MBA

[DMD]

Is combining a top MFE with a top MBA a few years down the road the ultimate combination or just a waste of time?

I want to manage a hedge fund eventually, so for me I think the business knowledge and network might be worthwhile. Thoughts?

 

[Jayanthan]

It is nice post. I was thinking about it as well. Why do you need MFE to run Hedge Fund? How does MFE help you to run a HF unless you create an algorithm to beat the market?

 

[DMD]

I want to combine quantitative strategies with the more fundamental approach to money management.

 

[bullion]

Draw two parallel timelines representing your professional and academic lives. What are you trying to accomplish at different stages of your life, and how will an extra degree support your development? Go one step further and define which school (or tier of school) you will be getting your MBA from. What job will you do post-MFE and pre-MBA to highlight traits that MBA schools care about? What story will you tell the MBA admissions?

Most quant fund managers don't have MBAs, and most MBA managers don't do quant trading. Most people go to MBA to change career or as part of their career advancement. You need to justify why your MFE and post-MFE career will be an unique addition to the MBA pool, and how everything will tie together after you graduate. Tons and tons of students want to become fund managers everyday, and you have applicants from all top hedge funds and asset management groups in banks. So it's only worthy to accept you into MBA if you're already an accomplished manager. But if your'e already a great manager, why can't you just hire another analyst instead of sacrificing your own income?

Make a great story about yourself beforehand, and turn it into a reality. By the time you write your MBA essays, you'll have much more interesting stories to tell.

 

[Jayanthan]

I guess, running a fund is something beyond the conventional wisdom. You've got to have thick skin and iron stomach to run a fund( to tolerate the market fluctuation, let's say, you are managing $100 billion , if you are down 1%, that's $1 billion). I am not sure how school prepare you for that, but you will be able to use the school name to network or get elite club membership.

OR

You never know, those school may rewire your mind set. I wasn't from top school, that's why I am talking like this(above). Would I be the same person, If I graduated from top school? may be not.

anyway check this out:
Great Hedge fund managers ( greatness is defined according to their performance):

http://www.forbes.com/pictures/eilm45mem/george-soros-22/

If you come up with any pattern( among those), please do share with us?

​

 

[DMD]

They wouldn't be great hedge fund managers if there was a pattern between them

 

[SeanS]

Well..unless you have scholarships. Are you willing to spend 200k for two degrees?