I assume the answer is yes, but I’m wondering how much of a difference completing the levels makes in the admission decision. Does anyone have input?
this has been discussed this past summer; use “Search” function.
There are too many CFA charterholders and candidates for it to make a critical difference at a competitive admissions school these days. Nice at the margin, but it won’t make up for so-so undergraduate name, middling experience, grades or GMAT score. Use “search” tool.
I think so. That mean you can spend less time studying and more time partying which is what MBA is all about! 
TheEconomist Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > There are too many CFA charterholders and > candidates for it to make a critical difference at > a competitive admissions school these days. Nice > at the margin, but it won’t make up for so-so > undergraduate name, middling experience, grades or > GMAT score. Use “search” tool. I would have to guess that there are more people with a Top 10 MBA than CFA Charterholders. That being said, many Charterholders are not applying for business school. Soooo I really dont understand your point. It is one thing to say that top schools just dont care. But your argument is that there are too many to make a difference? I would guess that the percentage of applicants to Top-10 B-Schools with the CFA Charter is pretty low given my reasoning above, which would in turn make that charecteristic a “differentiating” factor.
“I would have to guess that there are more people with a Top 10 MBA than CFA Charterholders. That being said, many Charterholders are not applying for business school. Soooo I really dont understand your point.” i must say that i don’t understand your point either. the op talked about the significance of the cfa in the admissions decision. i would guess that there would be zero people with top 10 mba’s applying to business school, so comparing the number of people with top 10 mba’s to the number of charterholders is irrelevant. we’re only talking about whether or not the cfa will make a difference/set you apart in your application, so the correct comparison/metric would be closer to percentage of applicants that have their charter or are candidates. what theeconomist was saying that b/c there are so many folks who either have their charters or are candidates, it isn’t that much of a separation criteria. and i agree with him/her.
I guess you didn’t read the full post… “It is one thing to say that top schools just dont care. But your argument is that there are too many to make a difference? I would guess that the percentage of applicants to Top-10 B-Schools with the CFA Charter is pretty low given my reasoning above, which would in turn make that charecteristic a “differentiating” factor.”
As I said, my guess is that the charter helps, maybe a lot, at the margin but I don’t see how it could overcome average grades, average work experience, an average GMAT, or coming from Podunk U if you are applying to a competitive admissions school.
i’ll be honest, i read your post but didn’t understand what you were saying. i think i get it now. however, i will say that i don’t think it’ll be any kind of differentiating factor. how many people do we see here each week that are taking the exams as a way to break into finance? some, of course, are successful; many are not. its just one of many factors that will help them get a job. probably the most important of those factors is hustle. taking the exams will only help get those jobs if it makes sense to the person you’re interviewing with. its similar with b-school. doing the exams will only help you with applications if it makes sense with what you want to do. even if you come from a less prestigious univ with avg gpa and gmat, etc, it will only support your argument for why you need an mba. it won’t cover up your previous sins, but it can help tell your story. that is all you can hope to get from the cfa on your applications. at the end of the day, from what i can tell, the school adcoms like a story. if they think you’re taking a buckshot approach to see what you can hit, you have less success. on the other hand, if you can say “this is what i want to do. this is why. this is what i’ve done so far to get me there (prior jobs, cfa exam(s), etc) and this is why i need an mba from your school to help me.” you’ll be much more successful. i forgot to add, there were like 70k people that took one of the three exams in june. that is a lot of people. if just 10% of those people applied to b-school now or in the future, that’s around 7k folks who are applying. 10% may be too high. maybe too low. i know my logic isn’t bulltproof by any means, but in any case, its enough people who apply to make having taken the cfa exams not become a significant differentiating factor. thats how i look at it.
^ I dont think a CFA “Candidate” has ANY advantage. I am only referring to actual Charterholders, which I think would have an advantage.
This might sound like a no brainer but how much difference would there be between an applicant with all three levels behind them and accumulating the work experience vs. one with a charter ceteris parabus?
I’m at a top 10 b school now and I have a charter. I think it can help some with the admissions process. They want accomplished people who will look attractive to recruiters, which the CFA helps with. And if you’re planning to be a career changer, passing at least L1 helps to show that you’re really dedicated to your new field. However, it can hurt you as well–b schools prize things like working in teams, leadership, community service, and involvement in interesting extracurriculars. The CFA program is none of these things, and it takes a ton of time. Time which could be spent starting a non profit or volunteering. So it’s kind of a mixed bag regarding the admissions process. However, once you’re actually here, having a CFA is great, esp for someone like me, who didn’t take undergrad biz classes. Now I’m actually on pace with everyone else, instead of way behind. Plus I received automatic waivers out of my finance and accounting cores, so I’m already taking electives.
Naturallight, if you don’t mind me asking, what was your major in undergrad?
Ah, I went to a small liberal arts school, so I took a little of everything. Mostly politics and govt classes. Sure glad I took calculus and stats though–those are pretty much a baseline req for b school.
Not so sure that clearing L1 ( does little more than sift the wheat from the chaff) would make much difference, but if you have passed L2 & L3 then handling the academic side of the business school program should present no problems - and that perception ought to carry some weight in the admissions process.