Seeking Advice - Research vs Internship?

[Chelsea]

I am currently a junior math major wanting to get into a MFE program after graduation. For the summer, I am offered a research opportunity which includes programming and statistics component. But I can also work in a wealth management firm in which I will not be doing any quant-related work. I am wondering which option will be more helpful for me to apply for a MFE program.
-Thanks a lot!

 

[Andy Nguyen]

This should be obvious. You want to apply to MFE programs and given the chance of getting relevant quant work, you are not sure?

 

[Chelsea]

Hi Andy, thanks for your reply!
Although the research will use some techniques/methods that are also applied to QF, it is not an internship. On the other hand, I don't have any finance-related work experience on my resume, and junior year summer is my last chance to get such experience before graduation. That is why I've been debating. Just wondering if intelligence will outweigh work experience when applying for a MFE program?

 

[Andy Nguyen]

How do you prove intelligence?
How do you prove you have relevant experience?
How do you prove you have a good career plan and know what FE is all about?
How do you even know if you like a career in finance?
How do you know if you can put up with longer hours coding which is most likely what you will be doing after your MFE?

See which one of the two opportunities can answer more of the above questions and pick that.

 

[Chelsea]

OK, I get it. It seems what's most important is to leverage whatever experience I have to schmooze the admission officers.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

No. It's important to show genuine interest/understanding/preparation for the field.
Full disclose: I'm one of the "admission officers" and I can see right through when someone is bullshitting in their application. If you read 1000+ applications, you start to see the same old pattern repeating.
Different schools do admission differently so just prepare meticulously.

Back to your question, experience is always a plus. The more you expose to programming, the better.

 

[Chelsea]

Thanks a lot for your insights!

 

[achilles]

hi
on the similar lines , I would like to ask if doing an internship in a reputed university under a finance professor would be better than taking finance related job that is of not much relevance on the quant side .....

 

[alain]

take the job. There is not such a thing as "reputed" university in the eyes of the hiring person.

 

[Dibbs]

I chose the internship.

 

[Joy Pathak]

In my undergrad I did a research project and an internship at the same time. It's doable if you aren't taking any other classes and have a focused goal on the project. 4 months in the summer. But my job, was closely aligned with the independent study, so it complimented each other.

 

[achilles]

In my undergrad I did a research project and an internship at the same time. It's doable if you aren't taking any other classes and have a focused goal on the project. 4 months in the summer. But my job, was closely aligned with the independent study, so it complimented each other.

I chose the internship.

take the job. There is not such a thing as "reputed" university in the eyes of the hiring person.

Thanks for the replies .
Actually ,I might be getting a month and a half internship at one of the IIMs and in the same period I might get a job at a local company that is remotely connected to quant ...
I want to have work ex in finance rather than an internship but there is a less probabilty of me getting a quant related profile in any co since am from IT background .