This is interesting... but since Nanda from Pittsburgh came out, here's my 2 cents from NYC's campus.
Networking - Networking is not natural to many quant students, and many students do not take advantage our location benefits. But for those who did... who would prioritize visiting an alumnus for dinner over sitting in a class... who kept track of all the corporate presentations and made good impressions... those who actively sought after career advices and ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTED THEM... did extremely well. The NYC students also have access to a lot more part-time students, and these part-timers are amazing sources of market information and career tips.
Curriculum - Everyone I've met in the program... are smarter than me, and I've been getting by. The question is... what the hell do YOU know about what skills the industry needs? Just bc you want to work in a particular role now, do you know if it will still exist by graduation? Just bc I got an offer to be a trader today, what harm would there be if I also have the necessary skill to shift into quant research? MSCF has a world-class advisory board from all major firms to oversee and update their curriculum. Every once in a while you have one or two kids or alumni complaining about how irrelevant a particular course is to his/her own role and disregard how his/her classmates might use it everyday. MSCF isn't just a trader program... or a quant research program... it crams us to be flexible within the financial industry for the long-run.
Faculty Support - I hate it when NYC students talk about not having faculty support because it simply is not true. I have seen those poor professors sitting alone on campus all the time when no one took the chance to speak with them. Professors have offered cell phone numbers, landline, email, skype accounts, even boat rides (Hrusa loves his boat) to support our students. People always want access to faculty support WHEN THEY WANT TO, and that is hardly fair. The culture that NYC students depending on each other is simply a pattern of nature because people do hw the last minute and at 3am. There are plenty of ways to talk to your professors. Go check the syllabus.
Career Support - I have never used career services support at other school, so I can't say if it's better than another school. But here's what I can tell you... On day one, Sondi ripped my resume and forced me to rewrite (and many after)... and then I emailed it an alumnus and he ripped it apart again (and repeat)... Given my background, my first round got all buyside firms but I admittedly prepared very poorly for my interviews. Sondi dragged me in, gave me feedback, and forced me to change. Second time around, I took EVERY OPPORTUNITY I COULD FIND... I would travel anywhere, and always call up alumni in the company before heading into an interview. Some alumni were cold, but some referred me the minute they met me (for which I'm really grateful), and others took me out to dinner and helped me tell me story. And let's not get me started on the access to the part-timers... most resourceful and helpful people EVER. Besides the school, I've seen part-timers and current students (who got offered) referring their peers multiple times, and there is really not much more you can ask for when the entire MSCF community wants you to succeed. And btw, almost everyone I interviewed with... had been alumni
In conclusion, the take away is that... MSCF isn't about a diploma or an education... it's an opportunity for you to become a part of this industry. That means meeting people, learning the lifestyle, and becoming a businessman who have the necessary skills to get work done but also the social wisdom to survive. Obviously, there are room for improvements, but our small size and industry connections have made the program extremely agile and responsive in comparison to other larger institutions.
