Profile Review and Guidance

[diddly_squat]

Hey guys,
I wanted a quick profile review for Fall '26 applications.
* I am a senior at a top-7 IIT (Indian Citizen), majoring in Maths and Computing along with a minor in Data Science and AI. I have a CGPA of 8.95/10 and am ranked 5th in my class of 79.
* I have pursued multiple courses related to finance ranging from stochastic calculus and portfolio theory to derivative pricing and computational finance. I have also completed lab work based on Monte Carlo Simulations and Derivative Pricing.
* I have a swe internship experience at a big tech company.
* I am pursuing a senior thesis project on Limit Order Book Dynamics in lit and dark markets.
* GRE (170 Q 159 V 4 AWA) TOEFL (113)

I wanted to apply to the top schools and was planning on applying to-
Princeton, Baruch, CMU, MIT, Cornell,
but am unsure of my choices really.

Though given the current US Visa Scenario, I have also included ICL, Oxford and ETH Zurich.

Please give your brutal opinions on the strength of my profile as also hint at whether or not I might get into any of the listed schools. I am quite unaware of the current playing field.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

On paper, looking good. Other aspects of your applications are important as well. LOR, essay, how well you perform during the admission interviews, etc.
I would say add a few more like Chicago, GaTech, NCSU. They are not brand names but do well in their perspective local markets.
Be specific about what you want to do with your MFE degree but also be open to career paths that are tangent to quant.

If also need to plan the seeds now to demonstrate strong ties to your India. This seems to be the #1 reasons for many student visa rejections from the US consulates in India recently.

 

[Yuvraj Chauhan]

If also need to plan the seeds now to demonstrate strong ties to your India. This seems to be the #1 reasons for many student visa rejections from the US consulates in India recently.

I'm curious about this. Could you please explain more?

 

[Andy Nguyen]

I'm curious about this. Could you please explain more?

TLDR: a lot of F1 applicants from India are getting rejection from US consulates under 214(b) section.
A 214(b) refers to a section of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act that presumes all visa applicants are intending immigrants until they can prove they are not. A visa denial under 214(b) occurs because the consular officer was not convinced that the applicant had a residence in their home country that they intended to abandon, along with other ties to their home country, such as a job, family, or property. To overcome this denial, applicants must reapply and provide stronger evidence of their ties to their home country and their intent to return, as the original denial is not an appealable decision.

 

[Yuvraj Chauhan]

TLDR: a lot of F1 applicants from India are getting rejection from US consulates under 214(b) section.
A 214(b) refers to a section of the U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act that presumes all visa applicants are intending immigrants until they can prove they are not. A visa denial under 214(b) occurs because the consular officer was not convinced that the applicant had a residence in their home country that they intended to abandon, along with other ties to their home country, such as a job, family, or property. To overcome this denial, applicants must reapply and provide stronger evidence of their ties to their home country and their intent to return, as the original denial is not an appealable decision.

I see what you meant, thanks for the breakdown!

On another note, I saw your LinkedIn post, it'd be great to hear more about the quant-adjacent roles too. There's little resources at the moment for those, and considering those roles often have the most number of openings across markets, it'd be a great help

 

[Andy Nguyen]

On another note, I saw your LinkedIn post, it'd be great to hear more about the quant-adjacent roles too. There's little resources at the moment for those, and considering those roles often have the most number of openings across markets, it'd be a great help

I think it's a smart approach to maximize your chance of success in the industry.
@Dev Kewlani

 

[Dev Kewlani]

@Yuvraj Chauhan if you wanted to refer to some resources, how would you like them? Videos of people who are in those roles or roadmap structures breaking down the details of how to get there?

 

[Yuvraj Chauhan]

I have no clue myself, I've just been talking to people, getting a sense of requirements and stuff. I've not yet formulated a cohesive plan, nor any structured resources.

Maybe, as a longer term goal, you may consider doing the CFA (this is purely, purely elective and by no means a doctor's prescription). It's built for AM and ER roles, but outside of that, its value significantly fluctuates. It's a great addition to your arsenal, but by no means should it be the only weapon in it