Brand Name vs. Program Ranking (MFE)

[Enrique]

I was wondering what is more important to recruiters when recruiting from an MFE program, brand name or program ranking. For example, here on quantnet, the Financial Engineering program of Baruch College, City University of New York is ranked number 2 on here, while Columbia University is Ranked number 3. However, Columbia University has a level of prestige and recognition that Ivy League institutions have. So what's more important, brand name or program ranking?

 

[pingu]

I was wondering what is more important to recruiters when recruiting from an MFE program, brand name or program ranking. For example, here on quantnet, the Financial Engineering program of Baruch College, City University of New York is ranked number 2 on here, while Columbia University is Ranked number 3. However, Columbia University has a level of prestige and recognition that Ivy League institutions have. So what's more important, brand name or program ranking?

more important for what?

 

[Varun Dubey]

Ask this question when you have some offers locked and loaded.
Hypothetical comparisons will get you nowhere.

 

[Enrique]

more important for what?

"What is more important to recruiters when recruiting from an MFE program"

 

[pingu]

"What is more important to recruiters when recruiting from an MFE program"

recruiters could care less. They want to get you a job quickly to get paid.

 

[RedL]

I would say it would be a combination of both, the program ranking and the overall prestige of the university. I think it is for this reason why Stanford and MIT have been getting the best students despite having a less stellar finance program. The school name, their brand power, alumni connection and overall prestige worldwide will blow the other programs out of the water.

The only exceptions here are Princeton and Berkeley, both of which have a good balance of having great finance programs, strong alumni connections/network, and powerful brand names.

 

[derjimfe]

I was wondering what is more important to recruiters when recruiting from an MFE program, brand name or program ranking. For example, here on quantnet, the Financial Engineering program of Baruch College, City University of New York is ranked number 2 on here, while Columbia University is Ranked number 3. However, Columbia University has a level of prestige and recognition that Ivy League institutions have. So what's more important, brand name or program ranking?

Hiring managers look for people from programs that provided good employees in the past. From my big banks experience, they will look at Berkeley, CMU, Baruch, NYU. Princeton is small and has few graduates, I do not know much about them. Columbia MFE is hit and miss, from what I heard miss more often.

HR people screen resumes based on school names and what the managers tell them. Columbia and Cornell will be at the top there. But then you still have to pass through interviews.

The only exceptions here are Princeton and Berkeley, both of which have a good balance of having great finance programs, strong alumni connections/network, and powerful brand names.

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