Have 3months of free time, take the CSC or no?

yeah take csc, but it makes you marketable only very slightly.
i think all the finance majors when i was in university did at least CSC and CFA level 1.

most important is work experience.

I'm not sure what the rationale is in advising you to wait to take the CSC until an employer requests it. If I were you I would take it now and get it out of the way. You'll be that much more marketable when you graduate. Furthermore, if you're currently enrolled in business school it's likely you can get a student discount. Inquire with your program administrators. They recommend 135-200 of study time, so I think you have more than enough time to prepare this summer. You can simultaneously start studying for the CFA Level I.

Another thing you should look into while you're still in school is doing Bloomberg training. Most schools have Bloomberg terminals so take advantage of that and take the BU training courses. Having aptitude on Bloomberg will set you apart from your peers.

All of this being said, you really should try to find relevant work. Having some experience will be crucial when you hit the job market after graduation.

Good luck!

No reason not to take it now. If you take it on your own, you can claim the tuition and textbook amount on taxes. If your employer pays for it, then no money out of your pocket but honestly knowing employers do you really think they want to spend money on someone who hasn't taken it vs. hiring someone who already has it?
The other consideration is that the certification is valid for 3 years which can be extended by taking "Continuing Education" courses basically keeping your knowledge up to date. So keep that in mind when planning.
If you finish the CSC quickly, there is also the CPH which also needs to be completed. Money may also be a consideration. Both courses average out to be $1000 each.

mrcarter wrote: ↑I am currently not attending any summer courses. I am expected to specialize in finance.

My question is because I am entering year 3 in september, what should I do at this point to make myself more marketable. I spoke to several mentors who recommended me to take the CSC as well as some who told me to wait until my employment request me to take it. I have 3 months to study hard and I don't know how I should be allocating my time. I currently do not work and I don't think I can find an internship for this summer.

My choices are
1) start studying for CFA LV1
2) take the CSC
3) read a book(if any recommendation)
4) take some other license

I really do not want to waste my summer and would like to make it as productive as possible

I was also planning to enroll in the csc maybe after 2 weeks or so but I was trying to see if I could find a way to get it cheaper apart from the 10% discount for students

mrcarter wrote: ↑I am currently not attending any summer courses. I am expected to specialize in finance.

My question is because I am entering year 3 in september, what should I do at this point to make myself more marketable. I spoke to several mentors who recommended me to take the CSC as well as some who told me to wait until my employment request me to take it. I have 3 months to study hard and I don't know how I should be allocating my time. I currently do not work and I don't think I can find an internship for this summer.

My choices are
1) start studying for CFA LV1
2) take the CSC
3) read a book(if any recommendation)
4) take some other license

I really do not want to waste my summer and would like to make it as productive as possible

As someone who also graduated from finance I would say finding a job, even if it's just remotely related to your field, is 100 times more useful than any of the other options. Work experience trumps all.

With that said, I see no reason to not start on CSC now if you have the spare time.

Take the CSC and find a job, any job, or volunteer. If nothing is posted, go to a business that interests you and tell them you want to volunteer or job shadow someone in their finance department. These kind of experiences pay dividends later on. Try to relate it to finance if that's the field you want, hustle and find something. The CSC is not a big time consumer and you could work and take the CSC easily.

If you have the time and money, you could take the CSC. However it won't give you a leg up in terms of competing against other candidates. Work experience as magictrickx is king. Employers value work experience than certificates etc.

Agree as above, work experience over all.
Personally I do not recommend taking the CFA because most people who takes it during university will never end up needing it in their future job.

take more license always going to help you can also find work that is pay on commission only most of them will take student and provided excellent training . sometime evening sponsor your CSC for example primerica they will paid for half for your mutual fund license .