HEC Paris Ms Finance: To CFA or not to CFA?

[PranavPathak]

Hi Guys,

I'm 23, Graduating this year with a Master's degree in Economics and a Bachelor's in Computer Engineering from BITS-Pilani, India. Got a 760 in GMAT - 50 Quant. I'm applying to HEC Paris for a Master's in Finance. Question is whether or not I should take the CFA Level 1 in December. I hear it boosts chances of admission. That being said, since the results come out only in February, my application gets pushed to the third deadline. Would this affect my chances of admission in any manner?

[mbaMissionJenK]

Hi there,

Congrats on that GMAT, nice job! The CFA can be a plus for your profile, yes. If you definitely won't have results until after the entire process (interview too), it will not impact it much, obviously (though you can still mention you are awaiting results/expect xyz in an interview, at least it shows initiative and drive that you went for it). If there's a chance the decision from say 2nd round (I don't have dates in front of me) would not be made by Feb you could always send in an update that you got it at that point. I probably wouldn't change your plan all the way to 3rd round just to wait for the results though, just for better chances.

Good luck with everything!

[Dan@VinciaPrep]

Hi Pranav and BTG community,
As Jen stated, taking the level 1 exam of the CFA could help you, but only if you have the results before you apply (the deadline for the spring admissions 2016 is in April). With that said, the CFA takes a fair amount of studying. If you decide to take the CFA, make sure that it doesn't detract from the other parts of your application such as your essays, CV, and helping your recommenders write their recommendations. The CFA would be a bonus, but the meat of your application comes from the 3 aforementioned areas and your GMAT score.

Hope that helps!

[Michael@VeritasPrep]

Some people wonder if a CFA will actually hurt. I can't see why it would have a negative impact. If anyone asks, I think the answer is simply that "in the career I was pursuing at the time, CFA level two is an important qualification. However, I'm interested in pursing new career x because of xyz." Also, it certainly isn't an easy certification to get. So I actually think it will help your application. Curious to know why you think it would hurt? Did you get that feedback from someone else?