COMPARE Worried Master's Programme is not good enough.

[AWH]

I have secured a place to study Computational Finance at UCL starting this September. When I was applying, the Mathematics and Finance programmes at Imperial stood out the most and appeared to be more highly regarded. My concern is that UCL might not be perceived as a target university for quant positions compared to Imperial or Oxford.

My application to Imperial was the first I submitted, and I believe my UCL application was stronger. My question is: am I worrying unnecessarily? Is the course at UCL a solid option for pursuing a career in quant finance, or should I consider waiting a year and reapplying to Oxford or Imperial?

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Welcome to QuantNet and glad to see another applicant from the UK.
My general advice is to get into the best UK master programme you can since you only do it once. The lifetime compensation difference between top program's graduate and a lower-ranked one could be substantial.
Exceptions exist and you can still get a excellent outcome from UCL. We have some reviews from UCL and Imperial/Oxford that you can read to see the state of things, specially career services. My understanding is that UK programmes are not heavily investing in career services compared to the US programs.
Also, understand why your Imperial application was not successful and what your plan is to address it. Look at profiles of those getting into Imperial this year from the Tracker and see how you can improve.

 

[AWH]

Hi Andy, thanks for the prompt response. You make a valid point; I only have one shot, so I should aim for the best course possible.

I graduated last year and, despite my efforts, couldn't secure an internship in quantitative finance. In the meantime, I have been working as a data engineer. My concern is whether the gap between my undergraduate degree and applying for a master's will negatively impact my chances of success.

Additionally, I am naturally concerned that if I were to wait for a second year that despite my best efforts, may still be unable to secure any type of quant internship.

Apologies if I'm a bit all over the place, I've not found anywhere that I can ask any of my questions until now.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

If you believe an additional year will significantly improve your overall profile, then by all means, apply for next year. You can make money and gain relevant work experience in the meantime.
UCL is not the worst scenario by any mean. It's a top 3 programs in the UK. You definitely can get a job out of them if you put in the effort.

 

[fufutoogud]

Hello bud,

Don't worry, Quant Net has been a bright light for me even though i think i was in a similar shoe as yours. I dont think you should fret as i know there are loads of people in the city with the same degree from UCL on very good wages and working on interesting projects. You can even take a look at LinkedIn and see the vast majority. I wholly agree with Andy here but i also do believe there is always a chance for academic intellect to always shine through regardless of the uni (Please note that UCL that the CompFin masters at UCl imo is one of the best in the country aside from Imperial and Oxford). I have also spoken to recruiters on this topic especially in the UK, they tend to try to recruit from those 2 universities but the pool is so small. They also heavily recruit from other programs in the country as well and all they look for in a recruiters word is "outstanding academic talent with proven track record".

I hope this helps mate, i am writing as someone perhaps once in your shoe about the quality of my own program that i am starting this year but be very aware that the UK employment market and the US is very different. I think as people interested in this field we look at it from the american perspective as that is the standard but the reality is that university course/ quality from what i have learnt so far/ enquired so far only helps with ease of securing a position (this might be different in america for which i have no clue). IMO outstanding academic talent will always prevail and find a way.

 

[AWH]

Hello bud,

Don't worry, Quant Net has been a bright light for me even though i think i was in a similar shoe as yours. I dont think you should fret as i know there are loads of people in the city with the same degree from UCL on very good wages and working on interesting projects. You can even take a look at LinkedIn and see the vast majority. I wholly agree with Andy here but i also do believe there is always a chance for academic intellect to always shine through regardless of the uni (Please note that UCL that the CompFin masters at UCl imo is one of the best in the country aside from Imperial and Oxford). I have also spoken to recruiters on this topic especially in the UK, they tend to try to recruit from those 2 universities but the pool is so small. They also heavily recruit from other programs in the country as well and all they look for in a recruiters word is "outstanding academic talent with proven track record".

I hope this helps mate, i am writing as someone perhaps once in your shoe about the quality of my own program that i am starting this year but be very aware that the UK employment market and the US is very different. I think as people interested in this field we look at it from the american perspective as that is the standard but the reality is that university course/ quality from what i have learnt so far/ enquired so far only helps with ease of securing a position (this might be different in america for which i have no clue). IMO outstanding academic talent will always prevail and find a way.

Hi,

Apologies for the late reply, I have not been receiving any notifications from Quant Net. I really appreciate you taking the time to respond and you have reassured me greatly. I have decided to undertake the UCL course to the best of my ability. Hopefully all goes well!

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Hi,

Apologies for the late reply, I have not been receiving any notifications from Quant Net. I really appreciate you taking the time to respond and you have reassured me greatly. I have decided to undertake the UCL course to the best of my ability. Hopefully all goes well!

Let us know how it goes at UCL. It's ranked #3 in the 2024 UK ranking so I think with great effort from your part, you should be able to take advantage of the courses and its alumni network.
The job market in the UK is small so it's tougher to compete with the Oxbridge/Imperial graduates.