Am I on the right path?

[Harshil Shah]

Hey guys,

I've been wanting to be a quant since as long as I can remember. I just want to know if I'm on the right path right now. Here's my current profile:

Rutgers University, Majoring in Math, Minor in Econ, and receiving a Certificate in Quantitative Economics.
Currently a 2nd year student but I can graduate next year if I'm dedicated and willing.

GPA is around 3.2 due to messing up the first semester but got a reality check and been doing great ever since.

I wanted to apply right out of undergrad and was hoping that graduating in 3 years would give me an edge over other applicants. Will it help?

Programming experience in MATLAB, C++, Java, STATA, & R. Will be familiar with Gauss next semester.

No work experience since I've been grinding my ass in school.

Two main schools I'm thinking of (according to my shit GPA) RPI FERA and NYU-Poly. MFE. Are there any other decent schools I can apply to assuming my GPA by the end of third year will be around a 3.4? (Expecting the worst).

Thanks for any input.

 

[Chris Patrick]

why not stick in school for 4 years so you can take more courses to up your GPA and further improve your background in programming, stochastic calc, etc so you are ready once you land at an FE program. This would also give you another summer to get an internship and improve your work experiences if you want to apply right out of school. Just seems more logical to me...I'm an undergrad as well, but I'm in a similar situation and it seems logical

 

[ygmwy]

I agree with Chris Patrick. I am generally more impressed by people who graduate in 4 years and take more classes than people who rush to graduate in 3 years. Especially since your gpa is low, you should take more classes that will help you in quant. Also, a nice internship is critical to getting into a good FE program. These programs are now obsessed with good rankings, and that means good employment rates. A good internship can make you seem like you're easier to place, thus making up for your gpa. (You usually have to have AT LEAST one: gpa or exp). Of the three-year people I've seen, they tend to be immature, less professional, and quickly get owned by the others. The extra year of relative calm, study, reflection, and preparation really make the difference. I was there myself.

 

[Dataminer]

Why not apply to Rutgers MSMF??