COMPARE Stanford MBA vs Berkeley Financial Engineering

[Wallstyouth]

I hate linking to other forums, This thread came up in another forum link below I thought it might be interesting for others here

What is better return on investment? Risk/Reward?

1- Keep a job that pays $100K a year and trade part-time making $150K to $200K.
Promotions and rise in salary are not likely, maybe a 5% salary increase every 2 years from now on.

2- Quit my job. Do an M.B.A at Stanford (emphasis in Finance), do not trade as much for 2 years (too busy with school and projects), then find a Job at one of the big financial firms in NYC or Chicago.
Give up $100K salary, probably give up $100K to $150K from trading and pay tuition+books $45K a year.
Total approximate loss: around $500K

3- Quit my job. Do a Masters of Financial Engineering at Berkeley. Same as M.B.A. But only last one year. Therefore,
Total approximate loss: around $250K

With an MFE how long would it take to reash the $300K/year or $400K/year salary? What about an MBA from stanford? Both say in their website that the average starting salary after graduation is around $130K, but they have no statistics on where does it go from there. Even with an MBA I am interseted in working for financial companies only.

Thanks,

P.S. I don't expect a definite answer or to find the answer to my hesitation in this forum, but I just would like an opinion from people that have been in the industry for years and that will give me another perspective.

Forums - Stanford MBA vs Berkeley Financial Engineering

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Too many factors involved to realistically calculate the salary you will make the next 5 years. This summer experience is a good example why if you make $300K now, it's possible that you are out of a job next year.

The funny thing is the guy who asked this question just only applied to those programs. It's not like he got admitted and has to choose between the two. "Be real" is what I will tell him.

 

[samiam]

Guy seems to be living in a fantasy world.

He makes 100K a year in salary but makes 50K to 10K doing part time trading?

Sounds like a day trader. Why doesn't he just quit his job and trade full time and make a million instead?

If you can consistently make that money trading your own account and part time too in this market, I would trade full time and try to make more. And if you are this good to consistently make money off the market, what's the need for any more degrees if money is your only goal (that's what it sounds lke with this guy)

I never seen a guy make just 50K to 100K day trading. Usually I see a guys either make much more or get blown out. Nothing in between. That's trading.

 

[Saturnia]

Since the colleges mentioned are in CA, my guess is that he trades the morning only. And most daytraders that I know of trade only from 9:30 to 10:30. I know a few in Vegas but I knot there is a huge number of day traders there working during lunch breaks to catch the final hour and before work to catch the morning. In between there is absolutely nothing worth noticing but systematic computerized trading, especially now. Sure there are opportunities but the probability to catch them is not worth it.

I think it is good to have a fixed income revenue from a full time job as it doesn't put much pressure on trading individually too.