Honestly, I would need more information to advise you here. What industries were your internships in? Do you have permission to work in the U.S. via the OPT program because your MSF was classified as STEM? How much networking have you already done?

Applying to full-time roles and networking are not mutually exclusive because you normally network as you apply for roles.

The main problem here is that most banks do not actually hire full-time – they give full-time offers to interns who performed well. So I think you will probably need to aim for roles outside of IB or target off-cycle internships at smaller banks or PE firms (but I can’t say how useful this would be without knowing what you did in your 4 internships).

You can do that, but one issue will be getting a work visa out of that MSF program. I am not 100% certain how it works for UT Austin or if anything there qualifies for the STEM / OPT treatment, but you should research that first and see because you will run into issues as an international student in the U.S. That’s the biggest potential risk/problem with your plan, the rest is fairly standard. Though I don’t think you really need multiple CFA levels, or even Level 1…

I am from India, I have a bachelor’s degree in Financial Markets. I have 3.50+ GPA. I will also attempt CFA level 1 in NOV 2023. As my degree is of 3 years I am also getting a 1 year degree in entrepreneurship.

I am planning to get a MSF from UT Austin. It’s a 10 month program. I know very well that I won’t be able to secure an Investment Banking role right after graduation.
My goal is to eventually secure a role in Investment Banking. My final final goal is to get into a Long/Short fund or Private Equity.

My current plan is to get a job after graduation as a Business Valuation Analyst in Big 4 specifically in the Transaction Services Group and then eventually network and try to get into Investment Banking after a year or 2. I also plan to clear the rest of the CFA levels while working.

If I fail to do that I will apply for an MBA program in the US after 3 or 4 years of working.

Does my plan make any sense? Do you know anyone who has pulled this off?

Thanks & Regards.

Yes to both, assuming you update your graduation date and list it clearly on all applications/resumes. It’s probably a good idea to do this, especially if you haven’t yet done much networking/other preparation since internship recruiting starts over a year in advance of internships in the U.S.

Judging by the rankings, I think it would be challenging to win IB interviews. It seems to be better for Big 4 recruiting. You can still go there if it’s your best option and you have to deal with the STEM certification/requirements, but be prepared to work in another field first before getting into IB.

Fordham is probably better because of the location and alumni.