It seems that the class size of the UCB MFE program has increased(a lot) since this year. More admissions were offered in round 1 and round 2 than before, and most of the applicants only had one tech interview without the second interview with Linda. It seems that the bar of this program is now much lower than before and other top-tier programs (CMU, Baruch)...
UCB MFE Is it easier to get into UCB MFE than before?
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Considering first two rounds only - it's 13 (this year) vs. 10 (last year). Nothing significantly different, really.
The Linda Interview has been substituted with a video essay, I think - nothing to do with selectivity.
The Linda Interview has been substituted with a video essay, I think - nothing to do with selectivity.
As far as I know, there were more than 20 just in round 1...
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I was going by the tracker, purely. It generally gives a fair representation.
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To my knowledge class size this year is still 80 students. I haven't heard of anything otherwise.
Difficult to speculate on the bar going up or down just because they removed one non-technical interview from the application process. UCB MFE is still regarded very highly, so I don't feel they have a need of lowering their bar of entry.
Still, if it's true that more admits were sent out and accepted at this stage and class size remained constant, it simply means the later rounds will be that much harder to secure a spot.
Until the new class stats get released it's all just speculation I guess.
If anyone is interested and hasn't seen these, here are the class profiles of the UCB MFE program going back to 2002: Class Profile - Master of Financial Engineering Program | Berkeley-Haas
Difficult to speculate on the bar going up or down just because they removed one non-technical interview from the application process. UCB MFE is still regarded very highly, so I don't feel they have a need of lowering their bar of entry.
Still, if it's true that more admits were sent out and accepted at this stage and class size remained constant, it simply means the later rounds will be that much harder to secure a spot.
Until the new class stats get released it's all just speculation I guess.
If anyone is interested and hasn't seen these, here are the class profiles of the UCB MFE program going back to 2002: Class Profile - Master of Financial Engineering Program | Berkeley-Haas
The program has been running for 15 years now, I believe they know pretty well what they are doing by now. If the quality of applicants in the first rounds is better than the previous years, it would make sense to admit more people in those rounds. As stated, all speculation until class stats get released
WuChongrui
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@WuChongrui How confident are you regarding the addition of the Data Science track?
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Check out this blog series: Fintech Series Part 4: How Are We Addressing the Challenge?
It seems like the DS track is already implemented for the current class and from what has been communicated from the admissions office it's also planned for the incoming class.
I attended their infosession in March and Linda herself said that they were now going to start a new cohort for Data Science. Unfortunately I can't recall whether or not the DS cohort will start in 2020 or 2021; they have probably specified on the website.
Linda has confided that the acceptance rate in 2018 - 2019 is up to 25%
Hey guys,
Recently graduated student of Berkeley MFE here. I helped the admission committee with interviewing applicants this year. As I could see, the bar to get into the Berkeley MFE program is definitely very high as we carefully select students based on every subject and also the work experience. If a student got an offer without an interview, it probably means that the student exceeded the expectations in terms of experience/academics.
For example, one of my classmates who is a Ph.D. in Applied Physics at Harvard didn’t have someone with my background to interview him. He got into one of the best hedge funds in the US.
The Berkeley MFE has one of the highest median salaries with multiple offers for most students. I think that for most people who want to join MFE programs, it’s all about finding the right job for them. For that purpose, Dr. Linda Kreitzman works extremely hard in placing every student at their dream firm. I am not kidding about this, she gives up sleep and works on most weekends to place students. She knows very high-level MDs at all banks and hedge funds.
I got my dream job and my preferred location. Today, my title is Associate Portfolio Manager. It could only happen in the MFE at Berkeley where dedication to the students and to placement is obvious. The Berkeley MFE even if located in the Bay area has placed so many students in NY and so many other places. Last but not least, Go Bears!!!!
Recently graduated student of Berkeley MFE here. I helped the admission committee with interviewing applicants this year. As I could see, the bar to get into the Berkeley MFE program is definitely very high as we carefully select students based on every subject and also the work experience. If a student got an offer without an interview, it probably means that the student exceeded the expectations in terms of experience/academics.
For example, one of my classmates who is a Ph.D. in Applied Physics at Harvard didn’t have someone with my background to interview him. He got into one of the best hedge funds in the US.
The Berkeley MFE has one of the highest median salaries with multiple offers for most students. I think that for most people who want to join MFE programs, it’s all about finding the right job for them. For that purpose, Dr. Linda Kreitzman works extremely hard in placing every student at their dream firm. I am not kidding about this, she gives up sleep and works on most weekends to place students. She knows very high-level MDs at all banks and hedge funds.
I got my dream job and my preferred location. Today, my title is Associate Portfolio Manager. It could only happen in the MFE at Berkeley where dedication to the students and to placement is obvious. The Berkeley MFE even if located in the Bay area has placed so many students in NY and so many other places. Last but not least, Go Bears!!!!
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That's great to hear! I went to an infosession and she really did seem passionate about getting her students their dream jobs. Could you also tell us a little bit more about your profile prior to getting in so that I can gauge my chances of getting in please? (GPA, work experience, GRE etc.) I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!
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