2.   外界觀感：我在台灣的某留學論壇2006年中有一串關於UIUC MSF的討論文章，零碎的句子有點長放在最下面的【補充】

總之對於UIUC的爭議早已廣泛的在各大論壇裡出現，根據觀察，今年UIUC錄取的學生確實不少，甚至聽說有人工作經驗大約1~2年，AT 560就上了，總的看來，似乎成績不要差的太離譜，有一點相關工作經驗都不會被拒絕。

先不討論課程的品質，我自己很擔心畢業以後在業界的評價，先聲明，我並不覺得要因為有人AT成績不高就看輕這間學校，每間學校一定都有自己錄取的標準，在我詢問到紐約Rutgers的finance教授有提到，他二十年前是從UIUC MSF 畢業然後在念UIUC finance PhD，當年他們MSF的program只有二十幾人，所以完全不會有這種疑慮。

以下是他針對亞洲這邊的爭議所作得評論：

The information you collected from the web is valuable, because many of what were posted there were truthful.

I agree with you that UIUC is using the MSF program to feed its Ph.d. program.  You have already had a good judgment from this information.  So I will just comment on what you need to be focusing on, given what goals you have:
1. how likely you will pursue a ph.d.
2. how likely you will stay at the same school for your ph.d.
2. will you want to stay in the US

In the US, I have not heard such negative comments.  That is because US is so big and there are tens of thousands of students who flood to the job market each year.  This is also because those worse ones from UIUC could not find jobs here so they had no choice but to go back to Taiwan (hence what you see in Taiwan is the pool of bottom students).  Therefore, if you goal is to study Ph.d. in the US, I do not think the negative reputation you see in Taiwan matters.  It is mainly up to you to study hard and get good recommendataion letters from the professors.

This bad reputation is even less of an issue if you decide to stay in the US after your Ph.d., because nobody would care where your master degree was from.

In case you decide to go back to Taiwan after MSF, then it is absolutely necessary for you to consider the effect of bad reputation and choose Purdue.

Now, let me also comment a few words on new vs. old programs and Purdue vs. UIUC in general.  Old programs have a history that is valuable.  New programs are risky.  On the other hand, new programs tend to be more carefully run and take better care of students.  I have helped start the MQF (Master of Qunatitative Finance) program at Rutgers and the same program at Fordham so I know how a starting program will take good care its students.  So for this you should go to Purdue.  But more people heard about UIUC-MSF, so that helps your application to a Ph.d. program.

UIUC and Perdue are very comparable.  Both are state schools so the structure of the two schools are very similar.  However, Perdue is much smaller (as state of Indiana has another large state school, Indiana University), so it is run differently.  The finance department in UIUC has 5 fields - real estate (jointly run with civil engineering dept), insurance (with actuarial), banking (with econ), investments and corporate finance.  On the other hand, Purdue has mainly corporate finance.  If you continue your Ph.d. with Purdue, then you must think of if corporate finance is what you like.  I myself was one of those who moved to Ph.d. in UIUC after my MSF.  The Ph.d. program in UIUC is still very good.  Graudates can go to good schools in the US to teach.  I also heard that Purdue does not offer a full curriculum for Ph.d. students since they have only very few each year (1 or 2 students a year).  There is a big disadvantage ! ! of not having a curriculum.  British schools are like that.  We can talk more if you like.  Or you can ask whoever got their Ph.d. degrees from the UK about how they did their dissertations.  It is very different from the majority of schools in the US. 

Of course, if you go somewhere else to study Ph.d., then none of this matters.

Hope this helps.

btw, i sent your email to mr. albert ding, an EVP at KGI securities.  albert entered MSF at the same time as myself, went back to taiwan to work for citi bank, then grand cathay securities, then KGI.  and he shared the same comments.  he said that one subbordinate of his chose GWU over UIUC.  this is a wrong choice since GWU is a much less school (a couple of levels lower than UIUC) but clearly UIUC MSF has scared many people.  albert chose UIUC MSF over NYU.  but that was 1985.

Purdue的MSF今年才第二年，去年班上只有25人，5個台灣人10個中國大陸人，幾乎都是和MBA的學生一起上課，據目前在讀的學姐所說，師資非常好，這點後面會再補充。

學姊有幫我去系辦詢問今年Purdue預計收多少學生，系辦的回覆是20~25人，這樣的數字對我而言算是滿意，她有提到商學院的資源有限本來就無法收太多人，這點我自己到現在也弄不明白，難道UIUC是資源比較豐富所以才能收這麼多嗎?

UIUC http://www.business.uiuc.edu/msf/core.aspx  è核心課程

      http://www.business.uiuc.edu/msf/specializations.aspx  è將財務分成六種領域讓學生選擇修課

PURDUE  http://www.mgmt.purdue.edu/programs/masters/Degree_Programs/Full_Time/MSF/Core_Curriculum.asp  è大致上已經排好課程

http://www.mgmt.purdue.edu/programs/masters/Degree_Programs/Full_Time/Electives/MBAelectives.asp
    è商學院提供的選修，不過聽學姊說PURDUE的課很重，我自己猜測不會有太多額外的力氣去選修太多課程

UIUC的課程”看起來” 比較豐富，但聽說有個小小陷阱，教授據說會輪休，一旦遇到教授輪休有些課可能就不會開，UIUC有很多在Finance相當有名的教授，有些甚至大牌到連Office hour都不會有，我想這是UIUC最大的優勢，但前提是將來打算申請PhD並且有”實力”申請，目前美國好學校的financePhD要申請是難如登天。但有一點很不公平，UIUC商學院熱門的課都是讓MBA先選，剩下的名額才是讓MSF選，所以並不保證一定能夠上的熱門教授的課。

UIUC很多學生念完MSF會選擇再念一個MSA，這邊順便提到，MSA亞洲人更多，而且我自己思考了許久，認為畢業後能”再”修一個MSA並不算是優勢，若是沒有要走會計師路線，多念一個accounting的master很浪費時間和金錢(學費一塊錢都不會少)，也不會因為拿了兩個master而比較好申請PhD，而且在Finance的課程訓練當中，該有的accounting知識應該就已足夠。

也許也是因為我個人比較想多念一點計量的東西吧，我寧願到時候再申請一個偏財工的master，這純粹就是我個人的看法，若有人真有需要強烈的accounting背景來搭配finance我也不反對。

Purdue在Finance的教授其實也很強，主要是走corp finance，我大學教授上網頁去看過他們師資的背景以後告訴我，他們paper的發表也是很厲害的，在讀的學姊是說，Purdue會開設MSF的原因就是因為不想浪費他們這麼好的資源，我的大學教授起初的反應是UIUC MSF歷史久名氣大，甚至我們大學常用的課本作者有時候還會是裡面的教授，但他後來發現Purdue的學術成就不輸給UIUC，只是偏重在corp finance。目前正在念Purdue MSF的學姊也告訴我，她們的每一位教授都教得非常好，我仔細看過課表，雖然課程大致已安排好，在finance的選擇性不如UIUC高，但該學的都有學到，聽說Purdue在統計的課程很重，我自己是認為這樣也省去搶著選課的困擾。

補充一點，我認為學校的教授觀點都是以學術的角度出發，實際就業應該不太會有人care哪一間學校在finance的聲望比較高，這兩間學校給人的感覺大同小異，都是mid-west的學校。

不過我常聽到別人說什麼Purdue離chicago比較遠或者是比較偏僻，但我自己查地圖的結果是，根本就差不多，Purdue還在UIUC的東北方，看起來還比UIUC略近chicago，google map看起來黃黃的玉米田也比UIUC少。

總結：我最後的決定完全不考慮”網路”或者是”他人”的想法，就像我前面提到的，一間學校錄取學生一定有自己的考量，重點是一年四五萬美金的投資，過程甘苦都是自己要面對承受，所以我才會很仔細的去打聽蒐集學校的課程、資源甚至是商學院特色和學校環境等等，最後我選擇了Purdue，原因是除了課業以外似乎會有更多不同的體驗，至少讓我比對UIUC還來的期待。

最後是那位rutgers的教授對我的決定所做得評論：

Congradulations on you choice, which I believe is the right one.  I would do the same, given the information you have collected.  Indiana is a more beautiful state, more trees and less corn.  You will love it.  Enjoy your study.  Hope to see you in the future.  Midwest is VERY COLD in winter, so definitely bring a darn jacket.  Take care.

我看到”less corn”的時候整個大笑XDXD

以上分享我個人所蒐集到的資訊，希望不會太過偏頗。

對了，很多人在問今年申請上Purdue MSF的背景，這邊提供我自己申請的部分

GPA 3.58 AT 710/4 Toefl 93

一年半的corp finance經驗*推薦信 

大學時期RA一年*推薦信

書卷獎*2

某社團社長

去年申請上的學姊：有美國公民，AT610

她是應屆畢業，但她說她自己是一個特例，其它中國人都是AT七百以上，但她爸爸是外派人員，所以從小跑遍各國，Purdue似乎很重視diversity，她說美國人的AT通常都不高，所以學校都會收很多亞洲人來拉高她們的平均，我猜也許她因為有公民所以被放到美國人的分數裡去比較，所以不用這麼高。