I have admits from Tepper and UNC($). I want to concentrate in Investment Management (IM) during the school. Post-MBA, I would like to get into buy-side research (preferably) or a finance career that would eventuall lead me into IM.

I am an international student and do not have prior experience in finance. I am pursuing CFA level 3. I want to chose a school that has a strong curriculum & resources for IM and also good alumni network in IM industry.

Would appreciate if someone can help me in choosing the right school, Tepper or UNC ?

Most of the higher-ranked business schools would be better for you. UNC seems to have a better MBA alumni network in investment management than CMU.

Thanks Duncan. Appreciate your response.

Given that there are few opportunities in Investment Management, Post-MBA what my plan B career option could be that would help me gain the skills and build the platform to eventually get into Investment Management.

There are several IM firms that employ a lot of CFAs. I think you should contact the MBA recruitment teams at BlackRock, J.P. Morgan, Goldman Sachs, PIMCO, Fidelity Investments, Wellington Management, ING Investment, Russell Investments, Franklin Templeton and Wells Fargo. Ask them which schools they recruit from and what their advice is. It might be better for you to go into a classic CFA role, as an analyst, and then move into an investment management role.

A school like Wharton or Booth is a more typical entry way into investment management - although these are in a tier above the ones you've applied to. If it's not too late for you, maybe check out UCLA or Cornell - these schools also have strong networks in finance generally and investment management specifically.

Hi Ezra,

I applied to Cornell and UCLA. Had no success with UCLA and couldn't convert my Cornell interview.

The other options I have are Emory and McCombs. I am waitlisted at both these schools.

Would you recommend UNC over Tepper in Investment Management and finance in general?

They're pretty comparable for finance in general. For either school, there aren't a whole lot of investment alumni - it varies per year, but last year, more of Tepper's graduates went into investments than UNC's. Other differences, like post-graduation salary, are pretty negligible. You should take a look at the curriculum/faculty/available clubs and see if one is more interesting than the other for you.

The other options I have are Emory and McCombs. I am waitlisted at both these schools

In terms of how many alumni they have in IM roles, LinkedIn suggests that it's: McCombs > Kenan-Flager > Goizueta > Tepper. But that reflects the different sizes of their alumni base generally.

It might depend on where you want to work. In New York, for example, Kenan-Flager and Tepper are the two top schools of these four.

Personally, I think Goizueta is too small a school, and too costly, to consider if the other three are available: it is also the least selective of the schools, with a substanially lower GMAT. Perhaps you might have a personal preference for their one year MBAs?

Any of the other three are credible choices. Tepper is a safe brand, and is the highest ranked meaning that the long term value of the degree is strong. McCombs is much less costly, and that could be important.

PS UNC is interesting. It's out of state fees are the same as CMU. However, it seems to have a lot of IM alumni in research roles so if that's a path you want to take, then consider that.

Hi Duncan,

How did you find the numer of alumni of these schools in IM ?
Could you let me know how you did the search in Linkedin? It would be of great help.

I've answered here: http://www.find-mba.com/board/33571

Duncan.. You are one researcher..! :)