What does it take to get into a decent MFE program?Help!

[SuperDavid]

Hello All,

I'm David. As I have loved both math and finance, I thought MFE program was way to go. However, I was rejected by several MFE programs and MIT MFin program. I was frustrated and so eager to know what does it take to get in? I have a bachelor degree in mathematics with a 3.78 GPA with honor status and I got 170 GRE Q+143 GRE V. I understand I didn't have any finance course, but can I just pick them up during the program? I was just wondering what are admission committee looking for and how competitive it is for a good program like say Columbia MF, which I was rejected by? Could anyone give me some suggestions of improving my chance of getting in for next year? Really appreciate it.

Btw, I also have decent amount of campus activities, which I thought grad school would care, but now I doubt it.

I applied kinda of late too, in January, could that be another reason?

Sincerely,

 

[pplstuff]

Do you have any experience? (Relevant internships/work - in a math/actuarial/financial setting)
What is your programming background?
400V GRE seems pretty low.

Math/programming seems to have a greater weight in the application process than finance.

 

[SuperDavid]

I have some finance summer internship experience, but was not that decent, merely just for figuring out my interest. I have done 1st actuary exam. It was actually 143 in revised version, But do they even care about the Verbal part?
I really regrat didn't get a CS minor in college, I thought programing was just extremely essay I can just learn it quickly. I ditched my only CS class but stilled got an A. So lame that I have to prove every ability with sort of formal credential.

Thank very much for your replaying!

 

[pplstuff]

I'm sure they don't care too much about verbal score - but, having less than the 50th percentile doesn't look stellar. To prove your worth in programming, maybe take the C++ course offered here on quantnet or try to take on a computational programming role at work.

To sympathize with your situation, I wish I had a math minor/major lol. I did finance and an MBA, which doesn't seem to be enough to get into any of these programs either. Rough life.