Hey everybody. Im from Canada, but this is probably the best forum on the internet about Rotman, so i've decided to join. I got my admit way back in October, I applied very, very early. Got my welcome package in the mail a few weeks ago with my Pre-Rotman portal passwords etc...
Just wanted to comment on the post below. I have done extensive research on Rotman and have met with about 5 current students and alumni. It is true that Rotman is a very Finance centric school, however from my understanding, having the CFA designation is NOT a must have. If you want to go into Funds/Asset/Portfolio management, then i would say YES it is. However, I am planning on pursing investment banking, and i've had a chat with 3 current students who did summer placements with one of the "big 5" canadian banks, and they also said that, while having the CFA designation will probably help you, it definitely will not hurt you if you dont have it. I myself am a Level 2 candidate in the program and will be writing the exam on June 2nd, however, if i get placement into I-banking i probably will not write level 3, as the time committment will be way too much.
Also, a little about my profile:
- 4 Years Work Experience (most recently, in retail wealth management)
- 83% average in my final year of undergrad
- Did my undergrad in sociology, however i would say that because of the CFA program, my finance knowledge is definitely on par with commerce undergrads
-GMAT score= 630 (73%tile)
I live and work in Toronto, so if anyone has any questions specific to the city, and want some info, let me know! :)
One thing both said was this is a Finance-centric program. This means that almost all of the really good jobs after graduation are in Finance firms. In comparison Consulting is way behind.
They also said for non-Finance background guys like us (all of us did our undergraduate studies in Engineering), keeping up with the coursework is hard. They strongly recommended doing the pre-MBA courses in accouting, Spreadsheet analysis etc.
Also for any decent job, a CFA degree is must. Therefore I am myself looking at giving the CFA level-1, exam date will be June 2nd.