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Michigan MFE asking for revising advise

Yang_Pop

Tina.Yang
Joined
7/31/11
Messages
118
Points
28
Hi, I am in the applying to the MFE program in U-Michi, and a 2-3 minute video is required.

I have written a draft for that, but it seems a little too long, the target length is 250-320 words.

Please get some revising advises.

Here is the requirement:
introducing yourself. You may give any information about yourself that you feel is relevant, but you must explain why you are interested in Financial Engineering in general and the MSFE program at the University of Michigan in particular. In this video, you should also argue why you would be a good fit for the University of Michigan program, what your strengths and weaknesses are and what career options you see for yourself in the future.

Here is my draft:

Hello, my name is Yang Yuting. I am a senior student majoring in financial mathematics in the school of mathematics at Shandong university, a leading university in the research of financial mathematics in China. curious about how finance works to balance the market, I chose financial mathematics in my undergraduate study. some courses, such as time series, securities, options and futures, investment, could always lead me to think about the differential equations, methods for maximum, and feel the strong desire to price it, and to find the optimal portfolio.
During my two-month internship in an asset management company, I participated in running one of the best quantitative funds in China. there I saw how the quants work, and felt disappointed with the naive models and strategies for pricing. Fragile as it is, Chinese market is fulfilled with arbitraging opportunities. Thus I made up my mind to pursue further education in financial engineering.
My three years’ undergraduate education makes me a good fit for this program, with a solid mathematical background, unique intuition of the market, research enthusiasm, and team spirit. I have solid mathematical background and received the merit student scholarship every year. The four-month internship in the sales department and asset managing company taught me how to analyze and trace the portfolio, and communicate with the clients. When participating in the American interdisciplinary modeling competition, I built up the model and find the optimal solution with Matlab. Besides, I served as the monitor of my class for two years, and have organized various social and academic activities, including the weekly discussion class, where the students share opinions about the hot financial issues and homework problems.
However, I don't have a good command of C++ programming. In order to make up for that, I am studying SAS, and taking the online C++ courses led by Dr. Daniel Duffy, Baruch college. As an interdisciplinary program with the balanced curriculum, I think FE program in U-Michi could help me combine my knowledge of mathematics and finance with programming well, and further develop my optimization and risk-management ability.
After graduation, I want to work in hedge fund or investment bank in wall street to cumulate experience, while in long term, I’ll return to China to seek my career and or work in the Chinese investment cooperation to help companies control their risk. Owning the good international fame and ranking top 10 in the wall street, I believe he FE program in university of Michigan-Ann Arbor could help me realize my dream.
 
I have never applied to any MFE program but if this presentation is similar to "talk about yourself" question on any other interview than please find my concerns below.

Hello, my name is Yang Yuting. I am a senior student ... financial mathematics in China ... I chose financial mathematics in my undergraduate study ... some courses, such as ...
They already know it from your CV/Transcripts. You just spent 1/5 of your time on something other people already know and you already bothered them, I bet :)

During my two-month internship in an asset management company, I participated in running one of the best quantitative funds in China. there I saw how the quants work, and felt disappointed with the naive models and strategies for pricing.
What ?!?

My three years’ undergraduate education makes me a good fit for this program, with a solid mathematical background, unique intuition of the market, research enthusiasm, and team spirit.
And again you stated everything that already mentioned in your CV/transcripts, bothered people with tons of cliches but the question "Why are you a good fit?" was still unanswered.

When participating in the American interdisciplinary modeling competition .... where the students share opinions about the hot financial issues and homework problems.
Now, this is a very-very good part.

However, I don't have a good command of C++ programming. In order to make up for that, ...
Don't say that you are weak. Say that you are preparing for further MFE studies, after some research you understood importance of C++ and you are working on it to strengthen your profile.

As an interdisciplinary program with the balanced curriculum ... and further develop my optimization and risk-management ability.
There are absolulely no details. I bet that any other program can help you with what you've mentioned above. Be more specific.
 
I believe the goal of this video is to exam the applicant's English proficiency. UCB MFE required the same but has since dropped this requirement. Michigan MFE is the only program top of my head that still has this video requirement.

A quick search on youtube for "Michigan MFE" will result in over 100 such video clips of applicants talking into a camera. Have a good lighting, good camera and speak clearly into the microphone would help. Correct your English in that essay would be the first step to do.



 
Hi, Kairu:
Thanks very much, and I benefit a lot from your advices.
I also find some part of this draft is redundant, inappropriate, and lack of details as you mentioned.
In the requirement, we are asked to explain why choose MFE in U-Michi in particular, which I guess means more details and unique reasons should be provided. Actually, I have a lot to say on that, yet I am worried about the length of the video. How can I deal with that?
 
Hi, Andy:
I agree with that. Thanks very much. ;)
Is there any other thing that I should put an eye on in the video, such as the dressing, length of the draft, or anything else?
Besides, as for the English proficiency, is this draft seems Chinese-English, or not clear?
 
I believe the goal of this video is to exam the applicant's English proficiency. UCB MFE required the same but has since dropped this requirement. Michigan MFE is the only program top of my head that still has this video requirement.

A quick search on youtube for "Michigan MFE" will result in over 100 such video clips of applicants talking into a camera. Have a good lighting, good camera and speak clearly into the microphone would help. Correct your English in that essay would be the first step to do.




Oh...unfortunately.
I could not connect to youtube, which seems forbidden in China...
Could you sent them to me via email? 198254525@qq.com or yangyuting1989@gmail.com
 
Hi, Kairu:
Thanks very much, and I benefit a lot from your advices.
...
Actually, I have a lot to say on that, yet I am worried about the length of the video. How can I deal with that?
If you have an interesting story then people will be eager to hear more.
If you will repeat cliche after cliche during the whole presentation then people will be upset after the first 30 seconds and eventually press "fast forward".
 
Yang_Pop
Hi Yang,
I too am applying for Umich Summer 2012 and a particular question I wanted to ask you is about the 'Academic Statement of Purpose'
The application page where we are supposed to upload the file, says: 'Font 12, 1.5 spaced, length should be 1.5 to 2 pages'
Now the problem is once we space the lines 1.5, it eats up a lot of space so a 1.5 page SOP becomes a 3 page. I have to thus rework everything and I don't like deleting any part.
My question is, how important it is to keep it 1.5 spaced?

It would be great if anyone could help me out on this issue.

Thanks!
 
Yang_Pop
Hi Yang,
I too am applying for Umich Summer 2012 and a particular question I wanted to ask you is about the 'Academic Statement of Purpose'
The application page where we are supposed to upload the file, says: 'Font 12, 1.5 spaced, length should be 1.5 to 2 pages'
Now the problem is once we space the lines 1.5, it eats up a lot of space so a 1.5 page SOP becomes a 3 page. I have to thus rework everything and I don't like deleting any part.
My question is, how important it is to keep it 1.5 spaced?

It would be great if anyone could help me out on this issue.

Thanks!

I have reviewed the requirements of SOP both in the FE program webpage and the applying system. And I discovered that on the webpage of FE program, it states to require a one page statement of purpose, single spaced, I guess. While in the direction of applying system, it requires us to submit a 1.5-2 page statement of purpose, font 12, 1.5 spaced. Thus, I guess their requirement is the same, since this 1.5-2 page statement and the one-page statement contains the same number of words in total. Viewing from this, I think the purpose of the 1.5 spaced requirement is to reduce the tiredness of the committee when viewing such a huge amount of SOP on computer. So, I think you'd better obey that rules.
The limit of the number of words is about 800. If you have such confidence to feel that every part of your essay is insuppressible, you could submit a SOP exceed 2 page. I have saw a 5-minute video, twice the length of requirement. But it's really dedicatedly designed and present the strengths of the application very clearly and logically. And I believe such an outstanding applicant would not be refused .
 
Thanks Yang. The one which is mentioned on the page of FE program is, I think so, the 'Personal Statement' which has a 500 word limit. Anyway, I am sticking to the rule.
Thanks!
 
Thanks Yang. The one which is mentioned on the page of FE program is, I think so, the 'Personal Statement' which has a 500 word limit. Anyway, I am sticking to the rule.
Thanks!
I have written an email to FE program AD office, it replied that only the statement of purpose is required, not the personal statement.
I think the PS is required for other programs.
By the way, I think a few lines exceed the requirement won't matter much.
Good luck with you.
quote"Our program only requires the Statement of Purpose, so the Personal Statement is not necessary."
 
Hi Utkal:
Do you know what are the steps for the submitting the R letters?
I have filled in the recommender information and click the button nearby, yet he does not receive email asking for R letter. How is that? I have not submitted, or the R letter process begins only after I submit and pay the application fee?
 
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