Here are a few reasons why I would choose CBS over MIT. ( MIT is a great programme and has a brand name much better than columbia ). BUT.
1. MSFE has a small class size. About 15 students and every student knows each other and the faculties. This situaation is quite similar to princeton mfin in the sense that you form a close group. MIT has a humungous class size and you simply cannot know know your faculties as well as you would have at CBS.
2. At MIT the faculties are mostly busy and a lot of classes are taken by TAs. CBS treats MSFE as a good research programme and so you get a lot of attention and opportunity to interact with the profs.
3) Columbia MSFE allows you to take up TAship and RAship. You make little money, but the opportunity to work in projects is amazing and this also helps you connect with MDs in banks.
4) New york advantage is not just in terms of getting the jobs but also in terms of the network you'll build. MIT as a brand name will help a lot, but your network can help you much more.
5) Curriculum! MSFE hands down. There is no comparison here.
Given that
@Qui-Gon handled the claim above, I'll try handle some of this:
1. I would agree. Small class size is definitely better, and I think MIT are going down a slippery-slope with their class size (quality vs quantity etc.)
2. Disagree - I did not take a single class that was led by TA's. MIT has arguably the best research programs in the world, and there are substantial opportunities to get involved in these (obviously not for every one of 100+ students).
3. MIT strongly encourages TA'ship as well - I did one, and could have done up to 3, and was paid handsomely. It covers about a third of a semester's tuition. RA'ships are similar, and I know at least 10 students were offered research positions this summer when the pandemic impacted internship offers.
4. Brand name builds network, imo.
5. What is the basis of a hands down no comparison? At MIT, you have the whole wider MIT campus available to you. Computer science, mathematics, deep learning, economics, business analytics, data science - the list goes on. It is about as flexible as a program can get. Perhaps each curriculum is better suited to different career paths (an aspiring market-making quant may want to do a MFE), but a quantitative developer or researcher can more than reasonably craft a suitable curriculum at MIT (as I did).
Definitely pros and cons to both program, but I don't think the blanket, and often incorrect, claim that CBS > MIT is productive.
