COMPARE Master Programs Comparison: Which quant program to choose?

Rey_De_Leon said:
I saw quite a few people with MFin Cambridge background (was even considering it myself) but honestly not sure if it helped them to break into the industry (especially HFT). While the Mfin programme content is ok, for Algo/Quant roles most people would still look for MMath /Statistics/Engineering from Ox/Cambridge/Imperial rather than MFin. Columbia MFE seems like a better option (and presumably more expensive) especially if you are targeting US market.

P.s. I had an interview with the candidate from Columbia once and it was all nice until he was asked to do a Python test...
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Out of curiosity, what do you mean by the last line - did he not perform well?
 
gggui said:
Out of curiosity, what do you mean by the last line - did he not perform well?
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Interested in this too - what types of skills does your firm test for in coding screens?

IME I feel like coding abilities of mfe graduates have a pretty wide distribution. are we talking like inability to write basic loops and function?
 
Having a really tough time choosing between these two. I'm looking for whatever will give the best opportunities post-grad. NCSU would be significantly cheaper but I'd rather pay the extra money if it is going to lead to significantly more opportunities when I graduate.
 
Would like to hear any insights or opinions. Appreciate your votes.

Pros of Rutgers is the location, which is Newark, closer to New York City(and my friends and bf are there). Pros of NCSU is their career service and 100% placement rate. The tuition is almost the same after the scholarship from Rutgers. I don't expect QR career after graduation. Quant risk or sell side quant are already ideal for me.
 
Would it be worth it to pay 3-4x total expenses per year to attend Stanford MCF instead of EPFL MFE?
 
Have you made your decision yet @thcreech ?
GaTech and NCSU have distinct job profiles for their location. Take a look at the main employers, job types from these programs to see where it aligns more with your career goal.
 
Dear friends, may I please ask for your advice on this?

I previously got an offer from NYU Courant but got waitlisted by UCB.

I have recently been taken off the waitlist of UCB, which honestly has always been the one that I prefer.

I don't want to be blinded by my own bias. That's why I would love to hear your opinion on this. Which would you choose and why?

A million thanks!
 
nlgh said:
Would it be worth it to pay 3-4x total expenses per year to attend Stanford MCF instead of EPFL MFE?
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Think of it this way. Most of your tuition goes into paying for the F1 visa, which allows you to work in the US for 3 years subsequent to graduation.

Studying a MFE is not really about the lectures or the coursework. It's about getting a job in your geography of preference. And there's relatively little chance you can land a good job in the states graduating from Switzerland.
 
The UCB program would probably give you access to a wider variety of job opportunities both in tech and quant Finance due to its proximity to Silicon Valley. It seems many graduates also now go to data science roles. The market is tough, might be better to have other options apart from just Quant Finance! You can check LinkedIn for analysis. I actually think many people underuse that platform.

Some things to note though. Personally, I am not very comfortable with UCB's program being just 1yr. Some might like it but I'd love to have more time to thoroughly study..

Secondly, UCB's program is in the business school, dont really know if that helps one's chances of getting into a good Ph.D. program in the future. Many students do MFE to work not to continue towards a PhD,, but it is still worth considering.

Apart from those two things that give NYU an advantage imo, NYU Courant is well known for mathematical rigor (one of the best in the world). NYU is also in New York (which is very good if living expenses is not an issue). NY Courant has a smaller class size too. If you work hard, you will have very good opportunities to work with Professors, publish papers, these things can be helpful esp. if you want to work in Quant Research or do a PhD (could be in Fin Eng, Machine Learning, or related field) in future.

You might want to check whether you enjoy proofs, real analysis, and pure maths though...if you don't, probably better to go to UCB 'cos of grades. No point going to a good school if you don't get good grades.

Both are great programs nonetheless. I understand UCB is higher ranked on this platform but consider the things I mentioned before you make a choice.

Wish you the best.
 
Where do you want to work? MCF is a better program, two years long and rigorous- despite what @bootstrap says you will learn a ton. It is not like most MFE's, it only sorta fits into that mold, their graduates often go into Ph.D. programs. It is an academically elite program with a very applied focus.

I believe EPFL has a full semester for a required project - so even less courses- it is great if you want to work with a company nearby but not if you want to end up in the US.
 
joe_boy said:
The UCB program would probably give you access to a wider variety of job opportunities both in tech and quant Finance due to its proximity to Silicon Valley. It seems many graduates also now go to data science roles. The market is tough, might be better to have other options apart from just Quant Finance! You can check LinkedIn for analysis. I actually think many people underuse that platform.

Some things to note though. Personally, I am not very comfortable with UCB's program being just 1yr. Some might like it but I'd love to have more time to thoroughly study..

Secondly, UCB's program is in the business school, dont really know if that helps one's chances of getting into a good Ph.D. program in the future. Many students do MFE to work not to continue towards a PhD,, but it is still worth considering.

Apart from those two things that give NYU an advantage imo, NYU Courant is well known for mathematical rigor (one of the best in the world). NYU is also in New York (which is very good if living expenses is not an issue). NY Courant has a smaller class size too. If you work hard, you will have very good opportunities to work with Professors, publish papers, these things can be helpful esp. if you want to work in Quant Research or do a PhD (could be in Fin Eng, Machine Learning, or related field) in future.

You might want to check whether you enjoy proofs, real analysis, and pure maths though...if you don't, probably better to go to UCB 'cos of grades. No point going to a good school if you don't get good grades.

Both are great programs nonetheless. I understand UCB is higher ranked on this platform but consider the things I mentioned before you make a choice.

Wish you the best.
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Thank you very much for your detailed response! Really appreciate it!

I agree that Courant is one of the best places in the world to do applied maths, and that its curriculum is probably among the most theoretically rigorous.

That said, I am a mature student looking for a career change into quant finance. My utmost priority is to look for a job. In terms of career services and access to job opportunities, I do feel that Berkeley among the best, if not the best, across all MFE programs.

I did a masters in statistics at a solid university some 10 years ago. Ploughing through Folland and Durret was both a humbling and enjoyable experience. But I have to say, I feel that the knowledge you pick up in these rigorous math courses are very rarely being drawn upon when working in the industry. Great prep for PhD studies in any STEM field though.

Overall, I think I agree with what you have said. But from a personal perspective, I am now myopically focused on securing a job as an international student. And for people with that singular goal, I feel that Berkeley might be the better choice?
 
Andy Nguyen said:
Do read the reviews on those programs so you can get the latest insight. UCB has a few recent reviews.
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Thanks Andy! I have managed to speak with a few alumns of UCB recently. I think I have a rough idea of what the program is like. That said, I am also aware that their opinions might not be entirely impartial.

On the other hand, Courant still remains perplexingly mysterious.
 
Admittedly biased as a courant alum myself. If you want to work in finance, you can't beat ny, and chicago, miami, and boston are close enough. You are also studying in the math department, which makes the program definitely more on the rigorous side compared to some other programs that might be in the business school of the university. It really is about what you want to do. Also remember living in ny is quite expensive, probably only comparing to san fran in high cost of living. If you want to work in data science or have a different work culture/quality of life, then the west coast could very well be a good option for you. I imagine if you are good, you'll be able to get roles you want, even with the tough competition.
 
Hi, may I ask you when did you get off of the waitlist, have you had any interviews after getting waitlist?
 
bootstrap said:
I did a masters in statistics at a solid university some 10 years ago. Ploughing through Folland and Durret was both a humbling and enjoyable experience. But I have to say, I feel that the knowledge you pick up in these rigorous math courses are very rarely being drawn upon when working in the industry. Great prep for PhD studies in any STEM field though.
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Yeah..UCB's program seems very very industry oriented. With all what you have said, I think that's what you should be going for.
 
Paul Lopez said:
Admittedly biased as a courant alum myself. If you want to work in finance, you can't beat ny, and chicago, miami, and boston are close enough. You are also studying in the math department, which makes the program definitely more on the rigorous side compared to some other programs that might be in the business school of the university. It really is about what you want to do. Also remember living in ny is quite expensive, probably only comparing to san fran in high cost of living. If you want to work in data science or have a different work culture/quality of life, then the west coast could very well be a good option for you. I imagine if you are good, you'll be able to get roles you want, even with the tough competition.
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Thanks Paul, as always!

From what I heard, 70% of UCB grads would end up on the east coast anyway. But its location does make networking a bit tough in the beginning.

That's a very good pt you made. Berkeley opens doors to jobs in the valley in addition to wall street jobs. In a bad market like the current one, perhaps it's not a bad idea to diversify one's bets a little.
 

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