Georgia Tech QCF Admission Discussion

[nkscb]

Haven't gotten any replies either but, thinking of considering NYU Tandon at this point.
Do any of you have any ideas or thoughts about NYU Tandon MFE vs GT QCF?
I'd personally prefer GT because of the program being 18 months long, more computationally heavy and more cost friendly.
Particularly I'm concerned about how much does the NYC location help in getting jobs?

That's an interesting point about the 18-month duration – I had been under the impression that 15 months often strikes a good balance between accelerating entry into the workforce and gaining substantial learning.

 

[nkscb]

I was also curious—does the MS QCF program primarily cater to those with a computer science background, or can someone with a strong foundation in finance or statistics also thrive and fully leverage the curriculum? From what I’ve seen, the admitted cohort seems to lean heavily towards CS, so I’m wondering how well individuals from a more finance/stats-oriented background fit into and benefit from the program.

 

[nishm]

I was also curious—does the MS QCF program primarily cater to those with a computer science background, or can someone with a strong foundation in finance or statistics also thrive and fully leverage the curriculum? From what I’ve seen, the admitted cohort seems to lean heavily towards CS, so I’m wondering how well individuals from a more finance/stats-oriented background fit into and benefit from the program.

As far as i know when i took the information virtual session that they see the program as ai and ds for finance

 

[DraxxDestroyer]

I was also curious—does the MS QCF program primarily cater to those with a computer science background, or can someone with a strong foundation in finance or statistics also thrive and fully leverage the curriculum? From what I’ve seen, the admitted cohort seems to lean heavily towards CS, so I’m wondering how well individuals from a more finance/stats-oriented background fit into and benefit from the program.

The course is definitely very computationally heavy. Not to say that people from finance background can't make it but I've heard within the first sem itself they have programming courses in python, c++, R and I think even matlab which can be daunting for a non programmer.
Also about the 3 sem vs 4 sem argument. I feel tandon offers 33 credits in 4 sems which seems pretty slow to me compared to GT where I'd have to complete 36 credits in 3 sems, so staying for an extra semester at college when I could complete my degree earlier seems likea bit of waste of crucial time.

 

[Vittal]

Haven't gotten any replies either but, thinking of considering NYU Tandon at this point.
Do any of you have any ideas or thoughts about NYU Tandon MFE vs GT QCF?
I'd personally prefer GT because of the program being 18 months long, more computationally heavy and more cost friendly.
Particularly I'm concerned about how much does the NYC location help in getting jobs?

When it comes to pursuing a Master’s in Quantitative Finance, 4 universities frequently top the list for Indian students

NYU (New York University)
Georgia Tech (Georgia Institute of Technology)
NCSU (North Carolina State University)
Rutgers University

These institutions are known for their rigorous curriculum, industry connections, and strong placement records.

Naturally, they become dream destinations for many students aiming to break into the world of quant finance, risk management, trading, or financial engineering.

But here’s the challenge:

What happens when you get admits from two or more of these?

This is where most students start feeling confused — and rightfully so. Each of these programs shines in different areas, and there's no one-size-fits-all answer.

So I’ve created a Youtube video to analyze and differentiate these four programs based on a several key factors. I’ve tried my level best to break down the differences clearly — so you can make an informed decision, not just an emotional one.

 

[Vittal]

Hope this helps

 

[Andy Nguyen]

The youtube clip is from Mehul Mehta, a graduate of the NCSU who is working in risk management. He does a lot of content for Indian students.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

That's an interesting point about the 18-month duration – I had been under the impression that 15 months often strikes a good balance between accelerating entry into the workforce and gaining substantial learning.

A standard MFE program last 3 semesters: Fall, Spring, Fall where students usually did they summer internship in the second year.
Some programs have non traditional schedule and last only 1 year like UCB MFE which starts in Spring and students graduate in December.
When the job market is good for quant students (which was a long time ago), this 1-year span is a bonus because students can graduate and earn money sooner.
For the past several years, with many students struggle to find internship, some programs even extend their programs an extra semester so their students can stay in F1 visa longer to find internship or jobs.
In my experience, there are so much to absorb in 3 semesters while having to find internship, apply and interview. This will come as a shock to most students. Some will take shortcuts (not going to classes and learn the material properly) but the gist is that unless you are extremely prepared academically, most will struggle to fully learn and job search at the same time.
Take a look at Princeton which is a full 2 years program. I believe it's the only 2-year program on our ranking. Their students have a more balanced workload and time for career development. This helps them maintain a good placement rate over the years.

 

[DraxxDestroyer]

Hope this helps

Thanks a lot for that.

 

[nkscb]

A standard MFE program last 3 semesters: Fall, Spring, Fall where students usually did they summer internship in the second year.
Some programs have non traditional schedule and last only 1 year like UCB MFE which starts in Spring and students graduate in December.
When the job market is good for quant students (which was a long time ago), this 1-year span is a bonus because students can graduate and earn money sooner.
For the past several years, with many students struggle to find internship, some programs even extend their programs an extra semester so their students can stay in F1 visa longer to find internship or jobs.
In my experience, there are so much to absorb in 3 semesters while having to find internship, apply and interview. This will come as a shock to most students. Some will take shortcuts (not going to classes and learn the material properly) but the gist is that unless you are extremely prepared academically, most will struggle to fully learn and job search at the same time.
Take a look at Princeton which is a full 2 years program. I believe it's the only 2-year program on our ranking. Their students have a more balanced workload and time for career development. This helps them maintain a good placement rate over the years.

Thank you for this explanation!

 

[nkscb]

When it comes to pursuing a Master’s in Quantitative Finance, 4 universities frequently top the list for Indian students

NYU (New York University)
Georgia Tech (Georgia Institute of Technology)
NCSU (North Carolina State University)
Rutgers University

These institutions are known for their rigorous curriculum, industry connections, and strong placement records.

Naturally, they become dream destinations for many students aiming to break into the world of quant finance, risk management, trading, or financial engineering.

But here’s the challenge:

What happens when you get admits from two or more of these?

This is where most students start feeling confused — and rightfully so. Each of these programs shines in different areas, and there's no one-size-fits-all answer.

So I’ve created a Youtube video to analyze and differentiate these four programs based on a several key factors. I’ve tried my level best to break down the differences clearly — so you can make an informed decision, not just an emotional one.

This is a really good video. Any idea where does UCLA's MFE come into picture? How is it vis-a-vis say NCSU?

 

[Andy Nguyen]

This is a really good video. Any idea where does UCLA's MFE come into picture? How is it vis-a-vis say NCSU?

There is so many combination when you try to compare X vs Y.
We are actually building a tool for QuantNet that does exactly that. When people want to compare say UCLA vs NCSU, it will pull info from our proprietary data and present it side-by-side. This way, you can make an informed decision, lest any personal opinion or hearsay cloud judment.

 

[Vittal]

There is so many combination when you try to compare X vs Y.
We are actually building a tool for QuantNet that does exactly that. When people want to compare say UCLA vs NCSU, it will pull info from our proprietary data and present it side-by-side. This way, you can make an informed decision, lest any personal opinion or hearsay cloud judment.

Great

 

[Vittal]

No movement on application status....not yet got reply for email sent to Malcom..... anyone sent email to Laura / Malcolm ? Any response ?

Great

Any update on application status...anyone got reply from Laura or Malcom ?

 

[sidvz]

Oh mighty algorithms, let Georgia Tech admit me before my variance goes infinite

 

[Vittal]

Admit or reject ....let them give results ...so we can decide and proceed further....they stopped responding to email too

 

[Vittal]

Oh mighty algorithms, let Georgia Tech admit me before my variance goes infinite

You are already enrolled in nyu tondon...so what is the problem

 

[Vittal]

19 th March they updated in website that there will be 1 to 2 weeks delay ..1 week over ...this is second week they should give results by this weekend

 

[nkscb]

Haven't received reply from Malcolm. There is radio silence.

 

[nishm]

I think they will give a lot fewer admits this fall, which they also mentioned in their session. Apparently, a lot of students enrolled in the spring session, but I don't understand the program's selectivity. The program has around 60% acceptance rate in spring, which falls down to 25% in fall. This year it may fall down more.