After working in New York City for three years, Meredith Harding was ready for a change of pace. She also was looking for “a heavy quantitative focus” to fill gaps in her experience.

As a Vanderbilt grad, Meredith was already sold on the school. “When I found the MSF program, it was perfect,” she says – “a one-year program, meaning less time out of the workforce with the same access to intensely quantitative, MBA-level classes.”

What stood out to her about the MSF experience wasn’t just the quality of the instruction but the quantity of support she found at every turn.

“So many undergraduate institutions talk about how you become ‘friends’ with your professors, you go to lunch with them, but at Owen it’s really true,” Meredith says. In particular, she recalls how Professor Cherrie Clark offered career advice and also organized lunches for women in the program to discuss issues women in finance often face in the workforce. “I literally would not be where I am without her,” Meredith says.

The same was true with Owen’s Career Management staff, particularly Blake Gore. “I was blown away by how much attention every MSF received in career coaching,” Meredith says. “I knew the program would help me get the best job possible.”

And, especially, she cites her fellow students within Owen’s collegial environment. “Our class was the best combination of collaborative and competitive, she says, “pushing each other but helping with assignments. The MSF program is male-dominated, but it’s been a powerful experience learning how to operate in a male-dominated industry with the most supportive and great guys ever."