COMPARE GaTech QCF vs Purdue Stats/CF vs NYU-Poly FE

[Hellas]

Hi,

So I am currently in the process of making a decision on which program to attend for the Spring 2013 semester. I was just admitted to GaTech (no funding) and was admitted to NYU-Poly (with 40% off tuition) a few weeks ago. I am still waiting to hear from Purdue, but I'd like to have an idea of which program fits me best.

Ideally I would like to work for a hedge fund, but that might change due to the fact that I do not have any experience in the financial field so my preferred area may change as I get more exposure. I am from Chicago and currently live in the area so Purdue's proximity to the city is a plus and I do like the idea of a MS in Stats, but I have not found significant placement data regarding their graduates. GaTech seems to have a great program and very good placement, although not close to a major financial center and it does have a steep price tag. I really like the structure and curriculum of NYU-Poly and the fact that it is in NYC, but its placement seems to be subpar and has to compete with all of the top schools in the area.

I am quite conflicted and if anyone can offer some advise it would be greatly appreciated. I know just because a program is ranked higher doesn't necessarily mean it is a better fit so I really want to find out which program best fits what I want to accomplish.

 

[Keith Tan]

congrats! chicago's got lots of great schools too, but u can't go wrong with NYU-Poly.

a lower ranked school doesn't necessarily mean it has a bad quality curiculumn too.

 

[Hellas]

So are you suggesting it would be better to go to NYU-Poly since it located in a major financial center? I don't get too caught up in the rankings, but if the rankings generally correlate to better placement then that is important. I feel the most important thing for me is being able to get an internship and the prospect of landing a job at a good firm upon graduation.

 

[kevin_charlemagne]

Unless you are not interested in Chicago-based prop shops, you would definitely want to put UIUC on your list because at least it appears on the campus recruitment schedules of almost all the leading prop shops in Chicago. IIT is not a bad choice either. Just my $0.02.

 

[Hellas]

I did look into UIUC, but I was somewhat limited to which schools I could apply to since I was looking to start this upcoming spring semester and not all programs have spring admissions. I felt it was more beneficial for my personal situation to start this spring rather than waiting until next fall. Based on these three schools would you suggest one over the others for any specific reasons?

 

[Ergodic]

Hey Hellas. I go to Purdue and would be willing to give my two cents about your situation. First I'd need some more info about you and where you are in life:

1) What is your educational background?
2) What kind of work do you currently do?
3) What will be the bottom-line price tags for the three schools? Note: for NYU you should also factor in cost of living.

I've PMed you with more info. It would be good to make your answers to these public, though.

 

[Hellas]

Hi Ergodic thanks for the reply. yes I should have explained my situation and background a little more.

1. I have a BS in Physics and Astronomy from a school with a solid reputation in those fields (top 10 in Astro). I have also done quite a bit of research in those fields, mainly involving writing and using code to analyze and create models.

2. After graduation I worked at Northwestern University for one of their theoretical astrophysics group. My work essentially consisted of me using a large evolution code to model specific systems and verify if there were any discrepancies between the models and actual data. A paper should be published from the work the my group did on this project within a couple months.

3. I know most Masters programs do not offer much/any funding since most of the funds are reserved for PhD students so I wanted to make my decision assuming I received no funding at all. After factoring in the cost of tuition and living it seems GaTech would be the most expensive. Purdue and NYU-Poly would be roughly the same (I did receive 40% off tuition at NYU-Poly) at about 10k less than GaTech.

 

[Ergodic]

After factoring in the cost of tuition and living...Purdue and NYU-Poly would be roughly the same (I did receive 40% off tuition at NYU-Poly)

I have a hard time believing this! Do you have any idea how cheap it is to live in a small town in Indiana? If you've spent most of your adult life in Chicago, the rents here will make you sh*t a brick. They're so low that even Jimmy McMillan wouldn't complain.

(Then again, I haven't looked at the numbers in a while, so you might actually be right.)

I PMed you with more info, but I thought I'd put this out there publicly so NY residents can comment.

 

[Hellas]

Yes I am aware of the how inexpensive it is to live in a small town, but Purdue's program would be 2 years long and NYU-Poly's only 1.5 years so I also accounted for that. Of course Purdue's cost of living is significantly cheaper with that in mind, but I would end up paying a lot more for tuition which basically evens them out overall.

While the overall cost of each program is a concern, I am most concerned about internships and job placement at good firms upon graduation.

 

[kevin_charlemagne]

I'll pick Poly for sure. Location matters the most when it comes down to placement. It seems to me that the program whose placement stats is least affected by its location is Berkeley.

 

[Hellas]

Kevin, thanks for your input. Would you choose Poly over GaTech as well due to the location? I know GaTech's reputation is better, but I was always concerned with it being in Atlanta. I have read that Poly does not have the best career services so I am not sure if I would have to do a lot more work trying to get interviews for internships/jobs. Any input on that?

 

[Caesar]

Hellas, I'm currently a student in Georgia Tech's QCF program and from my experience here, proximity to a major financial center is nearly irrelevant. Almost all of our students secure internships and careers ranging from small start-ups to to major investment banks. Suntrust bank is also headquartered here in Atlanta and many alumni choose to work there. In addition, Georgia Tech has strong connections in the energy trading sector with major oil/energy companies such as Shell, Conoco-Phillips, British Petroleum, Reliant, and several other large power companies. You're correct that GT is expensive, but personally I have found it to be well worth it.

 

[Hellas]

Hi Caesar, thanks for the info. So I have finally come to a decision and I am going to go with Georgia Tech. Seems like a more structured program with better industry connections.

 

[diegosanaz]

Congratulations. I believe you are the first member in the tracker to confirm enrollment for Fall 2013.

 

[Hellas]

Thanks! Actually, I am enrolling for Spring 2013.

 

[skum]

Hi Hellas,
Currently, I am in the same confusion as you were.... Any regrets on selecting Georgia Tech... Still it holds good?....
Thanks