Give me an honest profile evaluation...be blunt

[lgbm_user]

Hello everyone,

I am applying to MSCF and MFE programmes soon. I have my choices below and I would like to know if I'm aiming too high.

Academic Background:

• Currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Business Analytics from the Computing Faculty from a T3 University in Asia
• Will graduate will grades slightly above a first class honors (Think in the range of 4.5-4.6 out of 5)
• Courses focus around a mix of machine learning, computing, statistical learning
• Relevant and Important Modules include: Probability and Statistics, Econometrics, Calc I & II, Lin Alg I, Data Structures & Algos, OOP, Software Dev, Time series analysis, regression analysis, and 2-3 other ML modules which teach things like NLP, Deep Learning, Computational methods like markov models, etc.
• Undergrad Dissertation in a Machine Learning related topic

Work Experience:

• 2 Internships with major investment banks, as a data scientist/financial analyst
• 2 Internships with medium sized hedge funds (think > 5B AUM), as a quant researcher
• Total work exp sums up for slightly longer than 1.5 years

Skills & Certifications:

• Some different certifications on applied finance from prestigious universities (paid certificates)
• No deans list, but some certifications on doing well for certain ML modules

I am concerned because my course is not focused on things like real analysis and major math/stats foundations, although we do a lot of statistical learning, and also that my course name has the word Business in it...

Here are the programmes I'm aiming to get, please tell me if I'm being delusional, because it seems like my GPA is not going to cut it for the top 3-4 programmes.

Top Masters Programmes choices in no order of preference:
Cambridge - Data Intensive Science
Oxford - Mathematical and Computational Finance (should I even apply for this?)
MIT - MFin
CMU - Computational Finance
Columbia and Cornell - MFE
NYU MFE (supposedly safety. or am I over-aiming)

I would heavily prefer going into buy-side straight out of grad school, and would heavily appreciate some advices related to programmes and schools to choose too.

Thank you in advance!

 

[benzenephi]

Your work experience and course background is good. Too many people aim low man. Its better to go big. But on the other hand, I don't think keeping one option NYU is "safe". Keep atleast 2-3 schools as safe choices, meaning, you will get in with 90% probability. Also, the buy-side thing is more related to what you do in grad school than which one you go to, assuming you get into a top-tier one.

 

[lgbm_user]

Hey thanks for the insights. I was thinking because if I don't get at least NYU, I would rather do a Masters locally because I wouldn't want to pay so much to get into a less prestigious program. Do you think my GPA will affect my chances heavily? Will doing GREs help "boost" my GPA as well?

 

[benzenephi]

I get what you mean. Personally I too wouldn't do a less prestigious program at all. I would rather work and reapply next year. Committees look at your profile holistically. They are not going to focus on one part. Your gpa is good enough. I dunno why you are self-conscious about it. I mean, people get into Princeton with a 3.5/4 (albeit done the big prestigious undergrads). About the GRE, depends on the program. Some look at it. Some like Baruch don't. Those who do look like to see high quant scores above 168/170.