"MFE program profile evaluation" master thread

[bigbadboy]

Evaluation required!!

My GPA as computed by WES is 3.8/4.0
GRE 1400(800-Q, 600-V) TOEFL 104
My major was in Information Technology and I have studied subjects like C, C++, Java in detail and even have programming experience in Java and .NET platform
Our course included relevant subjects like
1.Simulation and Modeling
2.Financial Accounting and Management of Innovation of Technology
3.Applied Mathematics (3 semester)
4. Computational Mathematics (1 semester)

I have no full time work experience.

Could you please suggest me some good universities for Financial engineering based on my above profile.

Your help would be really appreciated. Thank You.

@ andy do you think I stand a chance at NYU, Chicago and NCSU

 

[nikita]

hi
Please evaluate my profile for Uof Michigan and UIUC MFE programmes, University of toronto-MMF
Final year student at one of the top 10 engineering colleges in India(NIT)
Undergrad- BTech Electronics and communication
GPA 7.8/10,latest semester 9/10
GRE Q 790,V 660
TOEFL 117
Have done all required math modules and a summer module in Econometrics (A+) at LSE
Progarmming: C++ and matlab,did coding for several electronics project
Internship-Technology internship with a telecom company
-Managmemt and Finance Consultants
Holds a job offer with a leading global bank in India
CBSE 10th 96%
CBSE 12 th 92%
Good recommendations and SOP
nkt

 

[barbie]

guys i need sum help! i got admits from Rutgers(MQF) and UNCC( Math Finance). How good is the MQF program at Rutgers? i seem to get different reviews!! and im awaiting gtech (qcf) decision.. but i need to finalize Rutgers before the 25th of march. can someone tell me abt the program at Rutgers (masters of quantitative finance).

 

[kichuxj]

hi
Please evaluate my profile for Uof Michigan and UIUC MFE programmes, University of toronto-MMF
Final year student at one of the top 10 engineering colleges in India(NIT)
Undergrad- BTech Electronics and communication
GPA 7.8/10,latest semester 9/10
GRE Q 790,V 660
TOEFL 117
Have done all required math modules and a summer module in Econometrics (A+) at LSE
Progarmming: C++ and matlab,did coding for several electronics project
Internship-Technology internship with a telecom company
-Managmemt and Finance Consultants
Holds a job offer with a leading global bank in India
CBSE 10th 96%
CBSE 12 th 92%
Good recommendations and SOP
nkt

@nikita : I have a similar profile like urs.. I got admitted to Umich so i would say ur profile is competitive for umich, uiuc not sure about toronto..

 

[kichuxj]

undergrade GPA seems to be low to get into top notch programs

Hi Andy and other members,

I'm planning to apply a master program in financial engineering for next year, currently thinking of Berkeley and Baruch. I will target not only top programs but I'd like to know my chance to get into top programs as well. I don't have anything impressive in my profile, I have stronger computer related scores but my undergraduates score in math are not very awesome, that makes me nervous about my chance of getting in to the program.

My undergraduate GPA is 3.27/4.00

Math courses
Calculus I C
Calculus II C
Discrete Mathematics I C
Discrete Mathematics II B
Statistics B
Linear Algebra C
Applied Probabilty B
Analysis of Numerical A

Programming courses
Introduction to Digital System B
Programming Concepts I A
Programming Concepts II A
Algorithm and Data Structure A
Intro to Computer Organization C
Database A
Theory of Languages and Auto B
Algorithm design and analysis A
System Analysis and Design B

Finance courses
Accounting Information System A

I graduated from University of Indonesia (on of the top 3 universities in Indonesia) 6 years ago, my major was Computer Science. Now I'm pursuing a master degree in International Trade from a Korean University (not one of the top universities), have finished all my classes and my thesis is still under review so my target is I'll graduate this summer.

Currently I'm working in one of Korean Banks in South Korea. I have been working in this bank for 4 years, started with a rotation program in corporate finance departments, 2 years in the branch, and 3 months in a Country Risk team (Credit Review department under Risk Management division). My job description now is country monitoring, focussing in Indonesia. Shortly, I realize my experience and my job don't really support me to be a quant.

Since now I'm working in the risk management division, I'll take the FRM exam this year. Also I'll start to the read books recommended in this forum and I plan to take the refresher courses online in Berkeley next January. (I'd like to take it in person but unfortunately they don't have such courses here in Korea. If anybody can recommend me other courses I could take this year online earlier than the Berkeley's, it would be awesome.). I haven't taken GRE or GMAT or TOEFL and plan to take them this year. I know this is a long long way to go but I would like to hear some opinions from you guys.

Thanks a lot!

 

[rishab dhar]

Hi Andy,

It would be great if you could evaluate my profile.I have applied to UIUC's MSFE. Also, how would you rate my chance for UCB's MFE program?

1)I'm a computer science and engg. graduate from India, with 69% marks during my engg-first division ( 70% or more =first division with distinction)
2) 97% in math in class 10, and 90% in math in class 12.

100% marks in math1 and math 2 in the university exam(1/360)
90% marks in math 3 at university level.

The math that I studied in college included calculus-multiple integrals,vector calculus, partial differential equations ,probability,complex numbers, matrices etc

3) GMAT -720 (Q49 V40, AWA 5.0/6)
4) Programming Languages-C,C++,Java,and Matlab, with 70%+ marks in C and C++. and 66% marks in Java. I studied Matlab on my own.
4) Final year project on financial management of college canteen
5) 2 internships, but both are unrelated to finance.
6) good reco's.

 

[WushiX]

I'm currently a junior at Virginia Tech. Next year I will apply for MFE's straight out of college. This is probably what my profile should look like

School: Virginia Tech
Major: Math (Bachelor's)
GPA: 3.7/4.0, GPA with freshman year excluded: 4.0/4.0
Relevant Coursework: Math-Finance Modeling I and II (grad level, this 2-course sequence covers martingales, Ito's Lemma, Black-Scholes model, and the pricing of exotic options like Asians, Americans, Barriers, etc), Probability & Statistics I and II, Bayesian Statistics, Micro/Macroeconomics, Accounting, Numerical Analysis, PDE, Data Structures & Algorithms, Applied Mathematical Modeling, Time Series and/or Regression Analysis
Other Coursework: Calculus of Variations (grad level), Real Analysis, Intro to Finance

All of these should be A's. The only exception might be Calc of Variations, but I'm not taking that until Senior year.

Main Experience:

• Technology Analyst Intern at BB (one of Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan). This will be for the Summer after my junior year
• Junior Analyst for BASIS, which is a student run investment group that manages a $4.7 million fixed income portfolio. I will be doing this my senior year.

Other Experience:

• Tutored kids in math (calculus, linear algebra, that sort of thing) for a semester
• Software Technologies Lab - mainly did web development stuff (PHP, MySQL). This was during the summer after my freshman year and the following semester.

Assume I get 800Q on GRE

What are my chances at top MFE programs? Particularly Columbia, NYU (Courant), Cornell, Baruch, CMU, and UChicago. Judging by the student profiles on Cornell, NYU, and Baruch's websites, I feel as though I have a good shot at getting into those programs. Am I correct in thinking so? CMU seems like they look for people with more experience, so I don't think I have much of a shot. I have no idea about Columbia or UChicago though. Do those schools have student profiles? Can anyone who got admitted or denied to any of these programs provide any insight?

Also just to be sure, Stanford, MIT, and Princeton are out of my league right?

 

[Sherlock]

Your profile looks good. If you sell yourself in the best possible way nothing is out of your league. I believe with a little luck you have chances for all the universities above. Try to take as many as possible Mathematics courses and get A and you should be fine. But still only the Ad Com know what your chaces are. Good Luck.

 

[arvin]

@arvin
There are plenty of programs will accept you, that's not an issue. The question is how those programs will server your career in the short and long term. Short term, how it will prepare you for internship and first job in this competitive market. Long term, how it will prepare you for a technically demanding and rapidly changing field.
And just because you want to do a program doesn't mean you can do anything with a degree. You need to specify the location and the niche that you will best grow.

Thank you Andy for your response.
I am agree with all you that you just said. But I am applying for two main reasons.
1: I am very interested in this program. Quant is my dream job. I can find appropriate word to express my passion for Math, Statistics, and Finance. I also enjoy programming and have work experience in USA.
2: I have no choice. I already have a master from Iran, but I have n't been able to find a related job for two years here in USA. This program is my last shot.

Andy with this background do you think I can get into NCSU or Rutgers MSFM?
GPA undergrad 2.6 in applied Math, and grad GPA is 3.5 Industrial engineering and system management.
1 year programming experience.
TOEFL (ibt) 82 GRE Q780,V300, W2.5

 

[nuttavutj]

Can anyone comment on my profile please?
BS in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech December 2010
High Honor 3.45/4.00 (Highest Honor cut off is at 3.55)
GRE 790/480/4.0

Math/Statistics Background
Calc I A
Calc II A
Calc III B (diff equations)
Linear Algebra B
Probability B
Statistics B
Manufacturing and Warehousing A (stochastic process and statistics used)
Stochastic Process A
Quality Control (all kind of tests- t test, z, f, and so on) B
Regression and Forecasting B
Simulation A
Optimization B
Advanced Stochastic Process and Advanced Optimization (graduate level courses) both C's
IE Senior Design B
Econ/ Finance related courses- I got A's on most of them
programming/mathematical languages- matlab, express, gams, minitab, java, sql, arena.
Im a bit concerned right now about my chance of getting into decent or good enough MFE programsa after looking at applications in the Tracker section. I applied to most of the schools that are listed here in the quantnet school ranking except the top 5. I hope that Georgia Tech and BU would be my safety but anything could happen!!

What are my chances at Georgia Tech and BU? and also at higher ranked schools such as Baruch, Cornell, UBC, UCLA, NYU?
any comments are welcomed!

 

[nuttavutj]

anyone? Andy?

 

[wslinfeng]

I maybe not the typical MFE guy:

Bachelor and Master in civil engineering from Chinese institutions: low under GPA:78%, Master GPA:83%...
five years' experience as an auditor.
MBA in a so so US business school majoring in Finance: 3.8/4.0 GPA
now working in large future exchange for risk management in China.

career path post MFE: may return to current employer or go for IB.

Certification: CFA level-II, FRM and AICPA
GMAT: 730(q50)
target school: UCLA, may try Berkeley and CMU, or try Columbia after taking GRE

Pros: knowledge of Finance and working experience
cons: old guy with poor under GPA

comments and recommendation welcome welcome

 

[Andy Nguyen]

@nuttavutj
The way you present your profile, it does not look any different from about 1000+ applications I have read. You are coming from the same engineering/math/CS/hard science background like them. You meet all the requirements for courses.

How do I know you are unique among the pool of other people? I don't.
This is where the personal essay of "why financial engineering? Why this degree?" would reveal better picture of who you are. Right now, you are just someone with a username and your personality does not come through. Yet.

Judging people from a list of statistics is very hard to do. Unless you try to do more here to differentiate yourself, I can't help much.

 

[nuttavutj]

well said Andy! I have already submitted my applications. I hope my SOP and letters of recommendation can convince the admission committee why I am distinctive from other applicants!

 

[Burns]

Hello all. I am new here, and would deeply appreciate an evaluation of my profile.

Age: 30

Education
Undergraduate
Bachelors in Civil Engineering from India (~65% marks in the final year)
Less-than-average Math scores

GRE (expired): 1450 (Q790)
TOEFL (expired): 297/300

Graduate
Masters in Civil Engineering from a third-tier Pacific Northwest school (GPA: 3.4)

Work experience
Civil Engineering: 2.5 years
Business Intelligence Reporting: 2 years

Programming skills: Elementary to intermediate (C/C++)

No substance in the profile, you say? Wait, there's more bad news: After my undergrad, I enrolled in a CivE Masters program at a top-five school, from where I was kicked out due to academic non-performance (girl issues; I was young and very, very stupid). I went back home, reevaluated my priorities and applied to another CE graduate program. After graduating, I interned as a CAD/spreadsheet monkey for 6 months, and quickly decided that wasn't for me. I've been working in BI since.

I know I will have to retake the GRE; the old scores are provided for perspective. I also understand that I am a little late for Fall 2011 admissions. I have a few months to plan/prepare for a 2012 (Spring?) entry, improving my profile in whatever way I can.

Reading through the profiles of some of the applicants here is crushingly discouraging, to say the least. A part of me knows the answer, but I'll ask anyway: what do you guys think? With my age and past academic shenanigans working against me, do I have even a sliver of a chance to get into a half-decent MFE/MQF/OR&FE program?

Please let me know if I can provide any more information. Thank you.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

@Burns
It's good that you are realistic and not get your hope up too high. To get into one of the top programs, a typical Indian applicant would look something like this: graduate from one of the IIT with a first class honors, intern or work at Google, Yahoo, or in one of the banks office there, well versed in programming, with a load of certifications from Bombay Stocks Exchange, blah blah.

People get discouraged because you always see talks about the top programs here by applicants who got in. You hear little about the lower ranked programs but there is a whole underground ecosystem around these programs. Each of these programs get hundreds of applicants each year who get their degree and we never hear from them again. Nobody knows if they get jobs, doing some job that has nothing to do with their degree or simply gave up and go home.

The question is why would you want to go to a half-decent program? In this market, a full-decent program may not mean much. Getting a new GRE and get C++ skill up are easy to do, but giving up your job and jump into a half-decent program are not wise. You may as well try to get an IT job in the banks and save all the time, money.

 

[santoshb]

Undergrad from an Indian University in Electrical Engineering with Maths in first four semesters.

Total Experience : Almost 10 years of pure development experience. (Finance 7 years)

Most Current Experience: Working for a proprietary trading firm in a small independent group based in bay area for close to 4 years. Knowledge of market making, low latency algorithmic trading, fix fast messages, futures, stocks and options. I mostly do development and works closely with traders and quants and learned "quite a bit" in the last few years but now want to get back to school and be the master of it and so i thought to apply for MFE. I haven't appeared for GRE yet but planning to appear in 3 months but came across this site so thought to get opinion from the active vetrons in this forums.

 

[Tsotne]

Which programming languages? Previous GPA(s)? Possible GRE scores...Hard to evaluate from the given information. Experience is just helpful info not the determinant one. @santoshb

 

[santoshb]

@Tstne thank you. Haven't appeared for GRE yet. GPA(%)=75, Class Ranking 10 out of 60. Exp: Tech(Java and related techologies) and in the initial 1-2years (C and Microsoft technology).

 

[Tsotne]

@Tstne thank you. Haven't appeared for GRE yet. GPA(%)=75, Class Ranking 10 out of 60. Exp: Tech(Java and related techologies) and in the initial 1-2years (C and Microsoft technology).

You experience is definitely quite proper for the admission purposes. Though, you don't have an enough math background as we see (I mean academic level, if yes, which courses did you cover?). GPA also doesn't seem to be competitive enough. You should recover those by high GRE score.