Acceptance Rates for MFE programs

[Andy Nguyen]

I wouldn't call it surprise
https://www.quantnet.com/resources/admission-statistics-from-mfe-programs.51/

 

[Andy Nguyen]

The Columbia MAFN program had about 800 applicants for 2010-2011 year and admit roughly 1 out of 10 candidates (10% acceptance rate)
Columbia Mathematics of Finance Program going to have about 95 students in 2010-2011 academic year, 65 full-time and 30 part-time including continuing part-time students.


This is a statement released to us by the dept official at Columbia. This number can't be independently verified and it's not on the dept website.

 

[Joy Pathak]

So they have 80 spots. Also, did they say anything about how many they "refer" to the MS Stats and let them take the same courses?

 

[qchan]

Interesting. Does that mean that Columbia's MAFN is more competitive than its MSFE program? I'm surprised that the MAFN would have 800 applicants where as other MFE programs have somewhere around 400 ~ 500.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Columbia MFE can receive anywhere from 200 to 10000 applications a year. Until we know the numbers, you can't compare.

---------- Post added at 05:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:31 PM ----------

So they have 80 spots. Also, did they say anything about how many they "refer" to the MS Stats and let them take the same courses?

Rejected applicants are sent to MS Stats dept for review and offered admission there.
This is directly from the dept.

 

[lordvid]

The Columbia MAFN program had about 800 applicants for 2010-2011 year and admit roughly 1 out of 10 candidates (10% acceptance rate)
Columbia Mathematics of Finance Program going to have about 95 students in 2010-2011 academic year, 65 full-time and 30 part-time including continuing part-time students.


This is a statement released to us by the dept official at Columbia. This number can't be independently verified and it's not on the dept website.

I am very very confused now. The gospel on their website spake thus:

"It is expected that no more than 55 full-time students and 20 part-time students will be admitted in the incoming Fall 2010 class."

Columbia University - MA in Mathematics of Finance

And what of the all-so-hallowed placement numbers?

 

[Andy Nguyen]

The Columbia MFE program

For July 2010 entry: 607 applications
Around 110 students admitted
18% acceptance rate

For July 2009 entry:
517 applications
Around 110 students admitted
21% acceptance rate

These are numbers that people have been wondering about for a long time but nobody knows. You see it first right here on quantnet.com

 

[dstefan]

It may be worth collecting the information on admission from various programs in table style as is done on the UCB Wiki page, and posting it in a sticky thread.

 

[coolharvard]

I wonder how many of the 597 rejected applicants ended up in MSOR program. Isn't Columbia known to squeeze MSFE rejects to MSOR?

Do you also have MSOR stats?

The Columbia MFE program

For July 2010 entry: 607 applications
Around 110 students admitted
18% acceptance rate

For July 2009 entry:
517 applications
Around 110 students admitted
21% acceptance rate

These are numbers that people have been wondering about for a long time but nobody knows. You see it first right here on quantnet.com

 

[Andy Nguyen]

I talked to IOER officials and they told me about 20-30 students each years will be recommended to MSOR.

 

[coolharvard]

I talked to IOER officials and they told me about 20-30 students each years will be recommended to MSOR.

Interesting. Because so many people have talked about how they applied for FE, but were recommended for OR, I was expecting something much higher than 20-30.

Since there are about 80 MSFE students in IEOR dept, do you know how many MSOR students are in IEOR? Also MSEMS, MSIE?

 

[Andy Nguyen]

No I don't. But you can go to their IEOR website and count the student name on their respective program's website.

 

[qchan]

There are 57 MSFE students, not 80. I don't think they've ever had more than 65 the past few years.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

For further information about MSOR, here is an email from the Columbia's contact. I'll set up a conference call with them next week so further information can be extracted. If you have any question, contact me.

 

[DominiConnor]

MFE programs talk a lot about acceptance rates, but they contain little information.

They say nothing about content, and little about reputation.

First, lets do a thought experiment...
Imagine a course that has a 50:1 ratio of applicants to places.

It moves to a new building, and hires a couple more shit hot professors, and so can handle 20% more students. So by this metric, the course is now 40:1 and thus less good ?

Imagine also that the demand for courses goes down by 25%, so it's now 30:1, so by this metric a course that has improved is measured as little better than half as good.

Next, look at the people dooing the measurement, are they internationally renowned experts in the career opportunities afforded to quants like me (he says modestly), or are they mostly newbies fresh out of a course like physics or mathematics which has not even educated them to the level of banking knowledge that they could name all 10 of the largest banks ?

It is these newbies that decide these numbers based upon the effectiveness of their marketing to 21 year olds.

 

[coolharvard]

For further information about MSOR, here is an email from the Columbia's contact. I'll set up a conference call with them next week so further information can be extracted. If you have any question, contact me.

Can you ask them about the admission statistics of the MSOR programs? I've heard it is easy to get into Columbia's MSOR program in comparison to other top programs like Cornell, MIT,.. etc. I am interested in the exact statistics to be convinced that this rumor about the Columbia MSOR admission has some validity.

such as:

average GRE score, GPA, etc....

number of applicants and number of acceptance (MSOR only, not including those applied to MSFE then got recommended to MSOR).

Thanks.

 

[cesc]

For further information about MSOR, here is an email from the Columbia's contact. I'll set up a conference call with them next week so further information can be extracted. If you have any question, contact me.

Can you also ask them how they (MSOR) select students from the huge pool of applications for MSFE program? Why some students got rejections directly while some could get the admission to MSOR? Which kind of background do they prefer ? Engineering or biz ?

 

[coolharvard]

For further information about MSOR, here is an email from the Columbia's contact. I'll set up a conference call with them next week so further information can be extracted. If you have any question, contact me.

Sorry, I just saw the "Financial and Managerial Applications Concentration" on IEOR website. So you don't have to ask them about it.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Stanford 2010 incoming class
Applications Received: 308
Number of Admission Offers: 22
=> Acceptance rate 7%
Number Enrolling: 14
=> Yield rate 64%
Women: 4
Men: 10

Highest degree held
Bachelor: 11
Master: 1
PhD: 2

 

[Andy Nguyen]

MIT Sloan Master in Finance 2010 incoming class
950 applications
Admitted aprox 90 students
Admission rate 9%
Male 67%
Female 33%
Age 23.5 (range 20-28 years)
U.S./International 15%/85%
Average Undergraduate GPA 3.78
Average Years Experience 13 months
GMAT Range 700-770
GRE Quant Range 780-800
GRE Verbal Range 420-730
Please note: GMAT and GRE test scores listed above reflect the middle 80% range.