Advice for Fall 2026 apps

[loopster]

Hi all,

I’m a rising junior (Class of 2027) at a top ~30 U.S. university (U.S. citizen), seeking advice on strengthening my profile for quant-focused master’s programs. My top choices currently include MIT MFin, Columbia MAFN, and UChicago.

I currently have 4.0 GPA and am double majoring in Applied Mathematics and Economics. My coursework so far includes econometrics, several economics electives, Calculus III, linear algebra, differential equations, and modeling.

I’ve completed three internships—one in finance/strategy at a small corporation, one in startup consulting, and one in data science. I’m now exploring summer 2026 opportunities and currently have an offer to intern as an equity trader at Trillium Trading. I’d appreciate any thoughts on whether this experience would be valuable for quant master’s applications.

I also plan to take the GRE later this summer or early fall (if needed) and am working toward my SIE. Any feedback or guidance on how to further strengthen my application would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Definitely take the C++ and/or Python courses offered by QuantNet. Preferably both. They are taken by thousands of MFE applicants before you and recommended by most quant programs.
This will address the programming/computational component of your applications. Getting a distinction in the courses would have a strong signal for potential employers as well.
There are many similar courses online, some are even free, but none comes close to the quality and relevance for the field than those we offer.