Profile Evaluation (Fall 2026 Entry)

[nunoh]

Background:
Korean national, Certified Tax Accountant (CPA-equivalent in Korea) with 2.5 years of professional experience in taxation and accounting.
Currently operating an independent tax advisory practice while transitioning into quantitative finance and risk management.

Education:

• B.S. in Software Engineering, regional national university in South Korea (Top 15–20 nationwide)
  GPA: 4.3 / 4.5 (≈ 3.85 / 4.0)
• Relevant coursework: Calculus I–II, Linear Algebra, Probability & Statistics, Optimization, Numerical Methods, Stochastic Processes, Data Structures, Algorithms, Machine Learning, Financial Computing

Tests

• TOEFL: 108
• GRE: 335 (Q170, V165, AWA 4.0)
• CFA Level I (passed)

Professional Experience

• Licensed Tax Accountant (2.5 years): advised over 100 SME clients, focusing on tax optimization and portfolio-based wealth management.
• Developed automated tax reporting tools using Python to enhance efficiency and data accuracy.
• Exposure to portfolio analytics, cash-flow modeling, and financial risk evaluation through client advisory work.

Research / Quantitative Projects:

1. Futures & FX Momentum Strategy (Live-traded for 9 months)
   • Developed multi-factor momentum signals across global futures and FX data.
   • Integrated volatility filters and risk-parity weighting for position sizing.
   • Targeted Sharpe ratio > 1.5, currently validating live results.
2. Option Pricing Library (Python + C++)
   • Implemented Monte Carlo, PDE, and Heston model solvers for derivative pricing.
   • Computed Greeks, performed calibration, and benchmarked performance across methods.
3. Portfolio Risk Optimization Model (In Progress)
   • Building a fixed-income + covered-call ETF structure (e.g., 96% U.S. Treasuries + 4% option overlay) to generate stable income under low-volatility conditions.

Recommendation Letters:

• 1 from a Korean PhD professor (academic/research-focused)
• 1 from a U.S. PhD professor (strong recommendation related to quant research work)

Goals
Pursue an MFE to bridge taxation, data science, and quantitative risk management.
My long-term objective is to work in systematic risk analysis or portfolio strategy development at a hedge fund or asset management firm.

Target Programs

• UC Berkeley MFE
• Columbia MFE
• CMU MSCF
• NYU Courant MFE
• UChicago FinMath
• Cornell MFE
• Georgia Tech QCF

Concerns / Weaknesses:

• My undergraduate institution is not top-tier, which might be a disadvantage.
• Limited formal experience in quantitative finance roles.
• Need to further strengthen my applied quant profile through projects before applications.

Question:
Based on my profile, which U.S. MFE programs do I have a realistic chance of getting into?

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Long time member so hello to you.
I think you have a realistic expectation which is good. There are lot of opportunity in regulatory, auditing, risk management that many people don't target. With your background as CPA, you may find a niche that you can build a great career in.
Getting really good with C++ and Python is always a valuable tool to pivot into other roles if opportunities arises. You are going to contribute on day 1 with your coding, database queries, scripting ability, not with how you master stochastic calculus.
You may want to consider NCSU.
If you have Columbia MFE on the list, why not Columbia MAFN?
If you have NYU Courant, why not NYU Tandon?

 

[nunoh]

Long time member so hello to you.
I think you have a realistic expectation which is good. There are lot of opportunity in regulatory, auditing, risk management that many people don't target. With your background as CPA, you may find a niche that you can build a great career in.
Getting really good with C++ and Python is always a valuable tool to pivot into other roles if opportunities arises. You are going to contribute on day 1 with your coding, database queries, scripting ability, not with how you master stochastic calculus.
You may want to consider NCSU.
If you have Columbia MFE on the list, why not Columbia MAFN?
If you have NYU Courant, why not NYU Tandon?

Thanks a lot for the thoughtful advice! I really appreciate it.
I’ve actually added Columbia MAFN and NYU Tandon to my list as well — they seem like a great fit for my background.
Just wondering, do you think schools like CMU MSCF or UChicago FinMath would still be realistic options for me given my profile?

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Just wondering, do you think schools like CMU MSCF or UChicago FinMath would still be realistic options for me given my profile?

I have seen a lot of profiles over the years to only say admission chance is sometimes very random. Some people got into Stanford while getting rejected by all other schools so who knows.
My advice is to apply to programs that you will seriously consider joining. Do not just apply blindly to programs that will admit you but you have zero intention in joining.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Needless to say, go through the reviews by the programs' alumni. You see them on each program's page, right?