u/AbuKavKaz

Hey everyone,

I’m currently looking into the Master of Finance program at Vanderbilt. As an international student, I’m trying to get a realistic picture of the post-grad job market regarding visa sponsorship.

Vanderbilt is obviously a target/semi-target school with a great reputation, and the MFin program is STEM-designated, which gives me the 3-year OPT window. However, I’m curious if the "semi target school" status actually carries weight when it comes to how attractive I am for a H1B sponsorship, or if I’m facing the same uphill battle and "random chance" as everyone else?

Specifically:

Do firms recruiting at Vandy typically have a higher tolerance for sponsoring MFin grads compared to lower ranked schools?
Does having the 3-year STEM OPT actually make firms more willing to hire you, or are they still hesitant because of the long-term lottery risk?
For those who graduated from similar programs recently, did the school’s brand name help you get past the initial "will you now or in the future require sponsorship" filter?

Thanks!

Hi everyone.

I'm an undergrad student in Scandinavia studying in a non target Scandi uni with a bsc in Economics and business administration.

I am very interested in dipping to the US for Mfin.

Here is my profile:

3.6 GPA non target🤢 (fked up 1st semester)
CFA level II passed
710+ GMAT
Completed the following:
Internship, major government contractor - Central Asia
Internship, Oil and gas operator/producer company - Middle east
Internship, Corporate Finance at tier 1 scandi bank
All were on-site if that adds anything
1 Year volunteering - Tutoring HS students

If there are any people from Europe who moved to the US for their Mfin, was the visa process a pain in the butt

And how was your experience in getting internships in such a short time?

How’s the H1-B sponsorship reality right now?