Rate My Profile for 2026 MFE

[ordinarynanobot]

Hello, Could you all please evaluate my profile? I'm planning to apply for MFE in 2026.

Experience: 11 years of experience in banking within Risk management.
Certification: FRM and CFA level 1.
Coding: SAS, Python, Power BI. I have taken C,C++ courses during my undergrad days but I have not used in recently.
Education: Have a Post graduate diploma in management and Undergrad in Engineering. Both from India.
Undergrad GPA (Engineering): 2.75
Currently residing in the US. and a Citizen of India.
Goal: Move to a more quantitative side within risk management. Currently, I'm in credit risk and build basic models for loss forecasting and capital calculation.

I'm looking at the following colleges:
1. Berkeley Haas MFE
2. Carnegie Mellon
3. UCLA

Are my target schools realistic based on my low GPA? Could you also Suggest some other colleges where I have good chances and help my goals?
Thank you!

 

[Tigga]

Looks like you graduated a long time ago. Your plan is not realistic since to switch gear from working FT to be ready for the fast pace and condensed nature of the MFE programs.
Best thing is to take time to prep yourself for all the math you need to do in your first semester. Consider taking intensive prep courses like pre-MFE courses from Baruch MFE. If you do well, then you can be more confident apply.
Best of luck @ordinarynanobot

 

[MikeLawrence]

Like @Tigga said, consider the Baruch Pre-MFE courses. I'm in the Adv. Calc course now and it is well taught and worthwhile. Great for building confidence and more depth than the courses at my university. The example questions are fun.

I'd also take the C++ Course offered here on QN, and look into @Daniel Duffy's courses at datasim.nl. I'm a little more than halfway through the Applied Numerical Methods and Applied Numerical Methods with Python and I must say that they are well put together. With a 2.75 GPA in engineering, you will need to relearn from the beginning- starting with calculus, and then basic linear algebra, before you are ready for the Baruch Pre-MFE courses or Dr. Duffy's courses.

 

[danielore]

Looks like you graduated a long time ago. Your plan is not realistic since to switch gear from working FT to be ready for the fast pace and condensed nature of the MFE programs.
Best thing is to take time to prep yourself for all the math you need to do in your first semester. Consider taking intensive prep courses like pre-MFE courses from Baruch MFE. If you do well, then you can be more confident apply.

Hi, I am in a similar situation than ordinaynanobot, only that I'm based in Mexico, non-banking risk in a bank haha. I have experience in simulations or IR, VaR (Vega), derivative pricing, and translating simple models from excel to python. I have some treat with traders, but I have just 1 year of xp and finished a days ago an economics degree with 3.4 of GPA. Do you recommend me to take all Baruch Pre-MFE courses? And also if you see viable for e to pursue a MFE, I'm considering UCLA, Berkely and Chicago, mostly because I see that the average age in those programs is 24, and I will turn 24 next year, if I don't secure a place, I'll be 25 in 2026.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Age is not a concern. Prepare so you are ready in the first day of the program to apply and interview for jobs.
Take whatever needed courses to prepare you. Math and programming courses. Aim to be better than other applicants not the minimal requirements to get admitted.