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I would say 780-800Q is fine. I was accepted to a number of good schools with 790, if it matters.

I just wanted to mention that you should consider U of T's MMF program as well. I think it would suit you given your interest in pricing and risk management. I started the program in August and I've been learning a lot, though it is a ton of work! About 1/4 of our class (including myself) have...

Eugene has it, use Ctrl+F5 ("Start without Debugging").

Yep, they give you crappy pencils and blue paper that makes it hard to see your pencil marks. I think the GRE PowerPrep software (you can download it from the GRE website) is probably the closest thing to the CAT exams you will get. It comes with two exams but they pull from a pool of questions...

I know you said MS Visual C++ confuses you, but it's pretty easy to get started writing simple console apps, at least. You can download the free Visual C++ Express Edition here. Then just File -> New Project -> Win32 Console Application -> Finish, type up your code, then Ctrl+F5. It could be...

I've heard the GRE math subject test can be a good way to demonstrate your math skills (unlike the GRE general test or GMAT), so it might be what you're looking for in terms of adding value to your application. I didn't bother taking it when I applied, but I know more people are taking it these...

Standardized test scores aren't as important for MFEs as they are for law school or med school. They can hurt you if you score too low, but they can't really help you. Pretty much everyone is expected to have 780+ on the quantitative section, and standards for the verbal seem to be pretty low -...

A lot of people are self-taught in C++; in fact, that's how the majority of programmers I know learned. Of course there are benefits to class-style education, but personally I think the best way to learn programming is to get a good book and follow along as you experiment and tinker with your...

I'm kind of confused by your test preparation strategy. Most MFE programs require the GRE, so why not just study and take the GRE? Personally, I think the GRE and GMAT are just filters, not opportunities to add value to your application. I honestly doubt that the deciding factor between any...

The verbal section of the GRE is pretty unimportant if you're applying to MFEs. Just make sure to get 780-800 on the quantitative section and you'll be fine. As for studying for the GRE, use the free Powerprep software from the ETS website - it has two sample exams that are just like the real...

When I talked to Rick Bryant (the director at CMU MSCF) he mentioned they take all sorts of students, including fresh grads like myself, and older students with more work experience like yourself. Given your excellent grades, I wouldn't call CMU a "shot in the dark"; obviously nobody here has...

ChrisPeters, just of curiosity, doesn't economics usually require you to know stuff from Calc III, such as partial derivatives, chain rule, gradient, multiple integrals, etc.? I am kind of unfamiliar with how much math US economics degrees usually require. I was looking over my girlfriend's...

Bruce Eckel's Thinking in C++ is a good book to start learning C++ from, although it might be difficult for someone who's never programmed at all.

Wow, thanks everyone for all the excellent answers. I haven't really done any "real" math before; as an EE most of my math courses in college were computational and I didn't do many proofs, so I'm not sure if I'm ready to tackle Rudin given what I've heard about it. The Measure, Integral, and...

My math finance program, like many others, suggests prospective students to have general knowledge of real analysis. I never had the chance to take analysis before graduating, but I do have three months this summer before my program starts. Would you suggest studying analysis or just brushing up...

I don't quite follow your logic. A photo in which the Chinese outnumber the non-Chinese just shows that there was a greater proportion of Chinese at the event (and this is assuming all the East Asians are Chinese). MFE programs often have many East Asian students, so this is hardly surprising. I...

The website you linked to is an arbitrarily ordered list, not a ranking. There is a Global Derivatives ranking out there from 2003-2004, but it's pretty worthless, in my opinion - it says they used surveys to compile the rankings, but who filled out those surveys? MFE applicants? At any rate...

I also think it's rare for Americans (and by this I mean third-generation and onward) to do graduate study in any discipline, but especially math and science for the reasons mentioned above. I'm pretty sure there's a disproportionate number of international students in almost every US grad...

I finally got it, woohoo! I didn't think posting my e-mail here would actually work.. Thanks Dominic!

I can confirm the contact person for Cornell should be Kathy King, not the other guy.

Great idea, Andy! Some other schools you might want to survey are University of Toronto and Stanford.

Heh, I remember when I got my UMich admit a while back, I e-mailed the secretary and asked to contact a current student. She told me she would forward my e-mail to the FE Club and that they could contact me at their discretion. As you can imagine, nobody ever contacted me - so I can understand...

Tigga, where did you find that post?

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Many schools, including Baruch, start reviewing apps in early December. I took mine at the end of October, giving me the most time to prepare, and allowing me to retake in November if necessary (you can only take the GRE once per calendar month). It takes 2-3 weeks for ETS to send your scores to...

Just got the class schedule for next semester, and it appears real analysis and stochastic processes have been scheduled for the same time slot! How did I know this was going to happen... If you could have taken only one of these classes before starting your MFE, which one would you have...

Hey, thanks for the suggestions, everyone. I guess I'll go with my EE professors, then. Yep, my impression is that NYU in particular really wants recs from math profs. Fortunately, it seems many other schools have their MFE in the engineering department, so maybe they'd look on recs from other...

Hey everyone, Just joined the forum - looks like an active and friendly place. I'd like your advice on recommendations. I'm a senior electrical engineering student at New Mexico State University, and I'll be applying to MFE programs this year (including Baruch!). I'm pretty happy with my...