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Anyone knows of a good book on Oil Trading? Specifically, topics on Contango/Backwardation Curve, Transport, Storage Costs, Spread options, hedging strategies, etc. Thanks!

Yes, this is the kind of C++ course I have been looking for. Short and to the point with financial applications. Since I have no programming background, I am really interested in taking this class. I figure it should be better than learning C++ by myself from a textbook. However, does anyone...

MSOR is for MSFE applicants. I think for MAFN, you will either be placed on MAFN waitlist and not referred to MS Stats or won't be placed on waitlist and referred to MS Stats directly.

Do you mean >? I think MSOR is better than MS Stats.

Are you planning on including Columbia MSOR as well? It is interesting to see how the program fairs against other MFE programs.

That is very very unlikely to happen. I dont know where you are from but American universities are very flexible when it comes to helping kids learn. Hence, I doubt that will ever happen. At my undergrad university, we have the best medical school in the world and even then any undergraduate...

I'm meeting with IEOR department tmr to see if it's hard to register for these MSFE electives. From the emails I get from MSOR students, it seems like all I need to get is just signature from profs. Even if I cant take MSFE electives (which I'm pretty sure I can), I can still take classes in...

so these are the classes I am planning to take at Columbia, assuming I can place out of Prob/Stats: Fall (5 courses) Stochastic Models (MSOR core class) ---> MSFE take Stochastic Models in FE Deterministic Models (MSOR core class) ---> MSFE dont have to take Simulations (MSOR core class)...

I got into both Rutgers and Columbia MSOR. Based on Columbia name alone, you will get plenty of interviews with top firms and that is where I'm going. Not sure how many BB recruit from Rutgers, if at all. My undergrad is top 15 in the US and barely any BB recruit from here. Imagine Rutgers...

true. this got me thinking a bit. eventho i am an intl student from Asia, I have been in the US for both high school and undergrad. I have more American friends than ppl from my country now. Not really sure which "group" I belong to at Columbia...

so are you saying that going to a program with a lot of students can also be beneficial because there will be a lot of alums to network with?

wow 50-60K apps? thats quite ridiculous.

aren't students from other schools competing for the same finance jobs anyways? its not like if you go to say JHU which has a current class size of 10, you are only competing against those 10 students for a job.

not all students in MSOR are interested in finance...

are u an undergrad or high school student? if undergrad, which year are you?

Did those MSOR students you talked to mention anything about their placement rate? I personally know a guy who graduated from MSOR last yr working at Morgan Stanley now. Also there are a few posts on here about MSOR students getting interviews/jobs with bulge bracket firms. And there is a...

Columbia MSFE placement stats available The full-time placement statistics for students who started in July 2008 (completed the Program in 2009) are listed below. Total number of graduating students: 55 (2 students did not respond to the survey) Students with employment*: 49 Percentage of...

thats not a bad idea. if i dont get a job after graduating from Columbia, i might get into real estate finance and do that. ummmmmm.....

Since I live about 3 hrs from NYC, I'm going to attend Columbia open house for admitted students on Apr 8. I might do some apt scouting as well if I have time. I'll def post here if I do that. Should be helpful for intl students.

The program at JHU is brand new, only a couple years old. I went to JHU for undergrad so I had a chance to talk to the program director. There has been less than 10 students per year so far but they are increasing the no. of students to around 20-30 next year I think. There are a few firms here...

Columbia MAFN, UNLIKE Columbia MSFE and MSOR, doesn't allow time for summer internship because students are required to finish the degree in 1 year. Both MSFE and MSOR students can finish their program in 1.5 year in order to do summer internship.

woa! Caltech for BS and MIT for PhD in chemical physics? I don't know much about PhD's working in finance but I am sure firms would find your skill sets very useful.

agree with Andy here. Might as well get more bang for your bucks. Anyways, as far as prereqs go, Columbia MSFE, and probably MSOR as well (or for any FE degree), you will need calc 1,2,3, linear algebra, diff eq, and upper level course in prob/stats at the minimum. You can throw in stochastic...

I see you also have 20% tuition fellowship. Go to Claremont. Better brand.

i found this on BarCap website the other day. The guy went to Columbia for MSOR and is now trading fixed income options at BarCap. I now have a firm believe that Columbia MSOR will open a lot of doors for me and it will be up to me to capitalize on those opportunities. Barclays Capital - Campus...

regarding FE courses, yes, MSOR students can take all those courses as well, except that they need to get some signatures. That's the beauty of MSOR, it's a very flexible program. On top of that, I can also take a few courses from Columbia Business School to expand my job search horizon.

I thought so too. Anyone else?

So far, I have admits to all these schools. Which would be the best choice for me? My goal is to work in NYC in any finance position, from IBD to trading to quant. Right now, I am leaning towards Columbia MSOR. Any input is appreciated!

didnt i already email u my profile?

just got admit to Columbia. Will mostly be going here. Anyone else got admit and looking to join Columbia?

is this for Rutgers-MSMF? Do you know anything about Rutgers-MQF? I have been admitted by MQF program so I'm really curious.

thanks a lot for the info. do you know how many applicants Columbia is looking to admit for MSOR?

True. But I think the students can also benefit a lot from Columbia's location, whether it be MSFE or MSOR. Columbia name will also open a lot of doors, not just in finance but also management consulting.

thanks andy. Columbia MSOR seems like a very solid program. it is probably my top choice right now. i am having an interview with them this upcoming week so hopefully it will turn out well.

Hey guys, I just got admitted into this program. Anyone knows anything about it? I dont think the program is quantitative enough for quant positions because it is a more "technical" version of MBA. But, on their website, many of their graduates went onto work for bulge bracket firm in...

Hey, I, too, switched my career plan from medicine to finance. I know how being a premed was like so I understand your feelings. Good thing I was an econ/premed back in college so I can use my econ background as a leverage to break into finance. I took the GRE and got 770quant and 590verbal. I...

I think this is the first year MIT starts interviewing applicants. When is your interview? Mine is 2/16.

add my name to the interview invite list too. MFIN at MIT does not seem as quantitative as top FE programs. However, I also feel that MFin students can probably benefit a lot from MIT Sloan brand name. What do you guys think?

Thanks a lot Andy for pointing this out. To me, it seems like Almgren is saying that the MQF program, which is in the Business School, also benefits from the strength of the Rutgers Math Department, which houses the MSMF program. That makes sense because MQF students have to take certain...

Both Rutgers MSMF and Rutgers MQF are ranked. Top 10 Quant Schools - Top 10 by Advanced Trading

Even though Newark is not that good of a city comparing to Boston, would you still say that Rutgers benefits from the close proximity to Wall Street when it comes to job search? Also, Rutgers is ranked in the top 10 in Advanced Trading, though BU made it to the honorable mention list. Which...

I just got accepted into Rutgers-Newark MQF program. I saw a bunch of posts on MSMF program but not MQF. It would be great if someone can shed some light on the job/internship placements, courses, etc. Thanks!!

I am currently applying to MFE programs, w/ one acceptance so far and hoping for more to come. As far as the work load goes, I think quants usually get to work at least an hr before the market opens and then go home a few hours after the market closes. So that would give you an estimate of...

Thanks Andy! Sounds like a pretty positive response for BU math fin program

So what are the differences between PhD in Finance and M.S. in Financial Engineering/Math Finance? I know that PhD requires a thesis but M.S. doesnt. I am wondering about which one is more mathematically rigorous? I dont think Finance PhD curriculum has courses like Stochastic Calculus, Monte...

Thanks a lot guys! So would you guys rate SUNY quant fin program above BU math fin?

I just got my BU acceptance package in the mail and saw that BU is coming out with a new curriculum for Fall 2010. This info is not yet updated on their website so I just wanna share it with you guys. The main difference between the old and new curriculum is that the program is now 16-month...

Thanks Andy for the link. I know there are two programs at Rutgers, MSMF program is only offered at New Brunswick campus while MQF program is offered at both Newark and New Brunswick. MQF appeals to me more because of the location; Newark is about a 30 min train ride from the Street so that...

Thanks GoIllini. My ultimate goal is to work in finance in NYC. If that's the case, then should I add Rutgers-Newark to my list? I heard that BU math fin job placement is terrible.

Well so far I have been admitted to BU math fin, but I heard that their job placement is terrible. Thats why I am thinking of applying to UMich, Rutgers and Claremont as well. I am also still waiting to hear back from the rest of my top choices (Columbia,NYU,CMU). NYC and Wall-Street is...

hahaha we'll see about that.

hey Andy, can you post the full review for BU math fin? I just got an acceptance and they want a deposit of $1000 to hold a spot in their class before Feb 17. A full review would be great so I can decide whether I should pay the deposit. Thanks!

Thanks a lot Andy and Quantnet!

I got an email from MIT fin program saying my application is complete but I dont think it says anything about the number of applicants. 900 is quite ridiculous. Where did u get this from?

I just got accepted to BU math fin program and am still waiting to hear back from the top schools (Columbia, NYU, CMU, Baruch). I am thinking of apply to more "2nd tier" programs just in case. Can someone please rank the following programs in terms of prestige on the Street/job placement? - BU...

I am also applying to Oxford M.Sc. in Financial Economics and LSE M.Sc. in Finance and Economics (with M.Sc. in Finance as my second choice program). When did you submit your applications to these two schools and how long did it take you to hear back? I got a friend who got into both program...

so financial engineers mainly work with portfolio managers in the area of portfolio optimization? how about quantitative investment strategies (model building/risk management/etc)? or is that more ibank related?

So I know that traditionally, quants work for the sales and trading division of ibanks to price derivatives and model complicated financial instruments. However, what do quants do exactly in investment management firms (mutual funds, portfolio management, etc.)? Are they still involved in...

anything under 2k is fine. my employer pays for it. :)

where can i enroll in a solid online C++ course? I can def learn this stuff by myself but Baruch (and several other mfe programs) requires that I take a formal class. Since I am working now, the only way I can fulfill this requirement is to do it online. So which online C++ course is the best...

So would the student support be the same in both NYC and Pitt? The courses are gonna be very challenging and it's important that I can meet with Prof or Teaching Assistant when I have questions. Also, would NYC students get the same support in terms of job hunting? I assume that the physical...

So I understand that CMU program has two campuses, one in NYC and another in Pitt. What are the pros/cons of each campus? Please shed some light on student life, job/recruiting opportunities, accessibility to Professors for extra help, etc. Thanks!

hey so I just took my GRE today. I got 770 on quant and 590 on verbal. Is this competitive for top MSFE programs? I am an econ major and my undergrad GPA is 3.61 from one of the top 15 schools in the US. I have already taken all the math prereq classes for MSFE program. I am only aiming at top...

This is the link for the online math course: Math Foundations for Financial Engineers - Master of Financial Engineering Program - Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley This is the link for the online C++ course: C++ Programming for Financial Engineers - Master of Financial Engineering Program -...

So UC Berkeley offers online courses called C++ for Financial Engineers and Math Foundations for Financial Engineers. These courses are geared towards preparing ppl who want to do MSFE program, both at Berkeley and other schools. Since I haven't taken any programming classes in undergrad and the...

thanks a lot for the response. I was a main starter on the lineup (made All-American my senior yr). So will these 3 recs enough: employer, coach, a college professor? Thanks a lot!

so for the three letter of recs that are required by MSFE program, I am think of having my current supervisor and a prof i know from undergrad write the letter. As for the last one, is it ok to use a rec wrote by a college coach for varsity athletic team? He will be the one who knows me the best...

Thanks a lot for all your inputs! So which schools interview applicants for MSFE programs? I really wanna go to school in NYC (Columbia, NYU, Baruch). Do they interview applicants? I don't mind learning more about programming (whether on my own or taking a class) but I rather do that once I find...

Hey Andy, thanks for the response. Also, I heard that some schools grant conditional acceptance, meaning they will only allow you to enroll if you have taken a programming class before the program starts. Do you know if the NYC schools (Columbia, NYU, Baruch) do this?

Am I competitive enough for MSFE? After much pondering, I have decided that I will apply for MSFE programs this application cycle at top ten schools (Columbia, NYU, Carnegie, Baruch, etc.). I graduated from a top 15 university in the US in 2008 with an honors degree in economics. I have taken...

So I took the math section of the GRE yesterday and got 710 without studying. I know I need at least 800 to be competitive for MS in financial engineering. How did u guys study for GRE Math section? Which books did u guys use to get 800? thanks!

Thanks a lot Andy! Are/Were you a student at Baruch? If so, are/were any of your classmates international students? I might email each of the school and ask for contact of international students to see if they have a hard time finding jobs or not. These MS programs are really expensive and it's...

well i know it's tough to get a job on Wall Street that's why I want to do an MS to increase my chances. The only problem is I have zero experience because I thought I was deadset on going to med school after I graduated from college. Now I realized that medicine is truly my thing and I wanna...

So I have decided that I would apply to all the MS programs in NYC to increase my chances. The question is do intl students (non-Canadian) do well in terms of job placement after graduation? I am an international student and went to Johns Hopkins University as an undergraduate student, graduated...

so heres a question, is the US or UK program better at job placement? From what I have been researching, it seems like Columbia and NYU program are having a hard time but LSE program is like a magnet for recruiters. I could be wrong tho.

Hey, I am thinking of applying to several Masters program in UK (LSE Msc in Finance and Economics, OXford MSc in Finance) and several Masters program in US (Columbia MS in Financial Engineering, NYU MS in Math Finance, etc.). My goal is so that I can get a job with a consulting/ibank. Which...

Hey, I am new to this forum so I have a few questions to ask. I graduated from Johns Hopkins in 2008 with an Econ degree (premed concentration) and a GPA of 3.61. I received between A/A- in all quantitative classes (micro theory, macro theory, econometrics, prob/stats, etc.). The thing is I have...

No, I mean I am looking to apply to Masters Program in Finance/Financial Engineering so that I can get a job in the financial sector. And I mean quantitative programs as well, not just basic finance stuff. As of now, I have ZERO work experience in the financial industry and it would be hard to...

Hey, I am new to this forum so I have a few questions to ask. I graduated from Johns Hopkins in 2008 with an Econ degree (premed concentration) and a GPA of 3.61. I received between A/A- in all quantitative classes (micro theory, macro theory, econometrics, prob/stats, etc.). The thing is I have...