CFA Los Angeles Class - Anybody going? classes, helpful

EastCoastJ

I signed up for this class - anyone else going? Are these classes worth it/helpful?

Andreas42

If you’re referring to the CFALA/USC program, I can share my recent experiences of Level 1.

ohai

No, Level 1, but I think the classes and teachers are organized much the same.
The instructors are absolutely top notch (with a few minor exceptions). A few work in academia, while the others are all practicing in the real world. CFALA has gone to great lengths to get really good talent.
You also get access to Schweser and the Qbank (although I don’t know what that means in L-3) at no extra charge. Additionally, if you are a CFA member, there is a $150 discount on the course.
Downside: They pretty well follow the LOSs in order. There’s not a lot of extemporaneous discussion – they just stick to the topics. You also have to weigh whether a full day in class (if that’s how it’d be structured at your level) is worth the trade off in terms of lost study time.
They offer a mentoring program with CFA charterholders, as well as quasi-organized study groups. While those study groups are offered to anyone enrolled in the exam, being in the class does provide for some real camaraderie and moral support.

dvilayphet

Thanks Robert - very very helpful.
Considering that the class is only $1100 or so, and that includes Schweser books - it seems like a no brainer, even if I elect to not go to class. I originally ordered the Schweser books for nearly $1200, so this seems like a much better deal.

jcole21

I had signed up for Level 2 with this program- I didn’t find many of the classes helpful, with the exception of the FSA sessions.
With that said, the BSAS mock exam they give you as part of the curriculum was extremely helpful along with the schweser notes and Qbank.

segalm

I would recommend the Schweser weekend class as well in addition to this class. I took the classes, the professors were good, but they went over each LOS and did not give any great study tips. The Schweser weekend class does an excellent job of prioritizing the material, which the CFALA class does not.

ninja1024

I took the LEVEL II class for this past test. I found the class very helpful in terms of the teachers and the resources they provide. It was also great in that it kept you on schedule. And as mentioned above, BSAS test prep is great.
One thing to note: they changed the timing to just weekend classes now. So Level III I believe is 9am-2pm every saturday.

ruchita

I have registered for the L2 review program of CFALA/ USC. It is going to be for 9 weeks starting last week of January 2010. They will be covering two study sessions each week.

Kapie

If they have the same instructors as last fall’s level I course, my favorites are (in no particular order) are:
Quant
Fixed Income
Accounting