Need advice for school selection!!

[pippo]

Hi guys,

I don't know whether this place is appropriate to ask some questions about master programs in Finance. Anyway I will give it a try. My situation is below.

I got admitted to following master programs:

1) Georgia State University, Mathematical Risk Management
2) Washington University at St. Louis, Finance
3) Johns Hopkins University, Finance

In terms of program reputation, which one is the best?
Moreover, if I want to pursue a Ph.D in Finance after I complete a master's degree, what school you guys think that it can best prepare me for the top Ph.D program?

Thank you very much

[desimba]

Posting a bit more of your profile might help in responding better. For instance, if you lack some of the necessary math work, it may not be a bad idea to go for Mathematical Risk Management as doing so may address that perceived gap. Having said that, I would suspect that your best choice may be WUSTL. They have a reasonably good business school and you may be able to get into their PhD program.

[lobingks]

I agree with desimba .. WUSTL is probably your best option of the three. Olin has a very solid program. This past year I applied to a number of PhD programs in Strategy and Economics and WUSTL was one of the programs I got into. I really liked the faculty at Olin - a very tight-knit group that got along well and do interesting research. You won't go wrong at all with WUSTL.. Keep in mind though that their doctoral program (like all Finance programs) is very quantitative and just be sure that your coursework includes plenty of math/stats... Congrats...

[pippo]

Thanks a lot! Desimba and Lobingks

To Desimba: I think, hopefully, that my math work is decent. I already had Real Analysis 1, Advanced Calculus, Math Stat1,2 and PDE. As for now, I lean toward WUSTL. Additional comments from you guys would be greatly appreciated.

[Prawler]

As a doctoral student in finance starting in fall , let me supply you another point of view to your situation:

In case you are enrolled to WUSL's Finance program, you will find the opportunity to meet with the Finance faculty - so the PhD coordinator and the committee -. If you perform well during the master's program and show the faculty that you are aiming to be a hard-working researcher as your career goal, you will not only gather decent recommendation letters from the finance faculty for top PhD programs, but also find the chance to apply WUSL PhD program, of which has a professors that are familiar with your theoretical and practical work. I should also note that WUSL has a reputed doctoral program in Finance.

[GymShorts]

I wouldn't go to JHU, because they don't have a finance PhD program.