Profile Evaluation for MFE 2022

[bubbleHead]

Hi All,

Could you please help me evaluate my profile for MFE 2022

1) Graduated from top IITs in Mathematics and Computing- CGPA- 7.65, good to decent grades in statistics and programming courses
2) 1 summer internship and 1-year job experience in BB in the Algorithmic Trading field
3) 2 research papers, 1 in works, all in the field of Mathematical finance
4) GRE- 320- 168 Quant, 152 Verbal, 4 AWA
5) Good coding skills in python, C++ and kdb+ database.

Ambitious Targets-
1) Princeton
2) Columbia
3) Baruch
4) UOT
5) Imperial College
6) MIT

Moderate-
1) Georgia
2) Chicago
3) NYU Tandon
4) Cornell

Wanted to know what would be realistic ambitions?
Will the GRE score of Quant-168 affect my chances or I should take it again on October end ?

Thank you!!

 

[TheRBD]

I don't think you'd need to write GRE again. 168 on quant is about the median score for admits in schools you've mentioned. However, in my opinion, Georgia Tech, Cornell and Chicago also seem ambitious. You might want to look into Boston University as well. Best of luck!

 

[bubbleHead]

Hi, thanks for the insights, I will look at Boston Univ as well.

 

[Zaurald]

Don't under sell yourself. I was in a similar position some time back and eventually got calls from Columbia, UCB, etc. Baruch and Princeton might be a bit distant, however rest are definitely in your reach. Try to position yourself using your work ex rather than college grades and you should be good.

 

[pkp]

Don't under sell yourself. I was in a similar position some time back and eventually got calls from Columbia, UCB, etc. Baruch and Princeton might be a bit distant, however rest are definitely in your reach. Try to position yourself using your work ex rather than college grades and you should be good.

Can you expand on your situation? I am in similar situation as the OP with a lower GPA but good workex. I am worried about the Supplemental section where they ask for grades in specific math courses.

 

[WorkofArt]

Can you expand on your situation? I am in similar situation as the OP with a lower GPA but good workex. I am worried about the Supplemental section where they ask for grades in specific math courses.

Highlight your competency at work. It could either be through your programming prowess ,handling complex projects and delivering impactful results, or showcasing your quantitative abilities through your problem-solving skills for real-world industry problems.
Basically, address your shortcomings in college and show how you've improved since then. Corroborate some of these impactful projects you have done with glowing letters of recommendation, and you have a recipe for success.
If you have taken an online math/programming/quantitative courses after college, mention them too. It's not going to help you overshadow the poorer grades, but it'll show interest and motivation in strengthening your shortcomings.

People develop throughout college and after college too. Show that you're always improving and learning new things. That's what they're looking for. Highlight how your experiences in the industry have developed you both professionally and academically and how you can contribute once you get back to school.

 

[WorkofArt]

Don't under sell yourself. I was in a similar position some time back and eventually got calls from Columbia, UCB, etc. Baruch and Princeton might be a bit distant, however rest are definitely in your reach. Try to position yourself using your work ex rather than college grades and you should be good.

I agree with this. Princeton probably has a higher GRE score cutoff and Baruch needs really good grades but you should apply to the rest with confidence. I think you stand a good chance at every program you mentioned , it all comes down to your essays and letters of recommendation. As @Zaurald said, highlight some impactful projects and improvements since college. Also, since you are from an IIT, programs in the US will take your grades with a grain of salt as they know about the competition in these top colleges.

I would put MIT under the "moderate" list btw. CMU isn't on your list, any reasons for that?

 

[pkp]

@WorkofArt Any particular university in top 10 which places less emphasis on grades? I have been told Cornell places heavy emphasis on grades.

 

[pkp]

@WorkofArt Any particular university in top 10 which places less emphasis on grades? I have been told Cornell places heavy emphasis on grades.

I have 169Q, 157V, 4AWA. 7.5 GPA at old IIT. Bad first year grades. 9+ for last 2 years.

 

[WorkofArt]

@WorkofArt Any particular university in top 10 which places less emphasis on grades? I have been told Cornell places heavy emphasis on grades.

I have no clue about this. Personally, I think it's too subjective as programs evaluate candidates holistically. If I were to guess, programs with a higher average age or years of work experience would scrutinize you less for unimpressive grades in college. Overall grade does not matter as much as grades in important courses (math, stats, cs and other quantitative coursework). My advice - don't bother too much about what programs consider - make a strong case for yourself and apply for programs you want to attend.

I have 169Q, 157V, 4AWA. 7.5 GPA at old IIT. Bad first year grades. 9+ for last 2 years.

This is definitely a good sign though. An increasing trend shows you got your shit together and worked hard for it. If this included grades in quant heavy courses, even better. You have a great GRE score too. Don't overthink all this, if you have solid work experience, I'm certain you'll get some top 10 admits.

 

[pkp]

Thanks! Needed to hear this

 

[bubbleHead]

Don't under sell yourself. I was in a similar position some time back and eventually got calls from Columbia, UCB, etc. Baruch and Princeton might be a bit distant, however rest are definitely in your reach. Try to position yourself using your work ex rather than college grades and you should be good.

Definitely, am concentrating on that and my research work, which tries its best to compensate for the grades. Thanks.

 

[bubbleHead]

I agree with this. Princeton probably has a higher GRE score cutoff and Baruch needs really good grades but you should apply to the rest with confidence. I think you stand a good chance at every program you mentioned , it all comes down to your essays and letters of recommendation. As @Zaurald said, highlight some impactful projects and improvements since college. Also, since you are from an IIT, programs in the US will take your grades with a grain of salt as they know about the competition in these top colleges.

I would put MIT under the "moderate" list btw. CMU isn't on your list, any reasons for that?

MIT would be moderate, it's more finance-based than other programs? Forgot to add CMU, though one of my top priority. Thanks a lot for the clarification though. Really helpful

 

[WorkofArt]

MIT would be moderate, it's more finance-based than other programs? Forgot to add CMU, though one of my top priority. Thanks a lot for the clarification though. Really helpful

Yeah I would say so. A lot of people get into traditional finance roles from the program. Also,the MBA candidates have higher precedence over the MFin candidates making the placements slightly worse than what you would expect from MIT (the numbers show). I would personally look elsewhere if I want to pursue a career as a quant but there's no denying the brand could get you some good interviews.