newbie here....hello everybody

[Andy Nguyen]

Congratulations! This reminds me what Dan once said to me:"I like to make people happy!"

To add to what Bridgett said:
Prof. Stefanica often said :"I like to see how the students struggle during the exams". Not sure how that negates his "I like to make people happy!" but I thought I would throw it out there.
Everyone needs to see both side of the coin. There are plenty of time left should the dark side trouble you, Yiping.

 

[Andy D.]

T
Prof. Stefanica often said :"I like to see how the students struggle during the exams".

Never said that, or if I did, never meant it. Although gaining knowledge might be a strugle every so often

 

[martin weiss]

Hey

Hey everyone,

I’m currently an undergraduate math major at Hunter College, and studying for the second actuarial exam. I’m looking forward to sharing my mathematical knowledge and learning from others. I hope to chat with you all.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Welcome to Quantnet, Martin

Glad to see a new and active member. We hope you enjoy your stay here and we look forward to your contributions to our community.

 

[phani]

Hello All,

I am new on quantnet and would like to introduce myself.

Name : Phani Kumar K.V.V.

Education1 : Master of Business Administration in Finance
University: ICFAI, Hyderabad, India. CGPA: 7.24 (out of 10)

Education2 : Bachelor of Technology in Electrical and Electronics Engg.
University: JNTU, India. Percentage obtained: 76%, First Class with Distinction

Completed first two out of four papers of "Professional Risk Manager" (PRM) Examination

Work Experience: 2 years and 10 months of post MBA experience.
Presently working as Research Analyst at "D.E.Shaw Group", Hyderabad,India
Before Worked as Business Analyst at "Tata Consultancy Services", Bangalore, India

Completed NCFM modules on Derivatives, Commodities at National Stock Exchange.

Languages: C,C++, Oracle,VB.

Applying for Baruch 2008 MFE.

Would appreciate any kind of feedback on my profile. Thanks in advance.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Baruch 2008 MFE ? Early birds got all the...
You didn't mention math so I suggest you make sure that you have all the prerequirements.

Take a look at all the threads here, ask questions if you don't find something.
Best of luck with the future application.

 

[alain]

Hi Phani,

Your profile looks good. Follow Andy's advice and check Quantnet. GOOD LUCK!!!

 

[vikram]

Hi Everyone. Just wanted to drop my profile and introduce myself. My name is Vikram.

Work Experience:
Five years trading and managing risk in index and equity derivatives. Spent 4 of those years at Goldman Sachs and the rest at a small startup firm. Due to the enormous capital investment needed to get into the vanilla options business (as well as the collapsing bid/ask spread), I decided to get back to school and gain a more comprehensive education in derivatives and quantitative finance.

Education:
Bachelors-The University of Chicago
-major in Biological Sciences
-relevant courses in multivariable calc, linear algebra, and differential equations

Masters-Florida Institute of Technology
-major in Operations Research
-coursework in probability theory, mathematical statistics, analysis, advanced ODEs and PDEs, and heavy work in stochastic optimization.

GMAT: 710, 49Q, 37V, 6.0 AWA
Programming: C++, Matlab, VBA, and learning some S-Plus and Monte Carlo simulation software.

Goal after MFE:
I would like to leverage all this education and get into a business that has substantial room for growth and utilizes advanced concepts in finance and derivatives, e.g. emerging markets or structured finance. I've seen all aspects of running a business and I believe with the right quantitative background, I can move between the various roles associated with running a good desk. In other words, I think I can be a great quant and a great manager. (Certainly better than some Wharton MBA )

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Hi Vikram,

We certainly talked before but let me be the first person to welcome you to this special forum. I'm very excited about the prospect of meeting our 2007 students. We have a very strong incoming class this year and you are a good example of that.

I'm extremely proud of the fact that Baruch program attracts excellent candidates every year. 2007 would be a very special year.

We invite you to get to know our students, the community we have here. At the end of the day, you will be making an important investment for your life and you should take into all possible inputs.

Quantnet is a perfect place for prospective students to learn about the Baruch program. You should take some time to browse the students forum at other schools you applied to. Hopefully, they will give you an idea of how the students at different programs interact.

Lastly, goodluck with your decision. I never regret mine a bit.

 

[alain]

Very strong profile!!!

If you decide to join Baruch, you won't regret it.

Good Luck!!!

 

[RussianMike]

Great profile, strong background. I second Andy's notion and do not regret coming to Baruch. Best decision I ever made.

 

[phani]

Hi Andy,Alain

Thanks a lot for your valuable suggestions,

Just to give my math background:
1) During Engineering: I have studied Matrices, Advanced Calculus, and Operations Research (Transportation Methods, Allocation problems, etc)

2) During MBA: I have studied Statistics, Regression Analysis, Index numbers, Chi-Square tests, Probability (covered most of the topics), etc

3) For PRM Paper II: I have studied pre-calculus, Statistics, Matrix Algebra, Numerical Methods, Probability, Calculus and Regression Analysis

Phani

 

[vikram]

Can you guys give me a list of the subjects covered in the refresher courses? I believe we can take a test to place out of them??

Vikram

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Can you guys give me a list of the subjects covered in the refresher courses? I believe we can take a test to place out of them??
Vikram

While the dept's refresher page is under construction, you can visit the unofficial copy of it here on Quantnet
http://quantnet.com/baruch/masters_refresher_courses06.html

Yes, you can take tests to place out of them.

 

[acatalano]

I am a private trader using algorithms to detect price patterns. Currently working on a platform (c++) to scan market data for these patterns to replace manual detection.

Looking forward to future discussions.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Hi there,
Welcome to Quantnet !
We are more than happy to have someone familiar with algo trading that we can bounce ideas off.
Are you working independently or in a team ?
Feel free to start discussions that you think may interest our community. We look forward to hearing your ideas.

 

[acatalano]

Thank You. I discovered this forum via Financial Engineering newsletter. I am fairly new to algo trading. I work independently utilizing genetic algorithms to discover new trading ideas and improve existing ones. I look forward to discussion and further learning.

 

[vikashkrprasad]

Hi all...
This is really a very nice platform..and kudos to ppl who have taken the initiative for such a novel venture...
As far as my profile goes....I have just completed my MBA in Finance...But it is really the Quantitative side that i am interested in...I plan to work for some time..(an year or two)....
I have two options...either to work as an equity analyst or to work in an insurance firm's finance division....
My question is which one should i opt for??
Also i have a one year diploma certification in Information Technology(which i guess should take care of the C++ needs)...i have decent knowledge of maths(have done two subjects in my graduation) and am confident of doing nice in the GRE maths test...
Also should i appear for the subject(mathematics) GRE also??or only the general Gre should be enough......
Any suggestions/advise regarding improving my profile would be of lot of help...:smt100 :smt100

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Vikash,

Thanks for the kind words about Quantnet. An alum of our program started it in 2003 as a communication tool between students and professors in the program. It was intented as an internal channel only.

Time changes. Now QN is used by the MFE students as much as our other members who are recruiters, traders, researchers, practitioners, prospective students, etc... It's more of a community where you can find and talk to the people with the same interest in the quant finance field.

Back to your questions, working a year or two prior to the MFE program is an excellent idea. Equity analyst sounds nice but you need to see what the position at insurance firm entails. If you can learn more there, by all means.

This will give you direction and purpose before you join our program. Don't take the GRE Math, it's a waste of time unless you plan to study for PhD later.

Get a nice, well-balanced GRE and you are all set. MBA/relevant work experience/good GRE. If you have good GPA, letter of recommendations, write convincing personal statement, etc...I don't see why you shouldn't get in.

Best of luck with the application. Until then, don't hestitate to post questions as you go along in your preparation.

 

[Vic_Siqiao]

early bird