How to choose Oxford MCF, Chicago MSFM, Columbia MFE and Cornell MFE

[tonylich]

I already got the ad from Chicago and Oxford MCF, WL of Columbia MFE, no news from Cornell MFE. My rank is Columbia > Oxford > Cornell >Chicago. Actually I am not sure about it and anyone give any advice on the rank of them.
Chicago requires to reply by March 31st, but till then I may not hear from Columbia and Cornell. What should I do? Chicago has admitted so many students in PKU and I really worried about the quality of this program.
As to the other three, anyone knows when will Cornell give the result? And Columbia?

 

[Connor]

Where do you want to get a job? For UK/Europe, go to Oxford. For Chicago, go to Chicago. For NY, go to Columbia or Cornell. *These are rough estimates, not set in stone*

 

[Tsotne]

Where do you want to get a job? For UK/Europe, go to Oxford. For Chicago, go to Chicago. For NY, go to Columbia or Cornell. *These are rough estimates, not set in stone*

It doesn't much matter from where you have graduated from for the job location. If you have enough experience and proper education (including the prestige of an university) then you'll get accepted anywhere. Oxford graduates have no much trouble getting to NY or Chicago after graduation. That was in terms of education. But I agree with Connor in a sense that, you have to fix the visa procedures and also the people graduating from NY or having lived in NY might have a little advantage over those who haven't got them for application purposes.

 

[wuzhemin]

@tonylich
Basically, Chicago has worse feedbacks among these programs. They admit about 70-100 students per year.
So, I suggest you make your choice between Columbia (if you can get in) and Oxford. You need to compare the course structures since these two programs focus on some diffrent stuffs. Oxford's program is more theoretical and mathematical, which is more "hard-core" quant focused.
Based on my research and conversations with some former students, Oxford's program has more connections in London/Europe, but not in NYC. So, if you want to work in NYC, Columbia should be better.
Anyway, congratulations on your admit to Oxford. I got into their program too, . Let me know your final decision.

 

[Sherlock]

Of course it matters where you graduated for your future career. How can you conduct interviews in NY if you study in Oxford. Yes Oxford gives you prestige but if you want to work in NY you should go there for job interviews. Having in mind how many programs there are in NY and around you will have a better oriented competitors. And of course other reasons like networking etc etc. If you want to work in Europe go for Oxford, otherwise Columbia. I would personally rate them Columbia>Cornell>Chicago. You can send emails to the programs that you are still waiting to hear from and tell them that you have deadlines you need to meet and you kindly ask them if possible to evaluate your profile sooner rather than later. People say this should not hurt your chances. I personally have no experience with this practice. Good Luck

 

[Tsotne]

Of course it matters where you graduated for your future career. How can you conduct interviews in NY if you study in Oxford. Yes Oxford gives you prestige but if you want to work in NY you should go there for job interviews. Having in mind how many programs there are in NY and around you will have a better oriented competitors.

Interview is of a little importance unless they fix it one or two days later after invitation. It is the same to have interview in France as having one in NY while you are studding at Oxford. Different countries make the preference same I think.

 

[bronson]

I already got the ad from Chicago and Oxford MCF, WL of Columbia MFE, no news from Cornell MFE. My rank is Columbia > Oxford > Cornell >Chicago. Actually I am not sure about it and anyone give any advice on the rank of them.
Chicago requires to reply by March 31st, but till then I may not hear from Columbia and Cornell. What should I do? Chicago has admitted so many students in PKU and I really worried about the quality of this program.
As to the other three, anyone knows when will Cornell give the result? And Columbia?

Tony, I too have been waitlisted by Columbia MFE and have not yet heard back from Cornell FE. I emailed Kathy King this morning and she repeated the same high volume of applicants line. I hope they respond by this week.

 

[Sherlock]

Interview is of a little importance unless they fix it one or two days later after invitation. It is the same to have interview in France as having one in NY while you are studding at Oxford. Different countries make the preference same I think.

Yea both time it sucks to have to go the another country for an interview. Still I believe France is a bit closer than USA What if you have a couple of interviews with different companies? Are you gonna fly all the time. This argument is pointless. No doubt it matters where you study for your short-term future career.

 

[Tsotne]

Yea both time it sucks to have to go the another country for an interview. Still I believe France is a bit closer than USA What if you have a couple of interviews with different companies? Are you gonna fly all the time. This argument is pointless. No doubt it matters where you study for your short-term future career.

Heey why does then the special interview visas exist. You fly once and stay there from the first to the last interview date. But let's not dig into technical details. You live in UK for example. You have to fly all the time as you said if you have multiple interviews? Or you think about train which is gonna take exactly the same time as plane to USA. Moreover, keeping track on job market is as difficult/easy from UK to France as from UK to USA - that for orientation. Somewhere you might be right but I don't completely agree that location is of huge concern. There can be found other reasons why it is easier to search near your location rather than world away. Again, back to the point of multiple interviews, embassies grant interview visas (not sure of the name though) which allows you to go specifically for the interview purpose to another country. My university graduates are the frequent users of this service I can provide examples if you are interested. They get invitations from several companies and go for 2-3 weeks after applying and getting the "interview" visas.

 

[lonely]

Conor is right. You are not gonna get job in NY if you go to Oxford its very simple may be 1 guy out of whole class if he has somebody close to him working at place where he can get his job. Otherwise nobody is gonna make you fly all the way from UK to USA, and why should one? There enough guys in NY to hire, oh and one more thing, MD does not care whether you have mfe or ms in computer science both guys have equal chances of getting job. The reason more mfe students gets finance jobs than CS students is because most of the mfe program have placement cells geared to get finance jobs for their graduates

 

[tonylich]

Tony, I too have been waitlisted by Columbia MFE and have not yet heard back from Cornell FE. I emailed Kathy King this morning and she repeated the same high volume of applicants line. I hope they respond by this week.

In another forum of China, there are three ADs from Cornell. I think they begin to review the application from China mainland. Bless us for Columbia!

 

[tonylich]

Where do you want to get a job? For UK/Europe, go to Oxford. For Chicago, go to Chicago. For NY, go to Columbia or Cornell. *These are rough estimates, not set in stone*

Actually, I am flexible with the working locations. My girlfriend have already decided to go to Boston. If I can not get admitted into Columbia, Chicago is not so attractive to me compared with Oxford, which my parents favor very much. You know, tough choice and I still have to wait!

 

[tonylich]

@tonylich
Basically, Chicago has worse feedbacks among these programs. They admit about 70-100 students per year.
So, I suggest you make your choice between Columbia (if you can get in) and Oxford. You need to compare the course structures since these two programs focus on some diffrent stuffs. Oxford's program is more theoretical and mathematical, which is more "hard-core" quant focused.
Based on my research and conversations with some former students, Oxford's program has more connections in London/Europe, but not in NYC. So, if you want to work in NYC, Columbia should be better.
Anyway, congratulations on your admit to Oxford. I got into their program too, . Let me know your final decision.

Have you decided to go to Oxford? I will inform you my final decision. I think you are the first one admitted into this program, !

 

[SimonZheng]

Suppose you are going to find a quant job at IB after MFE. Thousands of MFE and Phd in US apply for entry-level quant positions in NYC office. It seems to be excessively competitive.

I vote for Oxford since rumor London position is easy to get in and less competitors. Tuition is cheaper, 20K pound. Looking at their last year placement, more than 40% secured a job at IB. It's better than many MFE programs.
http://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/system/files/attachments/Where_have_o

 

[atreides]

I already got the ad from Chicago and Oxford MCF, WL of Columbia MFE, no news from Cornell MFE. My rank is Columbia > Oxford > Cornell >Chicago. Actually I am not sure about it and anyone give any advice on the rank of them.
Chicago requires to reply by March 31st, but till then I may not hear from Columbia and Cornell. What should I do? Chicago has admitted so many students in PKU and I really worried about the quality of this program.
As to the other three, anyone knows when will Cornell give the result? And Columbia?

Are you aware of this http://www.quantnet.com/forum/threads/uk-govt-to-abolish-student-work-visa.5131/page-2#post-47995

 

[tonylich]

Suppose you are going to find a quant job at IB after MFE. Thousands of MFE and Phd in US apply for entry-level quant positions in NYC office. It seems to be excessively competitive.

I vote for Oxford since rumor London position is easy to get in and less competitors. Tuition is cheaper, 20K pound. Looking at their last year placement, more than 40% secured a job at IB. It's better than many MFE programs.
http://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/system/files/attachments/Where_have_o

As far as I know, UK job market is very conservative, not as open as US. I am from China Mainland and afraid whether I can get a job in London

 

[lonely]

looks like all the chinese students and lot of Indian as well are mad about mfe just wondering whether same is true for MBA. I can speak for Indians, I know they value MBA far more than MFE, mfe is second option or the only option for weaker students. Can anybody comment for Chinese?

 

[tonylich]

looks like all the chinese students and lot of Indian as well are mad about mfe just wondering whether same is true for MBA. I can speak for Indians, I know they value MBA far more than MFE, mfe is second option or the only option for weaker students. Can anybody comment for Chinese?

In China, MFE is for undergraduates without working experience. MBA is for those in the financial industry. These are two different pathes. If your family can support your tuition, Chinese student is willing to take a master degree before work. Otherwise, choose the MBA path. I can not judge these two different pathes, which are for different purposes.

 

[Andy D.]

As far as I know, UK job market is very conservative, not as open as US. I am from China Mainland and afraid whether I can get a job in London

London is an incredibly cosmopolitan city so I wouldn't be worried too much. The biggest problem you are likely to encounter is not what race you are, but what school you went too!

 

[lonely]

@NewHavenCT

I think tonylich is probably right, American managers are most open to hire people foreign background, whereas that's not true in case of UK/Europe and same holds true for I would say Indian managers(although not many foreigner apply here anyways).

I think its not because British/European are racist but its more of a sort of culture you could call it. I have friends in London and US both. My friend in US wears turban and has worked mostly in red states, and he agrees that no matter what you hear on fox news, when it comes to hiring even a guy who you could call redneck has talked to him in very open mind.