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1) Liberty is the back bone of the USA. I see no issue with allowing people the right to do as they please as long as it effects themselves. It would make sense that people who strongly believe in liberty would be nationalistic. 2) The continued bashing of the tea party is rather pathetic...

If you break down the unemployment numbers you will see a high figure for high school graduates and a modest figure for college graduates. The economy is continuing to shift towards a more skilled economy, IMO. I think there are still plenty of positions for skilled workers. Either way, if...

This is a real shame. The USA tightened their issuance of visa's and all it does is push educated and hungry people to other countries. The UK is going ever further. Hopefully the USA will capitalize on this and relax their policy some. What is sad is that Europe desperately needs younger...

I was a panelist at a finance conference and I was taking notes. The night before was "interesting" so if anything I was exhausted. I need to change all of my pictures haha.

I wish I was still that good looking ha. That picture is of me when I was 23. I will see if I can find something more recent.

Yeah, I really wish more people would wake up and embrace libertarianism. I don't give a shit what other people do as long as it does not involve me or another unwilling 3rd party.

Luckily for me, my name is one of the most common Italian names out there. I have googled various iterations of my name and it is hard, even for me, to weed out the real stuff from other people. I am curious how standards will change in 20-30-40 years when an online presence is the norm...

The tea party is not against immigration, it is against ILLEGAL immigration. This issue is twisted non stop in the news here. I fail to see the issue people have. Mexico has stringent illegal immigrant laws for its southern boarder, but it is somehow wrong for us to have laws for ours. I...

Ah, HR at its finest. While I am fine with a company using all means within legal allowance to make the best hiring decision, I think companies need to put in strict limits to highly subjective stuff. Stupid facebook pictures or racist online rants are obviously big no-no's, but what happens...

This guy obviously ignored GS's massive drop in market cap a couple of years ago. They are not impervious. If anything, GS hires the best and the brightest so it makes sense that their alumni will go off and do amazing things. Unimaginative populist rant. I am glad that a college senior...

Wonderful article Andy! I forwarded it off to a couple professors with whom I am close. They enjoyed it also.

1) Many schools accept community college credits, not just fellow state schools. 2) Community College is junior college. You are only supposed to take 100-200 level classes. 3) I think the intensity and depth of a 100 History class at a community college is about the same as a large...

Bionic Turtle has a lot of videos and stuff online. I use them pretty frequently. Not sure how useful it might be in this instance. I would check out Youtube since they have a lot of online classes and instruction on there. Might help fill in the blanks when reading the book just doesn't...

Yeah, there is a huge demand for community college classes and not enough supply. I believe Obama pushed for an increase in funding or something. SAFRA, Recovery Act Benefit Community Colleges, Americas Gateway to the Future: News of the Day | EdLabor Journal | Committee on Education and...

Yes, sorry, I was not specific in my post. Regardless, for profit and online universities both offer a substandard product IMO. This is not directed at online classes, but at Phoenix, Devry, etc.

I actually agree with BigBadWolf. I think these online universities need to be reigned in because they are a huge scam, but it would not be a huge leap to start pointing fingers at not for profit schools that churn out people with no job prospects. Then if you try and regulate that you will...

Wow, only 11k tuition to go to LBS, LSE, Oxford? Get these people some tissues. I am extremely anti socialist, but my personal views aside, when the government is paying for or subsidizing everything you either increase taxes to you cut some services when things get tight. I think...

Good. I really hope they come down on these scams. I've read so many stories of these degree mills targeting vets, bilking the government (ie you and I) and providing them with a joke of an education. The way these "universities" get their accreditation is almost a joke also.

Simply epic Andy. I am going to print this off and use it as a reading list. Thanks so much !

With exception of Princeton and a handful of other MSF programs, WE is not required. Having internships will be a good thing and having 1 year of WE will help you out. Many schools offer rolling deadlines so I would start studying for the GMAT and begin filling out grad applications. Many...

Did you work before UG? Any internships? Where did you go for UG? We need a little more info before anyone can really make a suggestion.

Wow, I've be away celebrating Diwali and look at all that I miss. MSF degree basically serves 3 purposes. 1) Re-branding with a finance focus 2) Another shot at recruiting if you couldn't get where you want in UG 3) A graduate education in finance, the subject you should be...

If your MBA is outside of the T20-30 schools and you do not have relevant finance experience in your past I think you will have a hard, if not impossible time breaking in. My best advice would be to network hard and look at boutique or regional shops.

Interesting. Great video!

In my MSF class of 20 there were 4 women. In this years class of 30 there are 5 women. Everyone else in an MFE program should take a look around. Women either get scared off or are not interested in finance at the same level men are. I know for a fact a handful of Wall Street IB's are dying...

I wonder if there could be legal ramifications for this type of behavior. I am not 100% sure about libel if it has to be false or if the intention is what defines it. Either way printing someones information with the intention to intimidate or humiliate them into giving money sounds illegal.A...

You might want to learn something and understand it, but if you are in class with people who naturally love math and succeed in math you are always going to be behind the curve. Struggling with someone in an intense graduate level program is a receipt for not getting a job. If you want to do it...

Can a square peg fit in a round hole? Dude, everything in life can be simplified. That doesn't mean you can handle a MFE if you can't do calculus. People who do MFE's love math and want to work as a quant. If you hate math or struggle with it at the basic level why the hell would you want to...

Nothing aggressive about meeting fellow alumni for coffee. Oh, sometimes I will randomly email people for fun, information or kicks. I get about a 50% response rate. When I say random I mean VP and above level. All of my friends have similar experiences. I chat with traders and sales people...

I am all for playing to win, but also realize that the kids you screw over now are not going to go work at a gas station and be forgotten about. They will break in and remember your rudeness, lack of team work and egotistical behavior. Do not be a push over, but forming a gang to stalk bankers...

People are babies nowadays. People really need to take charge of their lives. Go to school, save your money and make smart financial decisions. If you do well in high school you can most likely go to a school and pay very little. Get a degree in something marketable and you will be fine. Live...

I used to have a BB when I was with HSBC. Was great at the time. Now I have an Iphone and simply could not go back. I am think RIM is slowly becoming the next palm. More banks are moving toward the Iphone or possibly Android. Once that market cracks blackberry is going to be up a creek.

I personally love email. Maybe some people feel chained to it, but I think my life has gained more than I have given. If people feel overwhelmed they should either prioritize better or take a break. Nice blog post and great topic to bring up. This person has the luxury of doing this though, not...

I would still reach out to the UVA Commerce people anyway. I met he recruiter just recently and she was very helpful. My take away was the work experience and the undergrad major were the hard and fast rules. They don't want business majors or experienced people. As far as the MA vs MS goes...

The GWU program is unique because it requires a lot of work experience. The Duke program is in its 2nd year and just redid their website. Really great placements and a good overall business/management program. I met a current student who now works in admissions so PM me for her contact and...

The top US MSF(MFin) schools are Princeton and MIT. Outside of those elite brands you have regional schools that place very well.

People you meet while going to college are totally different than people you meet casually. 200K in debt is nothing compared to the experience and people you will meet at one of these top schools. All the hate is unnecessary.

I think you can get a great education from state schools, but I think some of this private school bashing or devaluing is kind of annoying. Best way to bankrupt yourself is to buy rather than invest. Paying 200K for a Harvard MBA is an investment. If you don't go into banking your ROI might be...

Thinkpad X61. I have had it for going on 4 years now. I am going to upgrade to the newest X61 version next year and give this one to my mom. Best no nonsense laptop ever.

Wow, MS pulling hiring, BOA laying off bankers and now this. Pretty nuts if you ask me especially since all the banks were really talking about hiring a couple months ago. Either way it is looking like another lackluster year for recruiting. My friend and I were talking and he said he really...

UIUC is going to be best if you want to work in Chicago. DePaul is out there also so you might want to check them out. Claremont McKenna is your main Cali choice. Hit up Kevin Arnold there for more info. Vanderbilt is a great program and places well in a variety of fields. They have a...

I just looked at the article and I think the key is to really marry someone. They only give you crap if you are a super hot Russian marrying a 60 year old, fat guy with some emails and an online romance. I have always read that you want to meet someone here and get married here. I suppose...

50K to be a US citizen? Just marry a native and you are all set.

I think that MIT has enough money that they can provide this wonderful social good. Other than server space and bandwidth, what is it really costing them?

Bad bad times. Pretty sad since a couple months ago it looked like banks were hiring once again.

I think a lot of the PhD's that work in finance are not finance PhD's. Either way, IMO, if a school has a primary MS program directed towards finance you should always go for that over another program.

If you want to work on the street I would do the MFin. If you want to set yourself up for a PhD go for the other program.

I am confused. It looks like you want to do a traditional MSF as opposed to an MFE. If that is so we can move forward. IB and Risk are typical MSF placement. A friend of mine is applying for a risk analyst position right now at RBS. You want to work in Boston, NYC and Cali, good, you...

There are more top schools with an MFE as compared to an MSF. You can go to NYU, CMU, Columbia, Chicago, etc. MSF you can go to MIT and Princeton. MFE programs tend to be larger or have been around for a longer time. Your career is not necessarily limited, but MFE grads tend not to go...

Review of the Cambridge MPhil program: Cambridge MPhil Program Review Tepper CMU MSQF program course list: Course Descriptions : Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon The program might be more rounded, but it is still pretty high level math involved. I would say if you can...

The MSF and MFE distinction is fairly clear. MSF is all graduate level finance classes. You need stats, probability and some calc. That's about it. MFE involved higher level math, programming, etc. MFE programs really don't place into general investment banking positions. MSF programs place into...

I think within the MFE space you might be correct, but MSF degrees are for general banking or S&T. You really don't NEED the knowledge jump that the degree provides. What it does provide is another year of recruiting and another name on your resume. I like to put MIT and Princeton in the same...

Where are you getting these placement stats? I am curious to see them. The MSF at Buffalo is a both a traditional MSF and a MFE. The one I am talking about is the traditional MSF. I am sure they find jobs, but I seriously doubt UB is placing into FO IBD, S&T or AM. It is a good school, but all...

MSF Program Cost MSF Program costs. I think Buffalo is cheap if you are a NYS resident, but if you are looking to actually work after the degree I would avoid it. Go for a major MSF program and you will be able to find employment (if that's your goal).

Thanks for the plug Andy! In the MSF/MFin space I think Princeton would be the best with MIT a close second. WUSTL has a great program as does Vanderbilt. The issue you run into when talking about the best is that the MSF degree (with exception of Princeton and MIT) is very regional...

1-3 years and all the other crap is usually HR stuff. You can by pass it by knowing what you are doing and finding someone in the company to go to bat for you. Just shoot them an email and see what can happen. I literally 3 hours ago sent an email to a recruiter about a job that I was...

You have a PhD, an MBA is going to make you want to cry, not improve your skills. What exactly is an MBA going to do that a PhD from a top school isn't?

Why would you want another degree when you already have a PhD? Sounds like overkill to me.

Yeah, placement is tough right now. Banks are still gun shy when it comes to hiring. Columbia has a great rep in NYC so if you are willing to hang in there I am sure you will land a great job.

Not all Ivy league schools are typical feeders for Wall Street. Brown is an Ivy league, but I they don't put people on the street like Wharton or Harvard would. I think Columbia is a great school with a great brand, maybe lesser than some other schools in their peer group, but still top tier.

I think it is a great idea considering the opportunity cost involved in repeatedly taking time off to go to school, but you need to make sure you have the WE needed to really benefit from an MBA program. There is a slight trade off since the schools that offer a joint program and that are great...

I would expect job competition to be incredibly fierce. Things are still touch and go with the labor market and there are a lot of well qualified finance individuals that you will be competing with. If you need sponsorship things will be even tougher.

I second rouge trader. I love Wall Street also. Boiler Room is tops.

Every major bank has chartists and people who subscribe to tech analysis. If you want a job and to sell something it is a convenient story to tell consumers.

Good luck collecting from a Spanish citizen lol. The IRS messed up a mutual fund sale of mine, I faxed them some documents and spoke to some people on the phone. Pretty pleasant experience actually.

Colored people? You mean illegal immigration. The USA is more than happy to have people from all over the world come here. The thing is you are not allowed to just walk over the boarder and become a citizen. I wonder if anywhere in the EU would allow me free citizenship and a job with all rights...

I think some of these figures might be off, but the insurance is correct when you include what your employer is paying. I paid around 100 bucks a month for my insurance, but that didn't include the companies end. If you figure that the government is paying for the person and the company then the...

The people who get screwed are the poor and single. Kind of sad.

Let me establish my argument so we can move forward appropriately. I am not saying that I think the USA is happily chugging along without any issues. I am simply optimistically critical of the USA. I think the deficit is going to be a huge problem. We live in a country that continually wants...

Simple misunderstanding. It's all good. Thanks Andy.

"I get a more forthright discussion with American white nationalists, who at least have no illusions about the way the country is going. Looks like you've been indoctrinated." That struck me as an association. Either way posts are being deleted so I see no need in continuing this...

So you are associating me with white nationalists now? That is rational. This is not a zero sum game, just because the Chinese are growing at a much fast rate then us does not mean the USA is destined for the scrap heap of history. You cite the Guardian. It is an extremely left wing...

Could you be any more of a passive aggressive little girl.

This is your second post in as many days directly or indirectly being overly pessimistic about the USA. Try posting from a source that isn't extremely left leaning and obviously no fan of the United States. I should just quote random pro American articles from Fox News. That is in essence what...

Everything I have read and experienced says that rec letters are nice, can be the deciding factor between two very close applicants, but are not the key to the admissions process. I would imagine for a MFE they would factor in even less because the skills the adcoms are looking at to predict...

Is everything you read anti America? Jesus dude, I thought this was a quant board, not shit on the USA. You are a broken record.

I went/go to Villanova for grad school and know many UG's. If you need some people to talk to let me know. A friend of mine just finished a S&T summer program at JPM.

UIUC will have a presence in Chicago. Tulane in the energy area. Villanova is a decent option. How come no BC, UT Austin, UCLA, Vanderbilt, NYU, stuff like that. Baruch might be an ok choice, especially if you are in state. Cal Poly and Concordia are going to be tough sells...

Yes, I majored in finance because I wanted to work in banking. An MSF is a natural progression for someone with a finance UG. While the MSF is quantitative because of the graduate level finance and stats work it is nothing near as complex as a MFE. My UG in finance would of done nothing for me...

Decide what you want to do. U of Maryland is not a banking target school. Taking business classes will short change you for a future MFE and it will only place you in F500 corporate finance or back office. Load up on math and other quant preparing classes and try and get into the best MFE...

Great post, but whenever I read the consumerist I lose a little faith in the intelligence of humanity. Their posts tend to be anti establishment IMO. They are also not focused on finance like we all are. Sad, but true fact is rankings are important and whether research can prove it or not, going...

I won't say the FRM is easy, but it is not tougher than the CFA. Both are respected, but I still think the CFA is the standard bearer.

Didn't the PRM and FRM split a while back over a disagreement? As mentioned before I think the CFA is the gold standard. With that said, if you are dead set on getting another designation I would go with the FRM. I know people in trading with it and I think it carries more weight then the PRM at...

If you get your MQF/MFE/etc and have a solid sales background you can do a lot of things. Sales is a great field for those who are skilled at it. I would get your masters and leverage yourself into a highly technical sales/traders position. Sell yourself and you will be fine. Brains alone...

I will see it for sure. I have watched the 1st one at least 100 times.

Wifi. I have an Iphone that I can make into a mobile hot spot. No need to get ATT any more money. 3g is fast, but not fast enough for my tastes.

Totally agree. I don't think economics is a big voting issue unless people are whipped into a frenzy right now. It is nice to see such broad based interest in our debt level and restricting spending, but I think it is being driven not out of a calm, economic sensibility, but more of an anti...

I would get an online subscription to the WSJ just so you can keep tabs and be part of the crowd. Subscribe to the FT if you want a paper version. Global news, no fluff, great writing. Investors Business Daily is a good one. Go get an Ipad and subscribe online. You can get both for the...

Republicans have for a long time now been pro business and anti regulations. Dems are the opposite. How these guys thought funding a president who is pretty left of the main stream Democrat party was going to be pro wall street is beyond me. Reap what you sow Wall Street.

My dad works 60+ hours a week in a factory. Never had the chance to get his BS let alone an MS. He makes close to 20 bucks an hour. Stop bitching and get a job. The economy sucks, yes, but it actually is not that bad for educated workers. Don't just fall back on that 9.5% number and think it...

I agree with you that hard science or business majors are probably the smarter choice when you consider the earning potential coming out of school. 100K in debt isn't horrible if you are an accounting major at a well known school. 100K in debt with a English major from a school no one has heard...

I don't think the blame is with the banks on this one. I mean what kind of PR would a bank get if it started telling kids the honest truth about school? This is a tough situation. Should colleges be discouraging kids? Is it fair? How to go about it also. If someone wants to study medieval...

You could have bought a very nice used car for a lot less. You could of rented a more modest place. You could have used public transportation. Freedom was your problem, not debt. You have the freedom to buy what you want, get credit if you want, take a loan if you agree to the interest rate...

Great story! I wonder if this guy plans on posting that 90 page Iranian guide online for other hackers.

Man, Goldman just cannot stay out of the news. For profit education is going to have a serious blow back and it is coming soon. They have been manipulating their placements and track record to keep the checks flowing. Seems as if enough people are finally starting to wise up to this scam. As...

In my experience math is one of those subjects that you really need to be in person to learn. If you think you can do it online then just go to YouTube and watch the numerous math instruction videos for free. I think you learn as much from your fellow students than from just the class...

Pittsburgh is a great city. Bank of NY Mellon absolutely loves CMU. IMO, if you are going to go to a school you should always go to their main campus. Being in NYC might have advantages, but being in Pittsburgh will give you exposure to your fellow students and a lot of the info...

I am happily using the IPAD. I use it for reading PDF's, academic papers and magazines. It is a wonderful for email and social media also. Might be a little costly, but I have an Iphone so I appreciate its simplicity. On a side note, I have never owned something that causes so much animosity...

Wiley::Search Results I swear by anything from Wiley. The handbook on commodities trading by Fabozzi is good also.

Great post Andy!

I don't like to say "bad" because they all have their merits. If your main goal is work work the big question is where. BC will be strongest in Boston and NY. Villanova is strong in Philly and NY, Vanderbilt is strong down south and NY, Claremont will place well in Cali, Tulane will do well in...

Read some of the posts about Quants not being able to get work. Keep taking those actuarial exams, would be a good hedge if something doesn't pan out. Insurance might not be algo trading, but it isn't for math slouches.

Alabama - Good if you are in Alabama Auburn - Ditto with above Boston College - Solid in Boston, Good part time program, look at BU also Claremont McKenna - California, good program Johns Hopkins - Part Time, better RE program, two campuses MIT - 80K, Merton is teaching, 2 years old, great...

For-profit school - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Basically private companies looking to make a profit as their main objective.

I think for profit universities go against the spirit of higher education. If someone wants to take classes to change careers the USA has a wonderful thing called the community college system. Many classes are at night and online and you can easily go onto a state school for your 4 year degree...

If you have so much experience on the quant side already how come you are not looking at a top MBA program? Seems like a MFE would be overkill. I agree with Alain. You should be working your network right now to make the transition without going back to school.

My girlfriend was looking at it and it looked pretty interesting. I do not think it would hurt your application per say, but I wouldn't necessarily take time away from things with a better return. If you can destroy your GMAT and have all the necessary pre req's than go for it. If this is going...

I agree, but you also have to remember that these top programs scare away a lot of otherwise qualified candidates. Typical application costs are $250 of more so unless you are a decent candidate I cannot see too many 2.5 GPA/560 GMAT applicants applying just for fun. If 700 people apply I would...

Interesting findings. There could be some simple answers to this though. If you look at the type of jobs different education levels can provide individuals, in general, you will see more construction and labor jobs for lower educated people and more office or flex time positions for higher...

I would take a look at F500 treasury operations. I realize this might not be as quant as something directly related to Wall Street, but any firm with commodity, currency or interest rate risk could value a quantitative education.

Thanks for posting the link to those videos. I found it shocking how dismissive people were of Peter. Watching those 2 fools on Fox News laugh at him solidified my belief that I will never watch that "news" channel again.

Frame them and look at them every day. I have my first rejection letter framed on my desk. Best motivation ever.

Thank you for the link to the report. I read it and find it interesting and intuitively correct. Will you agree with me that the overall theme of the paper is that education is fundamentally important and that parents play a pivotal role in how a child ends up? If so then we have found common...

"Cross-National Comparisons How does the United States compare with other countries with regard to income mobility? We know that inequality is greater in the United States than it is elsewhere; does a higher rate of mobility serve to offset that inequality? The few studies that have compared...

No, you are very correct and thanks for pointing that out. I am a fellow New Yorker and wish our state school system had as much cache as other states. Still, SUNY Buffalo, Binghamton, Albany, Baruch are all great schools with reasonable tuition and solid reputations. Listen, I apologize...

No society is completely class blind. Money obviously gives someone more chances, more opportunity. Thats why we all want it. I think the system we have here is about as fair as possible. Upper middle class: The upper middle class consists of white collar professionals with advanced...

@ BigBadWolf - Should I go buy you some tissues because you think you cannot be a Senator because you did not going to HYP? I am going to assume you have a masters or are in the process of obtaining one. Welcome to the elite in the USA. Most people in this country do not have a bachelors degree...

The Bloomberg Terminals are like that also. They have a bad word censor. Pretty funny actually. Personally, I think large banks have more important things on their plates, but as usual, lets focus on the things that get bad publicity rather then the important issues.

Absolutely agree Andy. There will always be individuals with better opportunities or a better childhood. The thing to keep in mind is that you must do your best and not worry about others. It might be something that you have to grow into. I went to two very well respected schools, but neither...

The US has a right to decide how many people come into this country. Every nation on this planet (including Mexico) has laws regulating immigration. No one is against LEGAL immigration. People here illegally are breaking the law. Yes, it is sad because many are just coming here to find a better...

Harvard is where the best and the brightest go or in some cases the richest. It sucks, its unfair, but if you are really smart you can get into a T10-20 school. If you cannot have a great life from going to Duke then I don't know what to say. I absolutely agree that there are plenty of smart...

I think the American college system is fine, it is the grade schools which produce an incoming class more interested in their social lives and partying. The top institutions bring in the top students. I am sure the classes at Harvard are tough, but seem easy because you have exceptionally bright...

Hey everyone. Long time lurker. I just finished my MSF from Villanova and decided to start a blog encompassing everything related to the MSF degree. I realize people on here are probably more quant heavy, but I have seen some mixing of the degrees. I link a lot to quantnet so I figured I would...