<p>Just something that I read about but I'm a bit confused.</p>
<p>I was reading that sometimes one needs to get a Master's (not MBA). What situations does someone need to do this?</p>
<p>If someone goes to an ordinary college for undergraduate but then can't get a job on Wall Street for example, they would go to a top school (We'll use NYU as an example), and then it would be easier for them to get a job? So then with the master's, they would start as an analyst?</p>
<p>Is that right?</p>
<p>Yes; if you master's is not an MBA you are likely to start as an analyst (perhaps a senior analyst, but this is up to the firms). I have a few friends who've done this, with one, for ex. graduating from Columbia's SIPA with a Master in Public Policy. After working at a top-5 BB, He's now at a hedge fund (got rejected by virtually all PE shops, though).</p>
<p>So getting a master's at a top school is sort of like compensating for going to a mediocre undergraduate school?</p>
<p>Also, when applying for a master's program, what do they look at? Just undergraduate GPA? I mean, is it possible to go to Columbia University for master's if you went to Texas State for undergraduate?</p>
<p>people get into Columbia's masters program and many other top programs by going to colleges in third world countries for undergraduate. I don't think going to texas state should hold anyone back</p>
<p>graduate school is not as difficult to get into as most people think. provided we are not talking about impacted programs; medical/law/business.</p>
<p>say you want to do a masters in mathematics... do you think there's a lot of students going for it? no, but it builds a strong base of quantitative thinking that is highly relevant to finance.</p>
<p>Ok, I see. Because this is my specific situation.</p>
<p>I hope to go to Baruch, part of CUNY, which is in Manhattan and is a good school for finance. But as of now, I don't think I can get a good scholarship to it. But than there's another school where I'm pretty positive that I can get a full scholarship (St. Peter's College in New Jersey) but it's not even close to as good as Baruch. But if I do get a full ride there, I could right after go get my master's at a top school. </p>
<p>Basically, should I got to a relatively good school for finance and pay the full cost (but I have a better chance at getting a good job after) or should I just go to an OK undergraduate school for free and then go to a top school for my master's which then would greatly improve my resume when getting a job.</p>
<p>What are your opinions?</p>
<p>
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I don't think I can get a good scholarship to it.
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</p>
<p>Apply to a PhD program and work as a TA/Tutor. Many PhD programs will actually provide you with a stipend/tuition reimbursement. That would lower your costs. The bad thing is that you'll have to commit to completing a PhD.</p>
<p>You may assume that there's nothing you can do with a PhD or that you'll be overqualified or that you'll become a professor. Generally, students that complete PhD programs usually do so for the love of academics; thus they become professors.</p>
<p>That doesn't have to be you. The professor part</p>