My chances of getting into a mfe program in US, UK

[Abdo]

Hi everyone, I recently graduated from ENSAI in France with an engineering degree focused on statistics, data science and risk management where I took some financial engineering courses. Alongside this, I earned a bachelor's in applied mathematics from Rennes University and another in applied economics from Paris Dauphine University. I also completed a research master's in mathematics, where I studied advanced topics like stochastic processes, statistical learning in large dimensions, asymptotic statistics, and spectral theory, among others.

This year, I'll be working as a data scientist at BNP Paribas to save up for an MFE program, as I'm an international student from outside the EU. I have experience in machine learning, an internship at CREST, the research center of École Polytechnique in statistics and economics, and a quant risk analyst internship at BNP Paribas.

Given that the universities I've attended aren't widely recognized internationally, I'm wondering about my chances of getting into a top MFE program in the US or UK. My ultimate goal is to secure a position as a quant trader or quant researcher. Any insights would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Welcome to QuantNet @Abdo
Yes, you will get admitted into many programs in the US/UK. Depends on your list of top programs, you may have to address any missing requirement.
Your math background seems rigorous enough. You may need to take a C++ or Python course to strengthen your profile for admission and beyond. You will have to prepare for interview on first day so having a strong programming background is a huge competitive edge.
As for your ultimate goal, quant trader or quant researcher are very competitive roles to get right out of your master degree. Have a plan in place and tailor your course selection accordingly. Look up on the AMA with Quant Researcher or Trader we have here and see how they evolve over the years into that role.

 

[Abdo]

Welcome to QuantNet @Abdo
Yes, you will get admitted into many programs in the US/UK. Depends on your list of top programs, you may have to address any missing requirement.
Your math background seems rigorous enough. You may need to take a C++ or Python course to strengthen your profile for admission and beyond. You will have to prepare for interview on first day so having a strong programming background is a huge competitive edge.
As for your ultimate goal, quant trader or quant researcher are very competitive roles to get right out of your master degree. Have a plan in place and tailor your course selection accordingly. Look up on the AMA with Quant Researcher or Trader we have here and see how they evolve over the years into that role.

I took some c++, python and R courses in my school as well as coursera , i did a ML projects as well using python. I'm aiming for imperial college financial mathematics masters and Warwick master in financial mathematics, and in the US I will be applying to Carnegie Mellon computational finance, Georgia institute of technology computational and quant finance , UC Berkeley MFE and NYU mathematics in finance. I'll also be applying to other European mfe like EPFL MFE and ETH Zurich MFE

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Sounds good. Add Baruch MFE to your list. You may have a good shot there.

 

[Abdo]

Sounds good. Add Baruch MFE to your list. You may have a good shot there.

I heard that it is very hard to get into and only the most brilliant students are accepted, i would really like to get into the program since I'm on a low budget and it has the lowest tuition fee

 

[Andy Nguyen]

I heard that it is very hard to get into and only the most brilliant students are accepted, i would really like to get into the program since I'm on a low budget and it has the lowest tuition fee

It has the lowest acceptance rate but don't let that discourage you. As long as you meet all the requirement, they will consider and interview you. With the right preparation, you can make it there. They have no fixed class size and will admit anyone who is qualified.
A lot of applicants make the wrong assumption and do not even attempt to apply. Give yourself a chance.

 

[Abdo]

It has the lowest acceptance rate but don't let that discourage you. As long as you meet all the requirement, they will consider and interview you. With the right preparation, you can make it there. They have no fixed class size and will admit anyone who is qualified.
A lot of applicants make the wrong assumption and do not even attempt to apply. Give yourself a chance.

Thank you so much for your advice, i really appreciate it.