Advantages of being US citizen in admission

[alskdjfdlskfj]

Hi,

I am a senior at a Top 10 US university looking to apply to some of the MFE programs, and was wondering whether there are any advantages to being a US citizen. I noticed that a majority of the top MFE/MFin programs are made up of international students, and could not help but wonder whether the trend was due to:

1. There are not as many domestic students applying to these programs
OR
2. Domestic students do not stand out against competing applicants from abroad

Which is the reason in your opinion? Additionally, although diversity is important, wouldn't US schools have an incentive to admit domestic applicants over international (ceteris paribus), since sponsorship is very much a factor in employment outcomes?
Thanks!

 

[Andy Nguyen]

The reasons are both so if you meet all the admission requirements, I strongly recommend you to apply to all the top programs. Don't let those profiles intimidate you. The more diversified a program looks, the more diversified applicant pool they attract so it's a win-win for everyone.
Again, just apply. I have many discussion with programs directors over the years to know they want to attract more young domestic applicants. I hope QuantNet being the biggest playground for such applicants will make a difference in the right direction.

 

[kombuchalover]

@Andy Nguyen I've seen in other forum posts from years past you've said that programs don't tend to give any preference to a US applicant vs. an International Applicant. I know many programs do focus on the strength of an applicant's communication skills, but outside of that distinction would you not say that is still the case?

 

[Andy Nguyen]

@Andy Nguyen I've seen in other forum posts from years past you've said that programs don't tend to give any preference to a US applicant vs. an International Applicant. I know many programs do focus on the strength of an applicant's communication skills, but outside of that distinction would you not say that is still the case?

If you quote those posts, maybe I can remember the context where I said that.
Years ago, employment environment was favorable compared to the job market today. Then everyone got a job offer soon after graduation so the advantage of being a US resident is not that big.
Now, it may be the difference between employers giving an offer to one domestic candidate vs international one, for comparable resume.
From a program's perfective, it just makes sense to admit as many qualified applicants as they have.
That means if as long as you check all the boxes and they believe you can handle the class work and interview well, you should get the same chance as anyone else.

 

[kombuchalover]

If you quote those posts, maybe I can remember the context where I said that.
Years ago, employment environment was favorable compared to the job market today. Then everyone got a job offer soon after graduation so the advantage of being a US resident is not that big.
Now, it may be the difference between employers giving an offer to one domestic candidate vs international one, for comparable resume.
From a program's perfective, it just makes sense to admit as many qualified applicants as they have.
That means if as long as you check all the boxes and they believe you can handle the class work and interview well, you should get the same chance as anyone else.

internationals vs us citizens in admissions

This is the particular forum... but either way I see your reasoning. Programs may prefer a domestic applicant, but at a very slim margin.