball coach). I thought joe went to Notre Dame. He had a scholarship offer from NC State to play b-ball which is surely a state school known only for obnoxiousness…
UT, Vandy or USC are attainable, but it’s not like I’m a shoe in. I figure the MSF will just make acceptance more likely because A.) I will certainly have a higher GPA B.) Will show I’m capable of handling graduate level work. Like Joe, ideally, I would not need the MBA, but likely will need to. I’m 27. So if I were to enroll in a MS Fall 09 (right after turning 28), I would be done by my 29th birthday. Two to four years later doing an MBA would put me at 31-33 going into the MBA. I can live with being 33 to 35 graduating from 10-30 MBA with 20-30 years to recover my investment on both programs. I don’t plan on ever retiring anyway, so really I have until the day I physically cannot work to recoup my investment from a financial perspective. Time and money are not really by biggest concerns anyway. I figure even if I don’t ever earn a positive NPV on both investments, but can at least avoid toiling in the depths of the back office or some crap corporate financial analysis job for the next 20 years, the qualitative return i.e. increase quality of life and standard of living, makes the whole thing worth it.
Have you considered Vandy’s MSF program? I think it has a good reputation although most of the students have 0-2 years of work experience. Based on their website, it looks like some good companies recruit there. There is also an option to go back for the traditional MBA once the 5 year experience requirement is met.
Gouman - post your email if you want to chat.
joemontana Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Gouman! I’m doing it right now. I’m a ful time MSF > student, and I think it is likely that I will get > an elite MBA a few years after graduation. > > Here’s what some of you don’t get - MSF (unlike > elite MBA) does not require job experience. It > can, however, get you the job experience you need > to get accepted into a big time MBA, assumin you > have the other stuff (which I do) > > Here’s my story: > > US army (enlisted) veteran. 710 GMAT. 3.8 > undrgrad GPA (from state school known only for > obnoxious b-ball coach). Passed CFA LIII. Sh1tty > job experience that would keep me out of the elite > mba level (though would still get in most > places). > > Took the MSF route this fall. WOuld have jumped > out window if i had to stay in last job any > longer. > > My best case scenario is that i never need to get > an MBA because of great career progression. > > Expected scenario: land solid FO finance job, > that when combined with my stats, will get me into > Columbia/wharton in a few years. > > WIll see what happend. I’m doing ok - Only problem > is that every time I get an interveiw, the bank > gets bought or the stock plummets. dont u think a MSF and CFA designation is redundant?
cfaboston28 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > naturallight Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > why would getting an msf help you get into a > > better mba program? > > > you get one more chance to improve your GPA. Also > if you get into Columbia, Cornell, John Hopkins or > NYU for your MFE program, it looks good on your > resume for B-school. I think the adcoms understand that grading in master’s programs is usually much more lenient. So it might not count for much. Plus, I though that the various rankings only used undergrad GPAs, not a combination, but I could be mistaken. Also, how many employers want/require both an msf and mba? Seems like two relatively different career paths. So it might be harder for you to explain the “why mba” stuff. But maybe not.
First off, the CFA and MSF is not redundant. Trust me, MSF is way harder. Second, this is about the career more than the education. I’m here to get a job (the one that the CFA didn’t help get me). About the MSF helping you get into the mba - It’s not that the MSF improves your mba app much. Its the job experience it can get you that helps.
Gouman Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > UT, Vandy or USC are attainable, but it’s not like > I’m a shoe in. I figure the MSF will just make > acceptance more likely because A.) I will > certainly have a higher GPA B.) Will show I’m > capable of handling graduate level work. > “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” -Wayne Gretzky
I started my MSF to get my foot in the door, but luckily my foot in the door happened before I even started classes. That was five years ago and I just now finished my MSF (I’ve been focusing on the next door instead of rushing through my studies). I am hoping that the mix of experience and my degree will take me to that next level. In my short time working in equities research, I’ve found that it is more about results than pedigree/education. From what I’ve seen the degree (and/or the charter) will get your foot in the door. Once there you’ve got to prove your mettle or you’ll be pushed out the back door. After completing the degree I am still working on the right answer to the question, “Why not the MBA?” I have thoughts of going back to school, but it doesn’t excite me like it did in my 20s. I live in Chicago and just looked into the Northwestern one-year MBA where your previous coursework can count for partial credit toward your MBA - it looks like a sweet deal for people who already have the MSF or simlar degree, and would be a step up in schools for me. With a family (wifey, a 4-1/2 year old and 2 week old), and some semblance of a life, I’d like to start living it. And I am still on the fence about completing the CFA progression. Work experience, results and now a degree. What next?
Bump… Gouman/Joe I would love to hear wanted ended up happening with both of your situations. Gouman I am in a similar position to you in Corp Fin (treasury not fp&a) but my gig counts for CFA experience so I was thinking of just doing a part time MSF. I’m not too sure I want to leave my job and try to break into financial services in one year in this type of job market. However, that would be the reasoning for getting an MSF, to eventually get into Financial Services. I am a L2 candidate and was looking at the University of San Francisco “Professional” (i.e. on the Weekends) Masters in Financial Analysis, so I could get the masters and still keep my day job to accrue the 4 years of relevant CFA req’d experience. A couple questions - (anyone feel free to chime in) 1. Would doing the Masters be redundant to the CFA? (worth the $$?) 2. How likely is it to get job offers from coming a part-time program? 3. Thoughts on this program? http://www.usfca.edu/artsci/grad/financial_analysis/index.html 4. Would it be better to do a more “prestigious” full-time program? Even in this market? 5. I do want to get an MBA eventually, would doing the MSF be wise? Thanks