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- 10/10/25
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Hello there!
I am a first-year graduate student in Data Science and Engineering at an accredited engineering program in New York City, I'm looking to apply for Fall 2026 MFE / MQF programs as I wish to go deeper into finance within my masters education comapred to my current program.
Here is my high-level profile:
- Programming Level: Strong in Python (3+ years), decent in C++ (1.5 years)
- I completed my Comp Sci bachelor's with a math minor (Diff Eq, Linear Algebra, Probability Theory, Mathematical Statistics) at the same university with Cum Laude honors (3.47 GPA) and was invited to join the Tau Beta Pi Honor Society (top 20% of my class).
- Selected as Princeton University P3 Scholar in Operations Research and Financial Engineering.
- Selected to engage in multiple, competitive fellowships within my university (Finance/Consulting related fellowship, Data science-related scholars program)
Internships/Research
Reflection:
I am trying to shoot for programs such as Fordham MSQF (top choice), Univerisity of Washington MS Comp. Finance, and Lehigh University MFE.
My main concern is that my math classes have been B-,B,B+ range, I do not believe I will have time to study for the GRE and score perfect, I do not have much depth in Finance knowledge besides personal study and my internship. So for that reason, I will not be shooting for the top MFE programs where almost perfect math / GRE is required. I can expect good/strong recommendations from both my research internships and from the investment firm.
Action Items
- What are some projects that I can work on in the next 2 months to demonstrate my abilities and gain domain knowledge?
- What are some other programs you might recommend?
- Do you have any additional tips on my strategy? What should I highlight in my SOP and what to keep in mind when addressing weaknesses?
- What are your thoughts on my weaknesses? Would I even have a chance?
Thank you very much for your time and willingness to help.
I am a first-year graduate student in Data Science and Engineering at an accredited engineering program in New York City, I'm looking to apply for Fall 2026 MFE / MQF programs as I wish to go deeper into finance within my masters education comapred to my current program.
Here is my high-level profile:
- Programming Level: Strong in Python (3+ years), decent in C++ (1.5 years)
- I completed my Comp Sci bachelor's with a math minor (Diff Eq, Linear Algebra, Probability Theory, Mathematical Statistics) at the same university with Cum Laude honors (3.47 GPA) and was invited to join the Tau Beta Pi Honor Society (top 20% of my class).
- Selected as Princeton University P3 Scholar in Operations Research and Financial Engineering.
- Selected to engage in multiple, competitive fellowships within my university (Finance/Consulting related fellowship, Data science-related scholars program)
Internships/Research
- Geospatial Analytics Internships (2022–2024): Worked at multiple startups using Python and computer vision models for geospatial data analysis.
- Astrophysics Research (NSF REU, Ivy League) (2024–Present): Conducted time–frequency analysis with Python (smooth filtering, cubic splines, Fourier/wavelet transforms). 1st-author abstract and conference presentation at a major geophysical meeting.
- Machine Learning Research (Military Lab) (2024–Present): Applied topological data analysis to 3D objects using ensemble and deep learning. Presented at lab conference; 1st co-author on forthcoming paper. Mentoring students and leading experiment design.
- Data Science Intern (Biotech Investment Firm, NYC) (Summer 2025): Analyzed hedge fund portfolios using SEC filings data (Python, Excel). Collaborated directly with senior executives and PhDs on investment analytics.
Reflection:
I am trying to shoot for programs such as Fordham MSQF (top choice), Univerisity of Washington MS Comp. Finance, and Lehigh University MFE.
My main concern is that my math classes have been B-,B,B+ range, I do not believe I will have time to study for the GRE and score perfect, I do not have much depth in Finance knowledge besides personal study and my internship. So for that reason, I will not be shooting for the top MFE programs where almost perfect math / GRE is required. I can expect good/strong recommendations from both my research internships and from the investment firm.
Action Items
- What are some projects that I can work on in the next 2 months to demonstrate my abilities and gain domain knowledge?
- What are some other programs you might recommend?
- Do you have any additional tips on my strategy? What should I highlight in my SOP and what to keep in mind when addressing weaknesses?
- What are your thoughts on my weaknesses? Would I even have a chance?
Thank you very much for your time and willingness to help.
