How to assure MFE/Fin Math/MQF course worth for >$50K @ 12-14% int / annum ?

[menovive]

For Folks who coming to US from India:
Students from India go for these terribly expensive Educational Loans by pledging their property or savings and so it should make more sense than the factor of just spending 1 year. I think you should have a solid plan of how to tackle the situation and find a job in current messy situation. Most of the programs are good but the ultimate goal is getting an opportunity. Also you should start Job hunting and networking on second week you into whichever program.

And back home in most cases, If you perform well in a job interview(like u answer all questions right, u dress very well, u please the person with all goodness and smartness, good language) u are almost sure of getting it. but here it doesn't even give you a 50% assurance that u might get it. What they say when they reject you is that they have gone for internal placement / something else like they are looking for a left eye specialist and not in need of 'right eye' ones. So In United States, NETWORKING is THE MOST IMPORTANT, You should have someone to push your candidacy even though you are very confident and very good at it.

For rest of the WORLD, I see that they get scholarships or dead cheap funding options or sponsorship and the like. Thus when others think twice, you folks should think at least 5 times whether you are you are doing the right thing at right time.

and I Wish you all (I mean all new incoming Students), the very best. !!!

 

[Jose T]

Good post.

I would also like to add that networking with one's peers can be effective. Peers or senior classmates can given 'on the ground' strategic advice for job-hunting and provide useful referrals because they are taking similar level positions.

Often people think of networking as trying to glad-handle the highest ranking exec they can connect to on LinkedIn or whatever, but these people may not have a field of vision to help an entry level hire and they may be contacted with such frequency with similar requests that they lose track.

Reaching out and befriending classmates can be fruitful because people don't get hired in a vacuum. Once you become part of an organization, you naturally hear about the connected needs of the organization and companies usually love it when existing employees give referrals.

On a personal note, as an Indian American (citizen), I have plenty of access to those 'dead cheap funding options' however I am also keenly aware of the experiences of my extended family and my wife's family with the Indian retail banking system. Sometimes your classmates may understand and at least be able to sympathize with more about your situation than you might think. So don't be afraid to make the connection!