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Everyone starts at some point. Take a look around to read, the longer you stay here, the more informed you are as an applicant and practitioner. Read the master reading list, the articles on the front page to start.

If you look at the alumni profiles of many MFE programs, you see majority of them is Chinese. Or just a casual browse on LinkedIn. So yes, MFE is the primary path for many students to be a Wall street quant.

Looks like lot of applicants applied on Dec 1, the deadline. If you have applied, please add your timeline to the Tracker and use this discussion to keep track of results as they come out. Per last year data on the Tracker, results will come out in early Feb.

Info on CMU MSCF interview process and the admission process in general. https://quantnet.com/resources/carnegie-mellon-university-ms-in-computational-finance.7/field?field=faq

I feel like this Intro discussion is a good ice breaker for many new members to introduce themselves. This is the community spirit that QuantNet is known for since we started the site in 2006. It would be good to see to see new members to make a post here to fully participate in our community...

https://d36av5f9zaworl.cloudfront.net/QuantNetGuide.pdf There is an article in there by SMU director about the state of Asian quant programs.

I'm pushing to get more reviews from these 3 Singaporean programs. They do suffer a lack of visibility. They may be great programs but if there is no review, no visibility, just may as well be bad or nonexistent in the eyes of the applicants.

There are only a few programs in Asia mostly in Singapore. We are talking NUS, NTU, SMU. Hard to know which one is best as we don’t have data from them. You can rely on alumni reviews as we are collecting them. https://quantnet.com/resources/categories/asia-australia.4/

This is boiler plate

The earlier you apply, the better. Here are the reasons. https://quantnet.com/threads/mfe-application-rounds-and-how-to-maximize-your-chance.62714/

I haven't seen any activity from this account for a while. Not sure if they stop doing the outreach. It was very effective while they doing it. And I only saw one applicant with a $19,000 scholarship. https://quantnet.com/resources/new-york-university.9078/

Yes, I think we would have our own reporting standard for future rankings, clarifying many of these gray areas that can be exploited. It would separate the wheat from the chaff. You may see a larger disparity between programs.

You have to address the programming aspect if you want to go into algo trading. It's easy enough. You can take the C++ and Python courses here, see how you perform and go from there. As far as the rest of your application, it's hard to tell without much info but basic stats seem good. You may...

The ranking used the last fully graduated cohort i.e Dec 2024 or early 2025. The cohort that graduating in Dec 2025 will be reflected in the next ranking. This is because the timing of our ranking and the requirement for 3-month trailing data. And yes, the employment numbers for next ranking...

We ask the programs to categorize the graduates into 3 groups: seeking FT employment, not seeking employment (doing PhD), and status unknown. The placement stats are then collected on the seeking FT employment group.

The 2026 QuantNet ranking has been officially released and we'd like to thank all the parties involved from all the programs who participated, to all the alumni who generously contributed to the growing list of reviews on QuantNet. We appreciate the patience of our members who have been waiting...

We are getting everything ready for the release in an hour. Please make sure to read the first post(s) of this thread where we updated with some notes on how to make the best insight out of the 2026 rankings. Please feel free to ask any question.

Yes, the reviews are having great impact. I'm making a strong push to get more reviews from all programs. In additional to the data from the ranking, it would be very helpful for our audience to make a good decision. There is no other place on earth you can find this much data and insights on...

If you are competitive in nature, you will have your proving ground in NYC. There is a saying "if you can survive in NYC, you can survive anywhere". It's a jungle, cut throat environment in a lot of ways. I spent all my formal study and working in NYC and that's where I thrive the most. For...

Yeap, when you are investing into a degree that gives you a job with a salary of $150-200K average first year, it's very short-sighted to find cheap online courses. You have to put skin in the game to show you are serious, either time or money. Often both. Even when you do all the right stuff...

Which Columbia?

Good question. We include this data during Covid when many students couldn't find job and have to go back home. It is very hard to discern which good programs from bad ones without this data. Without this US only data, two programs with the same 80% placement rate may tell two different stories...

Yes, and since you asked for it, here is a list of programs with placement rate at graduation, 3 months and 3 months (US only). Why this matters? The 3-month placement mark is considered a good measure of placement success. A great program will place most of its graduates by graduation so the...

First admit goes to @drewverzino. I'm hoping many more to come for our members. Congratulations and get ready for the most intense period of your life.

The list of all programs on our 2026 rankings sorted by acceptance rate.

Given the timing of the ranking release and the admission cycle, I suspect that most applicants already have a list of programs they apply to. The rankings definitely help them narrow down the list but the ultimate decision is pretty personal such as financial aid, location, etc. Here is an...

T - 2 In the 2026 ranking, we will formally introduce 2 new variables which we've tracked the past few years but not publicly accessible. Graduate Reporting Rate*: Percentage of graduates whose post-graduation status (seeking FT employment or not seeking, e.g., PhD) is known. 100% = no unknown...

I can not confirm nor deny that GaTech QCF will be #1. I can only say that there will be movement(s) this year.

You can do the Part III and/or do a PhD. That would be the proper path for QR role. Imperial and Oxford MCF are established players in the UK market so they have a pipeline and connection with employers. You will have an easier time getting into the industry but you will pay for the higher cost...

Just have some data points but programs are flexible giving deferral options for those who got issue with visa appointment, etc. You can defer to the next year. Financial support is something we have to see. I know Rutgers increased their max scholarship amount. Other programs may offering more...

If you are really serious about making it to HFT, I would suggest take the C++ course and then advanced C++ course. The first C++ would put you ahead of the majority of MFE applicants, coding wise, but the advanced C++ course would just unlock another world of skills and knowledge. With your...

This sounds like a good idea to organize interview info for each and every single program. Maybe it can be put on a FAQ tab in each program's page. Share with us what info/program you gather so far and let's see if we can put something together.

We have the first 2026 admit from @vol_opt_in_lity for the online program. Congrats.

Members with keen eyes will notice that on over the past several months, we have added a few data points on the ranking page that would give them insights into the strength of a program and how robust its career services is. We will continue to expand the level of detailed insights to make sure...

It depends on whether your country is on the list of US State Dept of high probability of overstayed student visa. It's just one of the many factors that they consider when you apply for F1 visa.

The course is an innovative cross-faculty alliance between Strathclyde Business School and the Faculty of Science. It's been designed for those with a strong aptitude for mathematics, statistics and computing who haven't studied these topics in detail in their undergraduate degree. The course...

Many of them do. If you have a really strong undergrad background that prepares you to be able to interview for job right away, they will accept you.

The fun really begins when we have a date and time for the release. Thanks @zephyrus for jump starting the discussion speculation game :). While you guys do that, I'm going to be busy on the back, setting up the stages for the biggest release of the best US MFE ranking on the planet.

Let's the countdown begin!

Good article from long time ago. Which one of the above is still true today?

The 2026 ranking will be released next Monday, Nov 24th at 9AM EST.

The question is how this will affect the existing quant programs at NYU. They have NYU Tandon MFE and NYU Courant Math Finance. The new program sounds prestige enough and with good marketing, they can take a sizable bit from the market. It does seem to train for tech, not finance specifically...

Another review just dropped by @Durian https://quantnet.com/resources/university-of-chicago-master-in-finance.103/reviews#resource-review-2972

Apply to all T10 (or some of those per your criteria). There are members here who overcame low GPA and share their strategies. Look at the article on the front page. Verbal score is not an issue. It has not been one for a long time. Programs will interview you to test the language ability. Take...

Here is my notes from a recent conversation with a Part III student. In short, it's a super camp for math geeks. If you target quant roles, you better equip yourself with technical skills (coding, finance, etc). Coming out of Cambridge part III will open a lot of doors at firms otherwise...

All the incoming Baruch MFE has taken the C++ certificate, it's their secret weapon that allows them to get all the high paying jobs. You should make sure you are a competent as well. Unless you have professional working with C++/Python, the course would be a good investment.

The 2026 ranking is approaching. If you are on LinkedIn, please take this poll. https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7396565391587733504/

Go ahead and add the Part III application to the Tracker. I'm excited about this. Just talked to a student there a few days ago who visited Citadel.

Part III is a 9 month taught masters course in mathematics. It is an excellent preparation for mathematical research and it is also a valuable course in mathematics and in its applications for those who want further training before taking posts in industry, teaching, or research establishments...

I'm going to add the Cambridge Part III program to the Tracker so you can add it. It's one of the little niche program that if you know, you know. There is no quant course taught there but the math requirements are extremely high, graduates can have their pick at quant firms. Interesting program...

Mistaken identity. OP ended up at EPFL and I just confirmed it.

ETH UZH and EPFL MFE seem like logical choices for Swiss programs. Make sure you read the recent reviews from both programs where students mention challenges getting jobs in Switzerland for non-EU students. Many would end up going to London and elsewhere. Do you know programming? C++ or Python?

Nobody comes to the US for MFE degree and return home by choice. Programs don't want that to happen because it does not look good given the salary overseas is a small fraction of what you get here. You don't need to explain anything to MFE programs. It's understood implicitly. Getting a F1 visa...

The program's reviews mentioned C++ which is a change from previous years when they used Java.

Another day, another scam targeting students desperate to break into finance. https://www.efinancialcareers-canada.com/news/fake-jpmorgan-credit-trader

A rule of thumb is to always verify the placement report. It's easy to do when you can reach many graduates on LinkedIn. I heard many cases where a program will categorize recent graduates who not responding to their survey as employed. Go figure. As applicant, you have the right to ask question...

The #1 ranked UK quant program Oxford MCF is also very hardcode with C++ based on the recent review. The lecturers brought his own C++ library to class. https://quantnet.com/resources/university-of-oxford-msc-in-mathematical-and-computational-finance.44/reviews#resource-review-2960

I saw one of students got @20,000 scholarship in the first cohort. I'm curious to see the range of their financial offers compared to the other programs.

I see that you target the more traditional MFin program. In that case, you may want to look into the new Chicago Booth MiF program that just opened last year. I heard good things from alumni but haven't seen the first placement report yet.

What are other programs you apply to? What is your career goal?

Welcome to Quantnet. There are ways to compensate for your low GPA. This is from another Indian applicant but he got into another program not MIT. Your profile may be a better fit for MIT given the flexible courses choice and career path...

If you are domestic applicant, things will be a bit easier for you. Obviously, getting 170 Q and A on relevant math courses will remove barriers to acceptance but not an automatic ticket to top programs. With an acceptance rate of less than 10% at top MFE programs, you basically have to devote a...

You take them before or while you apply. Some will give you conditional admit until you finish those courses. The C++ course I mentioned above is one of the required programming courses that meet the requirement at many top programs (Baruch, CMU, UCLA, UCB, Chicago).

See if you can demonstrate it by some relevant internship prior to graduate school. Lacking it, you can substitute by projects, research with professors, joining trading competitions, etc. Just a bit of fair warning since you are in the UK. The US programs are career focused whereas UK is mainly...

You may need to ramp up your math courses and do hard programming courses on C++ and Python. At first class is required to get into top UK programs like Imperial Math Fin, Oxford, Warwick, UCL. Look at our UK rankings. https://quantnet.com/uk-rankings/ For the US, maybe a first class is not...

I assume you are domestic student? Your profile at its current stage is not competitive for the most selective programs. You will get into some MFE programs but the question remains whether it's worth it or not. Top programs' graduates can get 200K+ out of school. Graduates from other programs...

It may be the first time you hear it from the horse's mouth who put it very bluntly but it's been the name of the game for as long as I remember. Lot of people think I'm good at math so I'm going to kill it. The reality is that on the first day they will be asked to make things work, get it...

This MFin program seems on the up and up. Again, it's new and we only hear from a small sample of graduates so there may be some selection bias here. My goal is to reach out to all of my connections on LinkedIn who is in this program and ask if they can contribute their insights, likes...

For those applying to Baruch MFE, this kind of high-level insights can be extremely valuable as you can learn about their admission strategies, criteria for picking candidates, career path, etc.

Risk.net interviews Dan Stefanica, director of Baruch MFE program and Jim Gatheral, presidential professor about the program's success and how it is evolving with the changing technology. They discuss how large language models (LLMs) are already being integrated: students are encouraged to use...

This is an interesting development. I'm curious to see which programs they offer under this new school. https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2025/november/nyu-establishes-new-school--the-courant-institute-school-of-math.html

Great share. Did you mention Quantnet at all? Hope for a good and speedy result. Maybe a good idea to update the tracker with this interview note for future reference.

Here we go again.

Math/Applied Math/Stats with a minor in CS. Take some quant finance course (John Hull level) to learn about options theory, etc. There are people with engineering degrees that break into MFE programs but with the hindsight, they would prefer to take more math and programming courses. Make sure...

Looks solid. Good that you are going to tackle the Python and C++ courses seriously. Not sure what the Con and Finance courses entail. Maybe reading John Hull book would be more beneficial. Instead of those finance course, see if you can take some CS courses. See if any course that would expose...

You got this.

Is there a new coding testing for this year? Based on last year interview experiences, you will have 2 interviewers: the program director and another professor. The director will be asking about your background, why NTU, why MFE, career goal, etc. The other one will ask roughly 4-5 math...

The data for class size, application numbers, admits, enrolls are already there on each program's link. It's on the Admissions tab https://quantnet.com/resources/baruch-college-master-in-financial-engineering.1/field?field=admissions

With ChatGPT/AI on every phone and being built into every browser these days, the age of self-learning and self-discipline is gone. People just don't have the motivation to really study the subject anymore when ChatGPT can solve any issue faster and better than you ever can. No wonder Wikipedia...

This is the latest reviews for Warwick Mathematical Finance program from our verified alumni. https://quantnet.com/resources/university-of-warwick-msc-in-mathematical-finance.75/reviews

OP ended up in TU Delft from all I can tell.

For prospective applicants who are going to consider EPFL MFE program, there are some recent reviews that would help make your decision a bit easier, hopefully. Thanks to all EPFL MFE alum who reviewed, we all owe you a great deal of gratitude...

Hey Mike. Thanks for sharing your story. It's miraculous and inspiring to see what happened now you are studying in the best MFE program.

List of most selective programs based on early data in the 2026 ranking.

This article has been updated with the latest data from the upcoming 2026 ranking. For the latest data concerning the Fall 2025 incoming cohort, Baruch is the most selective quant program in the US with 4% acceptance rate. It also leads the pack with 91% yield rate. Princeton in second at 5.6%...

Calling our resident career services expert and ex-CMU @Ash Cross https://quantnet.com/threads/top-3-resume-mistakes-i-see-mfes-make.62252/

If any of you applying to master programs outside of MFE/quant finance space, I would be very curious to learn the type of those programs. Popular options are Data science, Machine Learning, etc.

Welcome back Pat. It's been a decade plus since you first join the course.

Opening this up for the Fall 2026 cohort. It seems like a few of you already get a 11/14 interview dates on your Tracker. Congrats and please keep us updated.

Prior to the interview, you will get some info about your interviewer so check LinkedIn for his background. Here is some info on RedNote from previous interview that gives you some idea. Translation is roughly from Chinese. I take no credit or claim on the accuracy of this whatsoever. This was...

We got close to 450 followers there in 3 weeks. Need to reach 500 by Nov 15th and I promise our Rednote members to give them a sneak peek of the 2026 ranking :)

Alumni from the program will interview you. They will go off your resume so anything you put there will be fair game. No interview is the same. It depends on who interviews you and what background or topics s/he is most familiar with.

Stanford from your list is an odd one there. They are extremely small program (10 students) and many of them go to PhD and roles outside of finance. It's not your typical quant program.

Yes, traditional job profiles for MFE grads are sell-side pricing roles, risk roles at IB. Outside of IB, there are many financial institutions that employ risk and support roles with comfortable salary. Buy-side roles at hedge funds are harder to get. Only a small number of MFE grads get those...

@teraBit Thanks for joining our community. Are you domestic or international student?

Your profile is similar to many applicants from India. Given the large number of applicants from the same country, you will have a tough time stand out from your fellow country men or women, especially from self-admitted second tier university. I say you should realistically expand your target...

I see that you have filtered out your target list quite a bit from Nov 2024 to Nov 2025. I'm always curious why you picked Stony Brook originally. Glad to see you are able to utilize the information here (ranking, reviews, discussion) to narrow down your choices.

Thanks for the update. I appreciate you taking the advice on preparation seriously. You are taking the long shot, exactly what one needs to do to succeed in this competitive field. Getting into a top tier program gives you such a huge lead over the thousands of eager students from lesser...

Hey, someone got himself a 11/14 interview date for the Baruch MFE admission :) Congrats and goodluck.

Congratulations @dstefan for releasing another book. I ordered mine off Amazon on the 6th and received it yesterday. Would be curious to learn the types of interview questions asked during Baruch MFE admission.

I'm very skeptical of anything that asking people for a ton of money for a guaranteed placement. Finance is a meritocracy industry so paying to get in is looked upon very negatively. Even if there is guaranteed placement, not sure if it's worth the money. If there is an alarm bell ringing, trust...

Yes. You can. Many people have done it.

It would be super cool if you can update us in a few weeks, months to see if your prospect has improved after getting the professional help in address many of these items.

Needless to say, go through the reviews by the programs' alumni. You see them on each program's page, right?

I have seen a lot of profiles over the years to only say admission chance is sometimes very random. Some people got into Stanford while getting rejected by all other schools so who knows. My advice is to apply to programs that you will seriously consider joining. Do not just apply blindly to...

Long time member so hello to you. I think you have a realistic expectation which is good. There are lot of opportunity in regulatory, auditing, risk management that many people don't target. With your background as CPA, you may find a niche that you can build a great career in. Getting really...

Undergrad school name/reputation is not a big factor in MFE decisions. You have the right degree from a good school so it's not a concern. Just make sure your profile is competitive. Get all the required courses and do more. Learn C++ and Python. Do project, participate in competition, etc...

You got a lot of money worth from her advice right there @dustykeyboard

Based on the latest acceptance rates (fall 2026) for these programs, I would say you can get in BU (80%) and UIUC (50%). Are you sure you enrolled in the QuantNet C++ course here? It would be a great way to strengthen your programming credentials and improve admission chance. Maybe broaden your...

It's tough out there for MFE students trying to break in without any inside connection or something standing out. Your resume looks pretty standard, nothing weird jumping out. Maybe that's the issue where companies receive thousands of similar ones. It may be worth it to try to employ the...

Last year, we released the ranking on Nov 20th. I would expect similar timing this year if not a bit sooner.

I'm happy to report that we received the very first review of Stanford MCF program. Along with several new reviews for Princeton MFin, this will give us the first opportunity to get some insight into Stanford so this debate has more merits. Sounds fun to be there, to be honest with you guys...

GPA can be overcome. It will require discipline and proper planning. Anything that you do to show you are serious about this industry is good. Taking rigorous courses and doing well is highly regarded. The QuantNet C++ and pre-MFE courses are some of the hardest courses that one can take to...

Is there a specific criteria for your program selection? You seem to pick east coast programs only. You may get into some of the programs but criteria should be to get into programs that is a good fit.

For QD, I would highly recommend the sequence of C++ courses we have here. It's beyond anything available in college or online anywhere else. We have over 4,000 members taking the courses and over 2,000 of them on various quant roles on Wall Street. Here is a good read...

Sounds like mathematical stats with a minor in CS would set you up nicely for the QR roles in the future. It is hard subject but it will test to your ability. After all, this is just undergrad level and it shouldn't break you. Make sure you get your hands dirty with C++ and Python. Play with...

Just want to give a quick update that we received data from almost all programs (including most major programs) and we will proceed to the next stage.

If they think you will perform well in the program as well as during job interview, they will admit you. And the way they do it is to grill you during interview just like actual job interviews to make sure you can pass their technical tests. Other programs may not have the time and resources to...

They probably have good reason to remove this QBA (maybe it's not effective filter anymore?) and I'm sure they will find better ways to pick the top candidate. On the bright side, maybe in the short term, more people will get an interview so if you get one, just take advantage of this opportunity.

There is no solid rule for this so this is only my thinking: use your GRE even when it's optional. It's just a check on the list for them. You are domestic students which is heavily in your favor during this climate. You went to Brown doing applied math with a high GPA. Your GRE Q is not that...

Got you. Domestic student, no retake GRE then. Programs would want C++ as a course taken or certificate like one we offer. CMU MSCF will require you to take this course if you haven't and got admitted there. You seem like a strong candidate and should aim for all the top programs that meet your...

Are you a domestic or international students? I wouldn't retake it if it's up to me. No program will reject a good candidate with a 168 Q. And from the Tracker, a lot of people with 170 Q got denied from a lot of places so it's just a small factor. Why are you not applying to Baruch, Columbia...

@mokline.iyed Another review just came up. You are lucky to be asking this question when a group of alumni is generous enough to be sharing their reviews. Just ask away and I think most of them will help.

When we rank programs, we request an extensive amount of data which many UK/Europe programs are not equipped to provide. They are good programs for sure but for now, I would rather focus my limited resource on getting as many reviews from people like @vlakectomaz as possible. Let's see how it...

Another student sent me his blog where he documented the interview process with UZH ETH https://andytran.nl/blog/

And just as I posted this, the first review is up. Perfectly summarizing what I said above. https://quantnet.com/resources/uzh-eth-ms-in-quantitative-finance.94/reviews#resource-review-2918

We should get a few reviews from UZH ETH alum coming shortly. From what I'm told, it's a great program but with low visibility outsize of Switzerland/Europe. Students told me the employment law makes it impractical for non-EU students to gain employment there. As a result, many of them find...

MIT MFin is absolutely killing it right now in term of the number of applications they received. Since its inception in 2009, it has surpassed 2,000 applications in three separate admission cycles, a remarkable testament to its global appeal and reputation. 2,083 applications in 2016 cycle...

Yes, provided that you are similarly qualified. Still have to check all the boxes.

You can go to the programs like UCB MFE, UCLA MFE that have the local connection there. Or you go to the like of CBS MSFE, something that is two year long with a focus on PhD level courses.

Take the C++ course. Define your career goal and then find programs that match this goal. If you want to work in a risk management role, with a good work life balance, live in a slow pace, low cost of living city like Charlotte, then NCSU is a great choice. This is just one example.

No problem. If you don't get in this year, you can always apply for Spring 27 like original plan. At least you have a chance to find out your weakness to improve.

There are many applicants from round 2, 3 with Waitlisted status on the tracker. As you are applying in the last round, it's now a wait and see for you. The program will process waitlisted applicants from previous rounds first. How many seats available for last round will depend on the yield and...

All the joint requests from Enrolled members have been sent. Please network and make the best use of your time before starting the program.

Hi Jian. Please post your application on the Tracker, then you can participate in the main UCB MFE discussion thread.

Yes

You are just scratching the surface of what we can offer here. Stick around, read sticky threads and other resources and you will likely be more prepared than most applicants. That is in itself a selling point when you apply. The Tracker data will show you that our members have much higher...

Yes, if you can't get into a top MFE program in Fall 26, it may make sense to improve and reapply to Fall 27. How you break into your first job has a long lasting effect in your career earning.

Are you domestic or international student? If international, you are completing against hundreds if not over a thousand of similarly qualified applicants. There are always things you can do to compensate for low GPA, low GRE or any other weakness. Overpowering it with other aspect. It will take...

Why not 168 or 170? If you can't retake to improve it, then just leave with 165 and improve other aspects of application. GRE Q is just one number. Get the best you can and move on. No reason to mull over it too much.

This is very useful feedback @mokline.iyed This discussion indicates there is a need and great utility for the tool, however we will name it. Depends on how we will frame and implement it, it can be an effective tool to allow applicants to discover their area of weakness to improve on.

Time to re-exame this article. Many MFE graduates would not be able to get the QT/QR/QD jobs given the extreme competition. There are an ocean of opportunities out there for MFE graduates if you are brave enough to explore.

Nice, congrats. What is the application deadline(s) for the program? I couldn't find the info on their website. Looking back at last year, I saw people getting interview in Feb, not as early as you.

You may or may not want to retake it. Some programs do not require GRE at all. Some waive it if your GRE is over a certain threshold, say 3.5. GRE V is not as critical. It's only use as a filter for your English proficiency if they have no other factor to gauge it. Many will interview or require...

I have talked to a few students who enrolled in the first cohort and will graduate this Dec 2025. A lot of them are happy with the program and impressed with the Booth career services and alumni network. The range of job options are very broad, from IB to consulting to quantitative roles. Given...

QD is a great choice given your background and work experience. Broaden your application pool to other NYC programs. You want something more practical, not too theoretical. Let us know how it goes. Use the Tracker.

Once you nail down GRE Q to a respectable number say 168 then move on to other part. As an American, GRE V is not important. It would be good to know how you find out about this degree and what porgrams have you researched so far. What kind of roles you are planning for?

Are you domestic atudent?

Take the C++ course here. CMU will require you to complete that anyway. This will address your programming weakness. I assume you completed all the math requirements. Your focus then will be on provide a strong reasons and preparation for "why MFE", "why CMU", why etc. Take a look at this post...

Risk management is not as sexy as QT, QR, right? This is a huge mismatch between expectation vs reality.

We have lot of GREAT materials from seasoned contributors. You can find find articles from @Ken Abbott in 2011 still as relevant as it is today. https://quantnet.com/threads/the-coming-glut-of-financial-engineers.5233/

Bold move, just like @MikeLawrence. Hope to hear the good news. Good initiative with the Discord server for QBA prep and others applying there as well. Baruch has a pretty comprehensive approach to selecting students, for sure. Anyone with the proper preparation have a good chance and hence...

Hi everyone, It’s that time of year again — MFE application season! Whether you’re finalizing essays or just starting to explore programs, this thread is for all 2026 applicants to connect, compare notes, and share your journey. Please jump in and tell us Which programs are you applying to? Are...

The MSc in Mathematical Finance is offered through University of Calgary’s Department of Mathematics & Statistics (Faculty of Science) with a specialization in Mathematical Finance. It offers both MSc and PhD degrees. There are two versions of the degree: Thesis-based: students take one seminar...

You can do that. Many people will always pick a brandname over others. This is the same thing in consumer products too. You pay a premium in the total cost. But you should investigate why there is a drop, if it's temporary or a worrying trend, etc. At the end of the day, these degrees are very...

Take the C++ course here. It will significantly strengthen your profile. If you get into any top programs like Baruch MFE, CMU MSCF, etc they will ask you to take that same C++ course. Take the Options course here to fill your finance gap. Your scores and grades are high enough, you may want to...

We recommend reviewing all the data in the comparison table to fully grasp the insights and make an informed choice about which program(s) are right for you. Yield rate: yield rate is the percentage of admitted students who actually choose to enroll. Why it matters A higher yield rate means...

In the 2026 ranking, we introduced several updates to our methodology to more accurately reflect the strengths of each program: Increased emphasis on placement success: The weight for this category has been raised from 55% to 60%, with the 3-month placement rate now weighted at 20% (up from...

You may want to look at this AMA for insights from someone who literally just went through the same journey. Happy ending but it took 8 months. https://quantnet.com/threads/im-a-junior-quant-researcher-working-in-a-buy-side-hedge-fund-ama.62812/

Taking initiative and putting something on the table. I like your hustle. Having a GC is invaluable during this time. Hang in there. The market is tough. It may take months to land something.

You ask for it and now you got it. Sound pretty non-quantitiative. See for yourself. https://quantnet.com/resources/northeastern-university-ms-in-quantitative-finance.10606/reviews#resource-review-2891

The McMaster MMF program was suspended as of September 2025. They no longer take any applicants. The reason listed on the website is due to fiscal challenges facing the Faculty of Science. https://phimac.math.mcmaster.ca/

I'll have @anonymous_chicken share what he observes in his work environment as a QR in a buy-side HF.

We just joined RedNote (Xiaohongshu ID 26241596774). If you have an account, please follow us. We will have an EXCLUSIVE early release of our 2026 MFE rankings on RedNote. https://www.xiaohongshu.com/user/profile/67f4955f000000000e01eeec

There is no shame in this game :) Well, at least you may not have to share share a bunk bed. For a lot of people who are not native New Yorker (which is majority of our members), this may come as a cultural shock but after a while, you don't even bat an eye. If you can survive NYC, you can...

NYC is too expensive on a student budget now even in Queens, Brooklyn, the Bronx. I can see why it makes sense for many to move to New Jersey. Keep this in mind when looking at compensation level. Lot of that will go to housing and taxes.

The numbers you see on the Applications tabs is all the data for the program over the years. You can filter by year to find a specific year. On the Tracker, use the filters on the left side to pick a program, the status and the year ( prefix)

This is what we used to banter back in the early days of QuantNet. I wonder if any current member who is living/studying in NYC can chime in.

The program announced the MMF Global Award that will go to 5 students selected by the admission committee. Each will receive a CAD 20,000 scholarship. https://open.spotify.com/episode/3fiw8rRjZlbbqKUOG54Vg9?si=IwtSc6phQjitOabyE4EMeg

Have you also looked at this? https://quantnet.com/threads/master-reading-list-for-quants-mfe-financial-engineering-students.535/

Here is an excellent guide written by a Baruch undergrad.

Yes, such great news. It just lifts a cloud of uncertainty and panic put upon employers, employees by this administration. Under the first section "Presidential Proclamation on Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers" The Proclamation also does not apply to a petition filed at or...

Great to have you here — thanks for doing this AMA @anonymous_chicken! 👏 Here is my questions to get the discussion going, I'm sure there are plenty more to come. What’s a typical day like for you as a junior quant researcher at a multi-manager fund? Lots of C++/Python coding? How did your...

Maybe @ExSan would be interested in collaborating with @cdchavezq

This is the result of the CMU MSCF 2025 application cycle. They received 1051 applications, and enrolled 108 students, the highest since 2018.

Going to bump this just in case. This is for male roommate only, right?

I'll reach out to a few Baruch MFE alum who worked at Millennium during their internships. If they have something useful to share, I'll let you know.

Director Linus Wunderlich Pedro Vergel

The 2 most recent reviews of UCB MFE seem to indicate much improvement in career services.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cm270lj46eyo The US Chamber of Commerce has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration's new $100,000 (£74,000) fee on H-1B visas for skilled foreign workers. The fee "will make it cost-prohibitive" for US employers to use the programme, said Neil...

This is just an antidote but hear from a few members that their Indian friends who are graduating this year are hardly getting any interviews. We can't blame this purely on the recent visa policy. It could be other factors as well.

This year around, there is a big reversal of this trend. We see a big drop in applicants from India across STEM fields due to the recent visa, H1B policy by the Trump administration.

Yes, 168 Q will not hurt at all.

As a domestic applicant, you get some slack on the GRE. I would focus on taking the C++ and Python courses. See if any math that need refreshing (probability, linear algebra, etc) since you been working for 4 years. Focus on getting your interview, brainteaser game going so you are ready to hit...

I hardly see anyone with a quant bachelor degree getting into the industry. Most job would require a master degree so people end up doing MFE anyway. This means instead of taking math finance courses in undergrad, you could have take it again later in graduate school. In its place, you could use...

You don't mentioned programming so I would assume you need a C++ and Python courses prior to your MFE. Your undergrad is in financial math which is not ideal. Too specialized for undergrad. I would suggest taking the Options course here. You can get books and learn about options theory and other...

This is amazing to know that you were working on this before @ZizheZhou. We definitely should chat. @Yuvraj Chauhan very valid points you have there. Our goal for this is not to make money, we will make it very affordable to whoever wants to utilize the insights to make better decision...

There are a lot of PDF files that you can download from here and get a better understanding. The problem now is too much info versus too little when I started out 20 years ago. https://quantnet.com/threads/master-reading-list-for-quants-mfe-financial-engineering-students.535/

I don't have any central place for this (maybe I should) but I have come across resume books from different programs over the years. Here is another example of NYU MSMF graduate.

I think advice from @Leggoo MFE applies even his is an edge case. It's intensive preparation but it helped him break into a top 10 program and I am sure it will help you too. https://quantnet.com/threads/from-low-cgpa-to-my-dream-school-columbia-mafn-nyu-mfe-and-more.61047/

Domestic or international student? Don't undersell yourself. Apply to a few more programs that you didn't believe you would get in. Try the tier above such as NCSU, GaTech, Rutgers, Chicago, etc. You only lose out on the time and fee but stand to gain a lot if you get in. You should have a...

This has been done before. In fact, many people with low GPA got into different programs. The trick is to show other strength in your application that overwhelms the GPA. That said, you need to seriously spend time to address any weakness from your profile. Math seems like the weakest part while...

I doubt many students do LaTex for resume. You try to see if you can revert PDF to Latex. I wonder if @Ash Cross has a Latex template that she recommends. After all, she worked with many CMU MSCF students on their resume before.

A 12-16 month full-time program under the D'Amore-McKim Business School.

Buy-side roles are some of the most sought after and hence harder to break in. I don't have a breakdown of these data from all the programs but the top ones (Baruch, Princeton) do place there. Chicago, GaTech and to some extension NCSU place well in their local market, the benefit of not being...

What are you looking to do after your MFE? I would add Chicago, GaTech, Imperial, UCL just to broaden your option.

This year is going to be a weird year with so much uncertainty due to the ever changing policy. I'm curious to see how admission people will adapt to this environment. My guess is that they will admit more applicants just to be on the safe side. Best of luck guys and let's share our trackers...

Appreciate the input and different perspective guys. Hope to hear more feedback from other members as we plan our future offerings.