"MFE program profile evaluation" master thread

[LTCM]

I'm sorry if that was confusing. I'm taking Calc II this Summer, and EDE and Linear Alg. combined Fall 2008. I'll also be taking multidimensional calc (I think this is considered calc III?) at the same time. The prereq. for EDE (& Lin. Alg.) is Calc II. I understand that it will be difficult, but I've planned out the path well in advance.

Ultimately I'll have ended with:

Spring 2008
Calc I (Done)

Summer 2008
Calc II

Fall 2008
Calc III
EDE + Linear Alg. combined

Spring 2009
Probability
PDE
DE


These are the courses I have to choose from: Math@LSU Courses

CPeters, good luck with your spring semester. I think it will be your toughest, but it's good that you are progressively increasing your course load. That should help, because you're going to find things to be muchhh different than Calc I.

Good Luck!

 

[fredcheck]

I'm sorry if that was confusing. I'm taking Calc II this Summer, and EDE and Linear Alg. combined Fall 2008. I'll also be taking multidimensional calc (I think this is considered calc III?) at the same time. The prereq. for EDE (& Lin. Alg.) is Calc II. I understand that it will be difficult, but I've planned out the path well in advance.

Ultimately I'll have ended with:

Spring 2008
Calc I (Done)

Summer 2008
Calc II

Fall 2008
Calc III
EDE + Linear Alg. combined

Spring 2009
Probability
PDE
DE


These are the courses I have to choose from: Math@LSU Courses

good luck, that fall 2008 looks crazy:wall:dance:

if your school does split summer sessions,, like summer a , summer b...might be helpful to take calc 2 summer a, cal 3 summer b...thats what people at my school do if they need to hurry through
but then again, im posting this in the middle of the summer...the semesters probly already begun

 

[IlyaKEightSix]

...I am baffled as to how someone who's only taken basic calc can be so set on going headfirst into quantitative finance...I've taken every single probability course at Lehigh at the undergrad level and high level optimization courses and...I still can't make heads or tails of the proofs on this part of the site...they make my eyes glaze and my head spin.

If you decide you want it, all I have to say is good luck, have fun, because you're probably going to be wrecked. Heck, with the credentials I have now, I think I'd have to work very hard to earn a master's in quantitative finance, even with a bunch of upper level quantitative coursework.

 

[bohemian]

tell me my odds

hi all,
looks like a great forum for everything related to further education in QF & career advice, so i'm going to use this opportunity and ask the obvious.

i'm from India, i've a b.tech(engineering bachelor's) & an mba, further to that i've 4 years of experience in pricing derivatives & quantifying risk at financial institutions.
My b.tech. gpa is bad but i faired 80-85% type grades in math courses(calculus, LinAlg, ODEs).
My mba gpa is also bad but again i managed to recieve 80-85% type grade in relevant QuantFin courses.
And i could say that i have read books like Hull, Baxter, DH(Taleb) closely and understand them reasonably well.
On programming front, i know excel-VBA and just started learning c++.

what are my chances of getting admission into MFE at top 8 schools and at top 15 schools.

thanks for all the good posts, i clarified a lot of my doubts reading posts here. good job fellow posters.

 

[IlyaKEightSix]

I honestly will tell you that I hope they're very low.
Two bad GPAs? If you had a second chance to do it right and came up short AGAIN, what does that tell me about you?

Also, it is further disturbing that you claim you did well in your quantitative courses, but your GPA was terrible anyway. What does that tell me?

That you have trouble with anything but the quantitative--that is, you have trouble *communicating*.

I don't care how smart you are quantitatively. If you can't communicate well, then forget it.

As for 80-85% being your best...well...I think that most people working as quants are a lot better than that. 80-85% in calculus and LinAlg means you're in for a VERY rough ride with the upper level math.

 

[alain]

check:

https://www.quantnet.com/threads/mfe-program-profile-evaluation-master-thread.202/

 

[doug reich]

Can we make this sticky?

 

[alain]

we should but the sticky should start by saying "WE DON'T KNOW THE ODDS OR CHANCES, NOR WE EVALUATE PROFILES".

 

[hedgie]

Someone Please Help w/ my profile- desperate!

I have very bad UG-GPA of 2.35 in Economics from U. Miami ( graduated 2004 ) and I am 26 yr old. I have sat for for the GRE and received 800 q and 700 v and also for the gmat and received 770 ( I study very hard for these ). Also took the GRE Maths Sub Exam and recieve 870 ( ie better than 97% of exam sitters- mostly math phd candidates). I have spent most of last 4 years working for family business but have strengthened my maths and comp sci to include programming in C++ and Java. I also pass L1 CFA and gain my PRMIA Charter. So I am confident I can compete with any MS Financial Engineering / Maths candidate based on my maths and financial knowledge. What are my chances to get into any nyc programs? I feel bad that my ug-gpa may hurt me even though I have better knowledge than most MS applicants in my opinion. So please advise on what programs to apply to and what my other options are. I need to begin studies by Fall 2009 as I am 26 and don't want to be too old to get IB or hedge fund positions.

Oh yes, and I score 10/10 on Actuary exam P ( supposedely very difficult exam covering advanced applied probability theory ) and am waiting results for Actuary FM exam.

What more can I do to improve my profile? Must I beg for admissions or what?

Thanks,
Erik

 

[Yan He]

If you are very confident about yourself, just go ahead to apply for any program in NYC you like, just make sure to explain what happended your UG-GPA, yet your calibre is strong enough...

Good luck.

 

[hedgie]

I am indeed confident about my abilities - otherwise I probably will not do well on my exams. I just ask if there is more that I should do maybe? Should I discuss with admissions advisors and immediately push for "conditional acceptance"? I also fail to mention that I received Certificate in Financial Risk Management from NYUSCPS w/ courses (grade): Introduction to Financial Risk Management (A), Options and Futures in Risk Management (A), Credit Derivatives and Credit Trading Products (B+), Interest Rate Swaps (A), Pricing Options and Exotics (A), Fixed Income Securities (A). These are non-degree courses.

Thank you for the response Yan He!

 

[IlyaKEightSix]

10/10 on P?! HOLY ****. 7/10 here.

Dude, apply NOW. Your test scores are PHENOMENAL. As for your poor GPA...hmmm...I'd only take that as a sign that you WERE lazy. You have more than enough talent IMO.

Though one thing I would recommend...improve your English. The more advanced your knowledge, the more important it is that you can communicate better than anyone else.

 

[Yan He]

I am indeed confident about my abilities - otherwise I probably will not do well on my exams. I just ask if there is more that I should do maybe? Should I discuss with admissions advisors and immediately push for "conditional acceptance"? I also fail to mention that I received Certificate in Financial Risk Management from NYUSCPS w/ courses (grade): Introduction to Financial Risk Management (A), Options and Futures in Risk Management (A), Credit Derivatives and Credit Trading Products (B+), Interest Rate Swaps (A), Pricing Options and Exotics (A), Fixed Income Securities (A). These are non-degree courses.

Thank you for the response Yan He!

Better to get the chance to take to whoever in charge of admission. Convince them you have the talent for the program...

 

[Ancientmtk]

nice gmat scores. Mind if i ask u how long u studied for these exams? CFA L1 i know takes a couple of months, and I assume these other tests also takes a couple of months of study as well.

 

[hedgie]

For all the exams together I studied about 2.5 years. I did take some gen maths in college - calc1-3, mathematical stats but unfortunately did poorly so I went back and essentially tought myself 4 years worth of math in half the time on my own. Of course, since I worked for my family business , study time was much more flexible. After all this hard work, I really hope it pays off although I genuinely do enjoy the study and challenge of mathematics even in those osbcure fields - topology, abstract algebra , etc...

 

[hedgie]

I really appreciate all the replies thus far; I also posted this same post in Global Derivatives and the replies came very slooooowly!

 

[Uncle Max]

Well, the only thing you need to explain is your low GPA. Make sure you do it right and "visible" because some people on admission committee might just look at your GPA and close the application folder. So, start your personal essay with something like: "Yes, I know I have a very low GPA but here is the reason why....."

Then, just apply to all the programs you find attractive. Some of them will accept without any explanations, but if you want to get into the one of top programs, make sure to deliver your message right.

Good Luck!

 

[hedgie]

thank you maxrum - I have looked at some of the programs and my list for NYC schools is now:

NYU
Columbia
Baruch
Stevens Institute of Technology
Fordham
Polytechnic U
MS in Math ( I assume my GRE Math subject test score should suffice since that is administered for pHD candidates). MS in Math would be my safety.

Any other program/idea suggestions anyone?

 

[Uncle Max]

CMU also teaches in New York. It all depends what are you looking for in terms of quality/price/safeness of getting in/etc. Read this forum - here were said a lot about schools you've mentioned.

 

[Dmytro]

GPA is only one part of equation, your test scores should compensate for that. i'm a bit surprised by your anxiety about this - apply and you will see. barring you being a total prick (and you don't strike me as one , and with a bit of dancing around your gpa, you should be fine. these are all professional programs, with emphasis on your success in the field upon graduation after all.
best of luck!