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How much emphasis do schools put, if any, on professional credentials such as CFA, CPA, etc. Im particularly interested in what schools think of applicants with Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designations and if I should highlight that in my application process.

Is the CFA something that really stands out on a grad app or is it just letters after my name?

It's not uncommon for applicants to have the CFA, so of itself, it's not something that is going to particularly differentiate you. Where it might have more of an impact is if it's not something that would be usual for someone than your professional background. This impact could be positive, eg if its a concrete sign of progress towards your career goals, or negative, eg if it seems completely unconnected to what you've done and what you wnat to do and so suggests lack of focus, and in either case you then need to think about how you position it in your application.

Even if the CFA is something completely usual for your background and doesn't differentiate you, it is evidence of ability, application and commitment to your own development.

I hope this helps.

Helen

This is an interesting question because it gets to your ability to do MBA-level work and it also gives a kind of "no-nonsense" stamp to your descriptions of your work experience.

Business school attracts all kinds of folks but the fact is that most still have business / accounting / finance undergraduate degrees. Further credentials that people might get before going to business school include CPAs, CFAs, and various NASD licenses (e.g., Series 7).

In my mind, a CFA is different from a CPA designation and a NASD license. One typically earns the CFA while working and the coursework is more akin to graduate school than the coursework required for a CPA (which can be earned w/ just an undergraduate degree). In fact, as you probably know, for some folks in the finance business a CFA is considered a "substitute MBA."

All this is to say....both a CFA and a CPA are great credentials to have and, in my opinion, do set you apart. They don't make you totally unique but they are a very nice boost to your application.

I hope this helps--

Paxton