Chances of getting into a top UK MFE Program

[Rajeev]

Hi All,

I'd like to know if I have a chance of getting into any top MFE Program in the UK with education and experience.

I have an Upper Second Class Honors bachelor's degree (2.1) in Electrical & Computer Engineering from an IEEE accredited University.

I've gotten all As in all math courses as well A+s in the two C++ courses in my BSc. Just showing you that math and programming are my strong points.

I've always had a very keen interest in the business trading/financial world, but unfortunately I have no experience in this field.

I've worked 6 years in the Telecomms industry doing Interference analysis, cell site planning and optimization which is difficult stuff but totally unrelated to MFE.

What are my chances of getting into a top UK university (at least one that specifies a minimum of 2.1 degree)?

I'm looking at Imperial, LSE, Warwick, UCL & Manchester.

A couple years ago I applied to Imperial's Electrical Engineering Msc in Communications and was accepted, however I had to decline due to financial reasons.

 

[DominiConnor]

Manchester is not a top school anymore., LSE is on our watch list for a downgrade.

Although I have a professional interest in the cout of MFE programs, I confess that stdin process mystifies me, some want essays for reasons that make no sense to me at all.
You sound like you've got pretty much what it takes to make it in this line of work, I would encourage you to try, see what happens.

 

[bansalmohit]

Manchester is not a top school anymore., LSE is on our watch list for a downgrade.

What would you say are the top quant programs in UK?

 

[Rajeev]

DominicConnor, Thanks very much for the response.

What would you say are the best schools for MFE in the UK?

My main concern is whether my application would be deemed good enough for entry into these top schools.

 

[martingaletrader]

i would suggest skipping school and go into a programming role. and it irks that people claim to have math skills. engineering math is not math. am sure you are amply qualified and strong in quantitative skills. so you are already strong for a quant developer role.

it doesn't matter really as most of the time you will be coding. unless you are going for a real quant job where knowledge of stochastic calculus is passage of rite - don't make claims. in that case a PhD is a rite of passage.

schools:

Imperial math fin: this is a serious program. placement is terrible and you don't get much support. if you are french go for it - as countless teams of french quants hire only french. Having said that Imperial graduates do well so I hear.

Warwick: a top program with excellent faculty. not sure about their placement but can't be that bad. Their graduates also do well

LSE: the name really sells and you don't have to try that hard for analyst jobs compared with a school say in scotland or wales

Oxford: the name really really sells.

Manchester: problems getting interviews as too far north for the lazy HR person to consider you plus teams of french and oxbridge quants will ignore your CV.

The question you should be asking, Rajeev, is how many quants went to each of these schools and how they populate the finance industry. Perhaps Dominic can do a survey as to which schools produce quants the most.

I would guess Oxbridge dominates along with Imperial and red-brick universities.

 

[DominiConnor]

Rajeev, bansalmohit I'm not allowed to endorse any given finance program, but oddly I am at liberty to condemn anything.

Imperial has two career departments, one is a bunch of peasants who write to recruiters like me with the apparent goal of pissing us off and the other seems OK by UK standards.

 

[gauravpuri]

I am planning to apply to Imperial Msc Risk Management and Financial Engineering.
I have a work ex of 1 year at Deloitte into IT Risk Audits. Domini Sir , can you please let me know about the job prospects in UK/USA after graduation from Imperial . I am looking into Risk Management role.