Very Confused ! Need Evaluation

[dpishard]

hello everyone, So basically mistook a finance class last quarter (its kind of a long story) and i am thinking about pursuing Computational Finance, the class was pretty fun had to study a bit but not too hard. what i am actually confused about is my profile is a perfect fit to actually switch my career path into Computational finance. (if i do i might just target CMU)

Education: Tier 3 Uni, Undergrad Comp-Science minor AI ML (3.1 GPA), Masters in Business Analytics UC San Diego (3.7+ GPA)
GRE/GMAT: 338/340 (QUANT - 168 / V - 170)
Additional: Candidate Masters on Codeforces (C++ based problem solving rank)
CourseWork: Lots of python related stuff like sql and analytics (in masters) and a lot of C++ and Machine learning.
Research: (published)
• Efficacy of Deep Learning Models for Ocular Disorder Detection (IEEE, ISPCC 2022)
• Transfer Learning for Driver Drowsiness Detection (Springer, ICDIS 2021)
• Forecasting Time-Series Data using S-ARIMA, CNN, and LSTM (IEEE, ICCCIS 2022)
• Potency of Deep Learning Models for Glaucoma Detection (IEEE, Confluence 2022)
• Real-time Detection of Eye Disorders using Deep Learning (IEEE, INDIACOM 2022)
Work Experience:
Data Analyst at SmartProperty
Oracle Inc - Intern
Singapore Airlines - Revenue Analyst
National University of Singapore - Research Assistant at (Revenue Management Department)
Languages: C++ (Strong), Python (Strong) , R, SQL
Related Additional Project:

• Arbitrage Ethereum Contract (2019): Developed a smart contract on Ethereum for arbitrage trading. This involved navigating multiple exchange routes to execute profitable swaps by meticulously calculating associated fees and other variables to ensure positive returns.
• Sentiment Analysis Platform for Solana: Created a platform that performs sentiment analysis on Solana buy-in trends based on recent news and articles. The platform includes advanced filtering to exclude fake news, and the model’s performance is validated with a solid profit and loss (PnL) record.​

 

[Andy Nguyen]

You have a background with strong technical skills.
Need to take the math courses to meet the requirements of your target school and work on a strong application package.

 

[dpishard]

You have a background with strong technical skills.
Need to take the math courses to meet the requirements of your target school and work on a strong application package.

Thank you for the feedback, Andy. Do you think taking extension courses from UC Berkeley in finance and math, such as statistics and calculus, would give me an edge or boost my application? I am thinking for a while

i am thinking about taking these courses from extension: (which two should i go for)

Investment Portfolio Management
Financial Securities Analysis
Introduction to Risk Management and Financial Derivatives

Math:
Calc 3

 

[Andy Nguyen]

I think you should focus on strength the core area which is math. The ext courses are nice to have but their ROI is not as great as taking in more relevant math courses (stats/probability/linear algebra/etc). In addition, the finance courses above are something the master programs may offer so there is no reason to take it now. Having a stronger math background would help you understand those finance concepts much better.
I would suggest that you take the Options course here which is a much better investment than taking the finance courses.