Chicago MSFM Chicago MSFM Application Discussion

[redoctober]

Really thought I had a decent profile with CFA and relevant work ex + good GRE (330), even contacted a few alumni and they said I'd get in, but got outright rejected. This year seems tough.

I feel you, I thought I had a pretty strong profile too. The anecdotes that this year is much more competitive than before across all programs appear to be true

 

[mr_spectre]

Waitlisted.

Final decision by May 10. The wait goes on!

 

[dudepc]

Honestly, looking at how many of us got waitlisted, I don't have much hope lol. especially there are r2 applicants too

 

[bootstrap]

Really thought I had a decent profile with CFA and relevant work ex + good GRE (330), even contacted a few alumni and they said I'd get in, but got outright rejected. This year seems tough.

I know where you are coming from...I got CFA, FRM, 3.9/4.0 GPA (stats, math, econ), 339 GRE, 10 years of relevant exp, but I also got waitlisted. This year is messed up to be honest.

 

[rodeo]

I know where you are coming from...I got CFA, FRM, 3.9/4.0 GPA (stats, math, econ), 339 GRE, 10 years of relevant exp, but I also got waitlisted. This year is messed up to be honest.

I guess it is what it is. Combination of bad luck, timing and maybe a little unawareness on my part. Let's hope these setbacks don't matter in the long term. All the best.

 

[bootstrap]

I guess it is what it is. Combination of bad luck, timing and maybe a little unawareness on my part. Let's hope these setbacks don't matter in the long term. All the best.

I am just wondering where are all the perfect applicants coming from this year. ..

Anyway, good luck to you too, and everybody else here as well.

 

[Alex Ng]

I am just wondering where are all the perfect applicants coming from this year. ..

Anyway, good luck to you too, and everybody else here as well.

Probability just better fit in terms of what the program is looking for. Sometimes, it's just pure bad luck.

I'm not sure what the conversion rate is for this program's waitlist, but the case is not rare from what I have seen in previous years. So best of luck to everyone.

 

[bootstrap]

Probability just better fit in terms of what the program is looking for. Sometimes, it's just pure bad luck.

I'm not sure what the conversion rate is for this program's waitlist, but the case is not rare from what I have seen in previous years. So best of luck to everyone.

Yeah...but then, if it were just one school, that might be bad luck.

If it were the same with multiple schools, then maybe I wrote a very sloppy personal statement.

But now a whole bunch of us with seemingly strong profiles are getting brushed off, then I can't help but think something weird is going on.

 

[bootstrap]

I guess it is what it is. Combination of bad luck, timing and maybe a little unawareness on my part. Let's hope these setbacks don't matter in the long term. All the best.

Let's hang in there and keep fighting!

 

[drakaron]

Yeah i feel the same. Like not even 1 is accepting.
I might have to try next year again. Do i know what is inherently wrong ? Probably not. Will I still do it. Yes.

 

[bootstrap]

Yeah i feel the same. Like not even 1 is accepting.
I might have to try next year again. Do i know what is inherently wrong ? Probably not. Will I still do it. Yes.

Is there any way we can find out what's wrong?Otherwise even if we were to try again next year with the same profile, how would we know we wont end up the same?

 

[drakaron]

Is there any way we can find out what's wrong?Otherwise even if we were to try again next year with the same profile, how would we know we wont end up the same?

The only way to move forward is to enhance your profile with better work/projects. I don't see any other way. After many rejections, I wondered what more could be done. The point is not to get admitted to these colleges but to use them as stepping stones to your goals. If luck plays a part, then statistically, we won't always be unlucky.
All we need is 1 win. Stay stong buddy.

 

[bootstrap]

The only way to move forward is to enhance your profile with better work/projects. I don't see any other way. After many rejections, I wondered what more could be done. The point is not to get admitted to these colleges but to use them as stepping stones to your goals. If luck plays a part, then statistically, we won't always be unlucky.
All we need is 1 win. Stay stong buddy.

Thanks Psyduck! I agree with you that we have to keep enhancing our profiles. My point is: if we can't figure out what are the "weakpoints" in our application in the eyes of the admission officers and then surgically address them, what's to prevent them from rejecting us again next year?

I don't want to mistake correlation for causation, but some schools do have much more impressive placement records than others. And from the alumns I have spoken to, some schools simply have excellent career services that make landing a good opportunity that much easier.

 

[drakaron]

You are right. Sadly, even getting my files reviewed with alumni of those schools didn't help much. Every school looks for different aspects of a candidate/ profile. We can talk to the folks who got admitted and get some confluence.

 

[rodeo]

Thanks Psyduck! I agree with you that we have to keep enhancing our profiles. My point is: if we can't figure out what are the "weakpoints" in our application in the eyes of the admission officers and then surgically address them, what's to prevent them from rejecting us again next year?

I don't want to mistake correlation for causation, but some schools do have much more impressive placement records than others. And from the alumns I have spoken to, some schools simply have excellent career services that make landing a good opportunity that much easier.

Actually makes me also wonder how competitive the job market will be after graduation. We'll have to compete with these all these selected students, plus many more talented undergrads for a few open quant positions. Cracking the top hedge funds would be almost impossible unless everything is 100% perfect.

 

[vol_whisperer]

Does anyone know whether the final decision for waitlist candidates is rolled out week after week until May 10 or all in one go at some particular date around May 10?

 

[kombuchalover]

Actually makes me also wonder how competitive the job market will be after graduation. We'll have to compete with these all these selected students, plus many more talented undergrads for a few open quant positions. Cracking the top hedge funds would be almost impossible unless everything is 100% perfect.

I will tell you with 100% certainty that it is almost impossible to get a job at a “top hedge fund” 90% of these people that are top students graduating from these top programs are ending up at banks, asset management firms etc. and not at hedge funds. Most people don’t get a job at a hedge fund ever, and if they do, they get the job at the hedge fund a decade later after a bank trained them. Just letting you know because as you’re wondering there legitimately is very few opportunities for anyone at a hedge fund let alone new grads without a phd.

 

[LeoMessi]

I will tell you with 100% certainty that it is almost impossible to get a job at a “top hedge fund” 90% of these people that are top students graduating from these top programs are ending up at banks, asset management firms etc. and not at hedge funds. Most people don’t get a job at a hedge fund ever, and if they do, they get the job at the hedge fund a decade later after a bank trained them. Just letting you know because as you’re wondering there legitimately is very few opportunities for anyone at a hedge fund let alone new grads without a phd.

Interesting point. To shed some light on the career paths of past graduates, could we conduct a poll here on QuantNet asking students from previous years to share their job experiences, post-university? We could find out how many here got into (1) High-Frequency Trading Firms (2) Proprietary Trading Firms / Market Makers (3) Hedge Funds (4) Asset Managers (5) Investment Banks after their masters. Most universities don't publish granular data at this level; it's very generic.

 

[rodeo]

I will tell you with 100% certainty that it is almost impossible to get a job at a “top hedge fund” 90% of these people that are top students graduating from these top programs are ending up at banks, asset management firms etc. and not at hedge funds. Most people don’t get a job at a hedge fund ever, and if they do, they get the job at the hedge fund a decade later after a bank trained them. Just letting you know because as you’re wondering there legitimately is very few opportunities for anyone at a hedge fund let alone new grads without a phd.

Yeah this is 100% accurate, very few people even get into prop trading or asset management from what I've seen on Linkedin etc. I saw your enrollment into NC State. Would love to get your view on why you're choosing to go there. Any way to connect?

 

[redoctober]

Does anyone know whether the final decision for waitlist candidates is rolled out week after week until May 10 or all in one go at some particular date around May 10?

Looking at last year it appears that admits from the waitlist happened on a rolling basis. Some got admitted as early as only 1 week after getting waitlisted. This year could be different though.

I’m curious if anyone knows what the waitlist conversion has been historically?