Hello,
My first post! I'm joining a Queen's Masters program which encourages a semester abroad to a partner school. Since there's no degree to be gained, and the courses are all electives, the decision will be based mainly on the criteria of: Interest/relevance of course options available, career/internship/networking opportunities, the school's reputation internationally (how good it looks on a resume), and the city/student life.
In terms of career to date I have a finance degree from a non target, and 3 years work experience in commercial banking. For the future I would be open to the idea of getting back into a more quant/analytical banking role, but given recruiting norms hiring undergrads with internship experience I'm not holding my breath. My second option is to make a transition into consulting, I'm also exploring the potential to secure an internship with a multinational NGO (WTO, World Bank, UN) to gain some public policy/economic development experience before considering a move back to the private sector.
Exchange options in order of current preference but subject to change:
1) St Gallen
2) Bocconi
3) German School: Leipzig/Mannheim
4) Scandinavian School: Copenhagen Bus School/Stockholm School of Economics/Norwegian School of Economics
5) WU Vienna
6) University of Zurich
I would assume being in Switzerland would help for NGO internships, but I figured it should be St Gallen or bust given the higher standing of other schools above Zurich. There are also a few other UK options, but I'd rather get out of my comfort zone, and a few dutch (Maastricht/Rotterdam).
Any input is appreciated!