City, University of London, Bayes Business School - MSc Financial Mathematics

The admission process consisted of the following requirements:

IELTS
GRE/GMAT
Personal Statement
2 Letters of Recommendation
It was fairly standard, but compared to top universities like Oxford, it was a bit lenient since there was no additional test after the application process. Additionally, there was no strict requirement for a programming background, which might explain the elementary nature and the use of MATLAB in the programming courses.

The modules were well-curated, covering all aspects of quantitative finance, from stochastic processes to econometrics, finance, and programming. This created a solid foundation for more advanced modules in the second term. Personally, the biggest selling point for me was the faculty. Their prominence and importance in both the industry and academia are highly regarded, and this is reflected in their teaching. In particular, the Financial Engineering Workshop held by Professor Laura Ballotta was highly advantageous. Tuning into recent academic and corporate research from one of the most renowned quants in the world provided an excellent opportunity to network, gain insight, and perhaps find my own niche.

One of the weaker points of the course was the career services. The career services are not ideal for quant students, as they primarily focus on traditional finance roles and lack significant presence in the quant space. The recent and upcoming changes to the program's name have also impacted recruitment efforts, as firms may perceive the university as less established despite the quant courses being well-established since the late 90s. At the careers fair, only a few firms were actively looking for quants. While the personalized, one-on-one guidance from the careers team is excellent, it lacks specialization in recruiting for standard quant roles. The focus on the energy and shipping sectors of finance does not align well with the skills provided by the course, making it feel like a step down.

Another important aspect is the quality of the cohort. I had an amazing time with incredible people, from working hard during exam seasons and pulling all-nighters for group coursework to socializing outside of university and making lifelong friends. The cohort size of about 35-40 people allowed everyone to know each other well and work as a team. It was a diverse group in terms of backgrounds, nationalities, and ages. However, it would have been even better if the cohort was more competitive and had a stronger passion for traditional quant roles, as many students were focused on different areas of finance not closely related to quantitative finance.

Overall, it was a great experience, especially considering the lower tuition cost compared to its peer universities in London and the UK.