标题: Grad School Credibility of the CFA [打印本页] 作者: whaler 时间: 2011-7-11 17:30 标题: Grad School Credibility of the CFA
Does having your CFA or even a level or two passed count for much when applying to grad schools?作者: dece2011 时间: 2011-7-11 17:30
I think you could spin it to say that you are always interested in improving yourself and always craving a new challenge and looking to learn as much as possible.
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"good personality ... or he was known as Lt. Mandingo during his army days."作者: waldziuchna 时间: 2011-7-11 17:30
Yeah it would help but but won't be the defining factor.作者: trogulj 时间: 2011-7-11 17:30
This topic has been discussed extensively on the GMAT club forums.
The short answer is "nope"作者: dmar 时间: 2011-7-11 17:30
it gets you street cred作者: Kiakaha 时间: 2011-7-11 17:30
$tarving_Banker Wrote:
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> This topic has been discussed extensively on the
> GMAT club forums.
>
> The short answer is "nope"
Unfortunately this is mostly true. It really depends on the adcoms who are looking over your application & resume. That being said, you can only hope that if you're applying to a respectable program they would have the decency of recognizing our pain and suffering.作者: invic 时间: 2011-7-11 17:30
I just dont buy the "it wont help you argument"
If you have two very similar candidates, yet one is an l3 or CFA, who do you think admissions is gonna pick? It wont make up for a lousy GMAT but it gives you the extra push at the wire.
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"good personality ... or he was known as Lt. Mandingo during his army days."作者: Londonrocks 时间: 2011-7-11 17:30
^
Exactly, its maddening how overlooked the CFA is, especially compared to CPA and other designations.
I was at thankgsgiving and someone there was talking about GRE and how hard it was blah blah blah, I then said that I was sitting for level 1 in two weeks. They basically said that the CFA wasn't that hard, and that "becoming an Advisor" wasn't a hard job.
It's so frustrating that people are so ignorant to the make up of this exam series. Yet, at the same time, I find my self not really wanting too many people to know about it, it's like a hidden gem and I don't want it to become cloudy and over used.
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"good personality ... or he was known as Lt. Mandingo during his army days."作者: bapswarrior 时间: 2011-7-11 17:30
nuppal Wrote:
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> ^
>
> Exactly, its maddening how overlooked the CFA is,
> especially compared to CPA and other designations.
Being compared to CPA is nothing. Here are some of the real life responses I've gotten when I told people I am a CFA L3 candidate.
"O great. I am not familar with CFC but I am sure it is good to have."
"Cool. Is that like the 7. I am studying for my 7 and that $hit is intense bro"
"I once had a chance to become a CFP but I decided not to. I think all those certifications are just bull$hit."
Here is the best
"CFA? what is that and why are you doing it? You should be doing an MBA becuase it is boarder and more recognized. I don't know what the hell CFA is and I doubt tons of people do"
Last one still pisses me off when I think about it. It just doesn't get ruder and more ignorant than this. (Plus the guy doesnt even have a "REAL" MBA, he got his from some Mumblefvck State Univ)
Such is life. You just have to get used it.作者: pogo 时间: 2011-7-11 17:30
Thanks all for your comments...
I know how you all feel w/regards to nobody understanding our pain! I took the L1 test last week and when I got back to the bank I work for in Montana, everyone was asking how the 7 went. I even had one officer ask why I took the week before the test off..."when I took the series 7, I only needed a week total to study...you've been at it for a few months??" he said haha. Adding to the feeling of a lack of understanding, the days off were unpaid so this years Christmas presents may be a little weak haha sorry Mom and Pops作者: disiz64 时间: 2011-7-11 17:30
Chuckrox8 Wrote:
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> nuppal Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I just dont buy the "it wont help you argument"
> >
> > If you have two very similar candidates, yet
> one
> > is an l3 or CFA, who do you think admissions is
> > gonna pick? It wont make up for a lousy GMAT
> but
> > it gives you the extra push at the wire.
>
> Absolutely, especially if you are applying to a
> school that is dominated by its finance program.
> The truth of the matter is that the CFA, while
> highly respected amongst industry peers as the
> gold standard for asset management, ER, etc..., is
> not that well known outside of finance.
> Unfortunately it's just the reality of the
> situation and we accept it. How many people have
> we told the C is for Chartered not Certified and
> the A is for Analyst not Advisor. One of these
> days I'll apply to bschool and they better damn
> well know what the CFA Charter is and how
> difficult it is to obtain.
I am as passionate as you are about getting the CFA before B-School. However, I have alternative perspective for you. One of my mentors is am Equity Research Analyst at Janus and graduated with an MBA from Chicago’s Booth. He said out of the whole program (Accounting /Finance) one-two people had the CFA. The people reading your application and essays are not as educated in credentials as you would hope. However, any feather in your cap at >10% unemployment is a feather. There is not as much traction in the USA B-Schools with CFA marketability that you would hope for. Nonetheless when you graduate you will have one-step up in recruiting sessions.作者: soddy1979 时间: 2011-7-11 17:30
I think the problem here is that people are trying to assign a binary rule (CFA matters/CFA does not matter) to this argument. Of course the CFA designation is not worthless. It's just in most fields, it only matters a little bit, and in most cases, this is less than what CFA candidates would like to think it matters.作者: Wasteoftime 时间: 2011-7-11 17:30
There is no question that the CFA matters. It clearly does not hurt to have one nor will recruiters ding you if you claim to be pursuing it. The issue is whether doors will swing wide open for you once you have those 3 letters after your name. A headhunter I knew dinged a candidate for an Strategic Planning role just because she did not have the letters, CFA.作者: ftwcfa 时间: 2011-7-11 17:30
jackofalltrades Wrote:
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> There is no question that the CFA matters. It
> clearly does not hurt to have one nor will
> recruiters ding you if you claim to be pursuing
> it.
This.
/Thread
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"good personality ... or he was known as Lt. Mandingo during his army days."作者: studyn 时间: 2011-7-11 17:30
CFA is tougher than CPA I believe and at the same time more interesting.
I think that CFA has not got much attention coz there is no placement in companies like MBAs or CPAs get. If you are a CPA ..that is enough to convince that you know some accounting..but CFA doesnt convey the same.作者: ramdabom 时间: 2011-7-11 17:30
Another problem with the CPA vs. CFA argument is that the financial industry is over diluted with worthless designations that don't mean sh!t. Accounting (Tax, Audit, Law, etc...) probably doesn't even scare 30% of what the investment world offers. There are far too many rinky dink 3 letter acronyms that you can receive with a couple hours of effort.作者: manasib 时间: 2011-7-11 17:30
jackofalltrades Wrote:
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> A headhunter I knew dinged a candidate
> for an Strategic Planning role just because she
> did not have the letters, CFA.
Jack...could you explain more about headhunters. ie what exactly they do, how successful they are, how to obtain one, have you ever used one...?作者: Benjiko 时间: 2011-7-11 17:30
You do not look for headhunters. They find you. And, yes... I have used headhunters before. They pretty much try to ship your big arss to another company thereby earning a fee from the target company. They are very successful at placing an individual since they talk directly to the hiring manager.作者: joemoran 时间: 2011-7-11 17:30
I talk to an admissions officer from LBS a couple of weeks and his short answered is yes: being in the CFA program is very important. This guy goes through all candidates and he knew perfectly well what the program was and what it entailed.
I'm guessing it will be different for non-top schools and/or schools not finance oriented (but why the hell do you wanna go there?)
One of the founders of the CFA Institute was a Columbia alumni and teacher and they have a CFA Club on campus, do you think admissions don't know about it?? hell yea!
I really don't care that CPA's don't know what the CFA is. I just care that people in finance know, and more and more so do.作者: MonkeyBusiness 时间: 2011-7-11 17:30
I think the CFA shows that you can be dedicated for 4 months and pass an exam. I've talked to people who have their charter and i'd say about 65% of them do not remember the stuff and are not very intelligent. I think all the CFA shows is that you test well. I an know analyst who is ridiculous and make bank failed L1 twice, L2 once and finally said F this, im going back to making loot.
