MBA and a financial career

Question

hi Scott and Omari,

I am interested in analyzing business. It is fun and financially rewarding.

But from what I read, a typical financial analyst's career path (if there is indeed such a thing) starts with a good undergraduate education, which eventually leads to a top MBA program in finance. 

Is this the only path ?

How does the age factor affect MBA application ?

thanks

scottshrum · Answer

No, definitely not! It is absolutely not a requirement to have a degree from a top-tier school in order to get into a strong MBA program. While it helps to have a degree from a better-known school, what is MUCH more important is what you have achieved in your career since college. 

In terms of age, the typical first-year b-school student tends to be around 27 years old. But, the entering class can have ages ranging from 21 to over 35. We recommend that applicants get at least two or three years of work experience before they apply. Going back to my eariler point, this gives applicants enough time to build a strong record of achievement (both in and out of the workplace) before applying,

Scott

qpoo · Answer

hi Scott,

Thanks for the reply.

I said: " Is this the only path ? ", by which I meant to ask if MBA is the only path to a financial career - especially a financial analyst.

I asked this question partly because of the extra "age hurdle" for older applicants (I am 35).

For the question of age, what will be the strategy of older applicants ?
Is the finance concentration just as age-sensitive as other areas ?
What are the schools that present significant less chances for older applicants to get in ?

scottshrum · Answer

For someone at this stage of your career, I sould say that an MBA is the most realistic path. You could also earn a CPA and get into accounting, but that's probably not what you want to do. I would recommend that you pursue an MBA. 

I can't comment for certain on which schools are less likely to take you at your age. I don't think that *any* school would automatically reject you because of your age. Just concentrate on putting together your best application story now, especially focusing on why you want to get an MBA now, rather than 5-10 years ago. This will be a big question in the minds of adcomms who review your application.

Scott

qpoo · Answer

Scott,

A further question on finance major.

B schools near NYC have the advantage of being close to wall street.
Do some lesser known schools provide good employment prospect ?

scottshrum · Answer

There are some lesser-known schools right in NYC, like Fordham, but I don't think that they necessarily have a very strong presence on Wall Street. But some other ones in the region, like U. of Rochester, are well regarded for Finance.

Scott

MBA and a financial career

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