NYU-Poly Rejection

[Francis Chan]

～～～～～～～～～～～～～～～

 

[pingu]

sorry to hear mate. I've heard if you don't come from Peking or Tsinghua, you can't compete with your Chinese peers (and they are TONS of them). If Poly rejected you, you are headed for 4th or 5th tier. Sorry for the honesty

 

[Ilya W]

Just as suggestion, try to check their Financial Engineering Certificate program http://bulletin.engineering.nyu.edu/preview_program.php?catoid=7&poid=2153&returnto=614. I think they might give you a chance to enroll there and if you are really good transfer to master program after. Not sure though, but that worth checking...

 

[Ilya W]

Looks like you are right. They closed it. What about same approach in Columbia? http://ce.columbia.edu/certificates/quantitative-studies-for-finance-certificate. Looks like though it just an advanced math classes... try to find out what are the chances to get into their MSFE after that.

 

[Ilya W]

Francis, the problem is I graduated a long time ago (back in 2007) a lot has changed since that times I knew about poly certificate only, and now it is closed. So I just look at the schools you were trying to get into and look if there is any certificate available. I think you can do the same

 

[Jorge Luis Montano Aguilera]

I got rejection from NYU-Poly MFE. I thought they might be less competitive than other programs and my application would be nearly guaranteed. Seems I was too optimistic, so sad I am.

My profile(GPA: 3.8 ranked top 2/97, Toefl: 105, GRE quant: 170, Electronic Commerce and Finance Undergrad in China Top school of Fin & Econ, UC Berkeley exchange, 3 internships in: Commercial Bank, IT, Investment Banking, 3 research projects in Quant Finance. Many extracurricular activities and awards. National Scholarship, US Mathematical Contest in Modelling, First Prize, etc. )

I have got rej from Columbia MSFE, MIT MFin, Cornell MFE, and NYU-Poly....No place to go so far. How can I do? I will add some applications to later-deadline schools: UCLA, Berkeley, Barch...

Can anyone give some suggestions or comments? I am so frustrated...God bless me....

Hi Francis, I read this article not too long ago:

http://www.businessinsider.com/harvard-business-school-rejected-impressive-students-2015-2

"So how come these truly extraordinary applicants couldn't get in? For some candidates, it might be easy to isolate a factor or two that led to the ding. There could be a slightly imperfect part of an application — too much job hopping, unusual job switches that don't make sense, unrealistic goals, high GPAs but in less challenging courses, or an essay filled with typos.

But for many of them, it's very much a mystery — particularly without the ability to see the entire application submitted to HBS. Their brief profiles and stats, however, demonstrate how random success can be when the applicant pool is filled with so many exceptional candidates."

 

[implol]

try to apply baruch. they may give you interview then hope that you can ace them.
no point to take tier 4 or 5 programs. not worthy of money.
i feel that your major may be one of the reaons that you got rejected. it does not sound like quantitative major at all...

 

[mhy]

sorry to hear mate. I've heard if you don't come from Peking or Tsinghua, you can't compete with your Chinese peers (and they are TONS of them). If Poly rejected you, you are headed for 4th or 5th tier. Sorry for the honesty

There are plenty of non-Peking/Tsinghua Chinese students. OP's profile is strong but apparently the competition was fierce.

 

[implol]

I agree. I also re-thought myself. Although the Electronic Commerce major focused on programming, my math and quantitative analysis background is insufficient.

But I have taken the pre-program course of C++ at QuantNet, and Fin Math at Berkeley. I hoped to make up these drawbacks, but the fact is I am rejected...

Anyway, Thank you.

i think one summer or semester at Berkeley does not truly make up these drawbacks. you can take a gap year and pass FRM or PRM or five actuarial exams. these exams are well known, much better demonstrations of your math skills. or perhaps you can write a convincing ps for Baruch. Baruch is one of hte few schools that give out technical interviews. they may weigh less on math courses since they will test your math skills anyway during interviews. anyway good luck

 

[xxxiecong]

Oh wow, I am very surprised that Poly actually rejected you. To be Honest, I did my undergraduate at poly, and I really didn't like the atmosphere there. Its quite a small campus, too. I won't suggest to attend this school. So, don't feel too bad about it.

 

[C S]

I think unless you actually spent some time communicating with them your desire to be admitted and attend, I wouldn't take the rejection too seriously. My experience with applying for a variety of things is that typically the not-as-good schools will reject students they consider too good. The assumption is you wouldn't go anyway, as you applied for them just as a safety. Of course, they were correct in that assumption, from what you wrote.

 

[DannyF]

I think unless you actually spent some time communicating with them your desire to be admitted and attend, I wouldn't take the rejection too seriously. My experience with applying for a variety of things is that typically the not-as-good schools will reject students they consider too good. The assumption is you wouldn't go anyway, as you applied for them just as a safety. Of course, they were correct in that assumption, from what you wrote.

This is probably the best explanation.

One explanation is that the admissions people did not trust the Berkeley course, and did not like the math grades you received. I do not think this is true.

The GRE verbal might have scared them. They might think that reading tough material in English will be hard for you. You can raise that score ten points with a little studying.

 

[Hirtzzz]

I could be wrong as I don't know the exact process. But given the school has people on waitlists doesn't it make no sense to reject the best candidates? Why not take the free option that they come and if they don't take someone from the waitlist?

 

[DannyF]

I could be wrong as I don't know the exact process. But given the school has people on waitlists doesn't it make no sense to reject the best candidates? Why not take the free option that they come and if they don't take someone from the waitlist?

Because the enrollment process is more hectic than the application process.

Consider what would happen if all the original admits backed out because Poly was a popular last resort, and all the waitlisted people accepted to other schools because a) they did not want wait, and b) they had to decide on the other schools they were accepted to by a short deadline (two weeks). Then Poly would have trouble filling their class.

I am not super confident in this explanation either. But I can understand if the "desire" to go to Poly is taken into account by the admissions system. The OP is a very unlucky casualty!

I applied to Poly and have heard nothing. Is that normal? Who knows what is going on!

 

[Francis Chan]

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[mufeii]

I think you are more suitable for pure finance. MFE is a totally different thing because they focus much more on your technical backgrounds. And I think you're not sure of your career path, so the first of all you should consider why MFE

 

[Francis Chan]

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[sidg]

Francis, I have been observing the admission processes at American universities for a while now, not only MFE but other engineering streams too. It is totally possible that you might have been over qualified for Poly. Nothing else adequately explains the reject.

I urge you to apply to other univs, maybe Rutgers and Baruch. I am sure you're headed for something way better :D

 

[mufeii]

Thanks. But I need to say if I am not sure what MFE is and why MFE, I would never apply it. I believe my SOP explicitly introduced these related information. I do not want to do pure finance. I have prepared for MFE for more than 2 years, I like quantitative finance and have my career plans, though not very persuasive.

Everyone has his/her own orientation and interest, even sometimes need to transfer to a new filed. Some of my peers change to pursue graduate studies in Media, Public Policy, etc. But how it relates to their Finance/Economics background? One of my friend received an offer from Baruch, guess what? She graduated with Accounting degree, with no Math/CS background, only took some pre-program courses at Baruch. Besides, there is always a part of Business background students admitted in Top MFE programs, and the proportion is nearly 20%.

Admittedly, the MFE is totally different with heavily focusing on your quantitative skills, but I have prepared myself with the prerequisites. Although I know I am still not strong enough, but I am willing to improve. I did not apply any MSF programs, because I don't like it...Even if I will some day, I would like to choose MBA after years of work.

Well, if you are pretty sure about your career path in MFE, then try to apply some more programs. Maybe it's just bad luck that you get rejections. I am economics and finance major actually and I totally understand what you're trying to express.Good luck then.

 

[TerryDawn]

This is really UNBELIEVABLE and frustrating.
I come from the same school as you do, and I have several friends without too many Math & CS courses or a high tank, who got admitted by Poly with even scholarship.
I think it is worth arguing with adcom, if Poly is really where you wanna go.
However, I do believe a strong applicant as you are, is to receive much better offers. You may just have to wait.