CMU MSCF CMU MSCF Application Discussion

[inferno]

I am not an expert, but I will try to take at shot.

An interview can be short if the interviewer is impressed within the first 5 minutes and he makes up his mind to take that candidate. So do not be worried.

The only thing is: you mentioned trader. The program prepares you to do quant stuff in the industry. On the other hand non quantitative trading requires street smart people with just a BS degree in which case the MSCF degree will not add a lot of value.

But again it's just my own personal view. I would say you still have a pretty good shot at the program.

 

[bladedancer]

I am not an expert, but I will try to take at shot.

An interview can be short if the interviewer is impressed within the first 5 minutes and he makes up his mind to take that candidate. So do not be worried.

The only thing is: you mentioned trader. The program prepares you to do quant stuff in the industry. On the other hand non quantitative trading requires street smart people with just a BS degree in which case the MSCF degree will not add a lot of value.

But again it's just my own personal view. I would say you still have a pretty good shot at the program.

Thx inferno, many say that only very few interviewed candidates get rejected in the end. Hopefully I didn't say anything that made Rick feel bad. For the career plan, since I said about trading in my first application essay, I guess I should stick to it in the interview

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Props to you for mentioning QN to show that you did some research and not just apply to CMU or any other program randomly.
That said, the answers sound a bit naive and it may show a lack of understanding of the current industry, job market condition, trend, etc.
Starting from risk analyst and then network your way into trading jobs is a very long shot at best. How many people you personally know that did that?

why trader? I said I saw my friends trading for asset management firms and I felt it exciting to be directly playing in the ever-changing market.

This is a very bland answer and doesn't show that you are genuinely interested or passionated about the field at all.

I finished the interview with two questions, the first was about choice of campus, NYC vs. Pittsburgh; the other was about qualities trading firms look for when they hire traders.

The first question is probably been asked too many times so a quick search would answer them. So is the second question. There is nothing specific about CMU that change the answer to it. It's just a very generic question.
There are just way too many information about CMU on this website for you to not know a lot about them already. Questions should be used to show that you did your HW and ask something different.
That's my take. At the very least, you get an interview so it's a 50/50 chance.

 

[Keith Tan]

as long as you've not heard any rejections, you still stand a chance!

 

[bladedancer]

Props to you for mentioning QN to show that you did some research and not just apply to CMU or any other program randomly.
That said, the answers sound a bit naive and it may show a lack of understanding of the current industry, job market condition, trend, etc.
Starting from risk analyst and then network your way into trading jobs is a very long shot at best. How many people you personally know that did that?

This is a very bland answer and doesn't show that you are genuinely interested or passionated about the field at all.

The first question is probably been asked too many times so a quick search would answer them. So is the second question. There is nothing specific about CMU that change the answer to it. It's just a very generic question.
There are just way too many information about CMU on this website for you to not know a lot about them already. Questions should be used to show that you did your HW and ask something different.
That's my take. At the very least, you get an interview so it's a 50/50 chance.

Thx to the reply Andy.
The way I said these things were different. For the career part, I said since the Volcker rule was supposed to kick in in the near future, many big banks were shifting away from prop trading and that might potentially harm employment perspectives for trading jobs. Though I will work hard to secure a front office S&T job, in case I cannot, I always need a plan B. I might start with some other roles, like a risk analyst, and try to network into trading desk.
Then for the NYC vs. Pittsburgh campus question, I first stated the pros and cons for each campus as discussed in many posts, and asked him as a fresh graduate, which one would benefit me more, since it's really hard to decide. In addition, I mentioned I've traveled to NYC campus and hopefully can make a tour to Pittsburgh sometime before making a decision.
Does it sound better like this?

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Then for the NYC vs. Pittsburgh campus question, I first stated the pros and cons for each campus as discussed in many posts, and asked him as a fresh graduate, which one would benefit me more, since it's really hard to decide.

And his answer was Pittsburgh for fresh graduate?

 

[bladedancer]

And his answer was Pittsburgh for fresh graduate?

He said NYC would be better

 

[Andy Nguyen]

You did all you can. It's pretty much out of your hand at this point. Just relax and pray. Hope your tracker will turn green soon
https://www.quantnet.com/threads/10-things-you-can-do-while-waiting-for-admissions-result.8766/

 

[bladedancer]

You did all you can. It's pretty much out of your hand at this point. Just relax and pray. Hope your tracker will turn green soon
https://www.quantnet.com/threads/10-things-you-can-do-while-waiting-for-admissions-result.8766/

Thx. Hopefully my tracker can turn green on Jan 31st, and some great suggestions here~

 

[Lakshmen]

at least you had an interview, i haven't received my interview invite... making me very worried...

 

[Renco]

Nothing technical, Rick first asked how I learned about the program, then about career plans, and other programs I applied to. Then I asked him a couple of questions. Then interview only went about 12mins, and it's more like a chitchat

Rumor has it they only want to check out your mental health state.

 

[bladedancer]

Rumor has it they only want to check out your mental health state.

Well, then I have to say my answer was pretty healthy, nothing anti-social~

 

[bladedancer]

at least you had an interview, i haven't received my interview invite... making me very worried...

I think you still got time. In the email I received, I was asked to schedule a date before Jan 25th. I think that means the interviewing process is going to last until right before they release the final result. You may just receive an invitation any time~
Good luck~

 

[Shweta]

Do both Rick & Gwen conduct behavioral interviews ?

 

[Lakshmen]

jus curious, when was your application complete, in the sense when did the recommendation letters and gre scores all go in?

 

[Shweta]

Andy Nguyen I have my interview with Gwen, and from most of the CMU based posts, it appears that Rick conducts an "easy" interview where he asks the standard Qs each yr... but Gwen has a more "different" interview than the standard Qs... any tips on how to prepare for my interview (with Gwen) ?

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Both are non technical interviewers so if you have done your research on CMU MSCF, why MFE, etc (things you put in your application), there is no reason to worry. Much of it would be to assess your English and communication skill.

 

[bladedancer]

jus curious, when was your application complete, in the sense when did the recommendation letters and gre scores all go in?

My last recommendation was submitted just before Thanksgiving, that's about 10 days after I submitted the application.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Usually, the programs would proceed with those that have their application marked as COMPLETE by their application system, be it Embark, ApplyYourself, etc. It would normally mean that all required documents have been uploaded (essay, resume, transcript, etc), all third party documents received (GRE, official transcript, TOEFL, LoR).

In the past, there have been cases where the applicants don't follow up with the admission people and did not discover that their application was marked INCOMPLETE because some missing paperwork. As a result, they received no communication except for the rejection email/letter.

Don't let that happen to you. Be proactive. Check with the schools to have a confirmation in writing that your application is complete.

 

[markhobbus]

Note: Official transcripts are not required to be sent until after you are admitted.