- Joined
- 3/9/25
- Messages
- 2
- Points
- 3
Hi everyone,
I am desperate and need help deciding whether to stay as a trader or finish my master’s degree.
I come from a non-target French school but have strong training in computer and data science. I started my master’s but took a gap year for a discretionary hedge fund internship in data analysis. After the internship, I was offered a full-time exec trader role at the fund ($1bn AUM and performs very well but is a single managed fund), where I’m the only one coding in the front office and contributing to quantitative research (even though I don't have the possibility to fully code before 5:30pm). I’ve gained significant responsibility and learned a lot, but I’m unsure about my next step.
I’m supposed to resume my master’s in few weeks in Data science and AI, but my fund wants me to stay. My long-term goal is to become a quant at a leading fund and put together what I learned here and in my next experience, and I believe attending a top U.S. master’s program would help. I applied last year (received invitation to interview but didn’t receive an offer as they saw I already done a semester in my actual master and questioned it a lot) and again this year (after having that trading experience in my resume) but received no offers/interviews. To strengthen my application, I’m unsure whether staying in trading (which is already on my CV) or completing my master’s in computer science would be more valuable.
People in my firm say school is BS and that I am in a golden seat for my age, but one quant PM I spoke to from London told me that if I can't develop models/touch PnL it won't help me to simply switch to a quant firm. I work 60h a week and may receive 200-300k comp this year given the results, but my PM hates quant models and not sure I will have the possibility to turn one live here. We are 2 exec traders and 1 PM for >$1bn as a context, and I do all the quant ideas alone just as an extra for now.
Would it be wiser to stay in trading or finish my master’s to improve my chances at a top U.S. quant program? Any advice would be appreciated.
Please let me know if something is not clear, I tried to make it as readable as possible. Many thanks! PS: I will add my tracker over the weekend so you guys can have a color of the programs I couldn't get in given my background.
I am desperate and need help deciding whether to stay as a trader or finish my master’s degree.
I come from a non-target French school but have strong training in computer and data science. I started my master’s but took a gap year for a discretionary hedge fund internship in data analysis. After the internship, I was offered a full-time exec trader role at the fund ($1bn AUM and performs very well but is a single managed fund), where I’m the only one coding in the front office and contributing to quantitative research (even though I don't have the possibility to fully code before 5:30pm). I’ve gained significant responsibility and learned a lot, but I’m unsure about my next step.
I’m supposed to resume my master’s in few weeks in Data science and AI, but my fund wants me to stay. My long-term goal is to become a quant at a leading fund and put together what I learned here and in my next experience, and I believe attending a top U.S. master’s program would help. I applied last year (received invitation to interview but didn’t receive an offer as they saw I already done a semester in my actual master and questioned it a lot) and again this year (after having that trading experience in my resume) but received no offers/interviews. To strengthen my application, I’m unsure whether staying in trading (which is already on my CV) or completing my master’s in computer science would be more valuable.
People in my firm say school is BS and that I am in a golden seat for my age, but one quant PM I spoke to from London told me that if I can't develop models/touch PnL it won't help me to simply switch to a quant firm. I work 60h a week and may receive 200-300k comp this year given the results, but my PM hates quant models and not sure I will have the possibility to turn one live here. We are 2 exec traders and 1 PM for >$1bn as a context, and I do all the quant ideas alone just as an extra for now.
Would it be wiser to stay in trading or finish my master’s to improve my chances at a top U.S. quant program? Any advice would be appreciated.
Please let me know if something is not clear, I tried to make it as readable as possible. Many thanks! PS: I will add my tracker over the weekend so you guys can have a color of the programs I couldn't get in given my background.
