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Message: <blockquote data-quote="SteveTownsend" data-source="post: 2177" data-attributes="member: 145">My background is in large distributed systems software engineering (Microsoft, Lava Trading, Credit Suisse). My math is from Cambridge, UK (undergrad, rusty, 1985).   Three years ago I made a decision to redirect my career into finance with the eventual goal of doing "something" quant-related.  The idea was to leverage my skills in software and math in an industry that is new to me, interesting and well-remunerated - a new challenge and a pay rise, if things were to work out.    I do not want to be a pure quant - the math does not appeal to me THAT much, and I like writing code too much.  Besides which, I see the modeling as something that can be easily outsourced, but leading-edge, mission-critical software implementation and support will always be colocated with the trading teams. My decision to apply to Baruch was driven by a number of factors:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">practicality of curriculum for me as a software engineer - my goal is not to be a pure quant, but to provide the best software in the area</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">welcoming and professional community of students and college staff, esp. Dan S as an evangelist inside and outside the college - I feel the program will be better known when I graduate in 3 yrs (fingers crossed) than it is now!</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">good flexibility for part-time students.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">perceived cost/benefit better than "big name" programs in NYC (Columbia, NYU, CMU satellite).  This is a consideration when I am in the twilight of my career (43 years old, as far as I remember).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">location of campus (I work one block away - w family and FT job, reducing incremental time cost of Masters degree is important).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">My alternative to Baruch was the Wilmott CQF via distance learning, to which I was accepted.  I felt that the Certificate is not as well recognized in the USA, too intense given my job and family concerns, and I decided I really would like to have a proper graduate degree after all this work.  I did not apply to any other Masters programs.</li> </ul>The only stressful part of the application was after I took the GRE.  I doubt many successful applicants score higher on the Verbal than the Quant portion.  It worked out in the end though.</blockquote>

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