Am I on the right track? Please help

[SamKellmark]

I'm new to the forum and I hope i'm posting this in the right section.

I am 33 years old and have been working in the wealth management side of financial services for over 6 years, which included advising on equities and derivatives. My interest in the quant side has led me look at various options within the industry and every role required a strong foundation in math.

Since, I did not have a mathematical background I decided to enrol myself in university to complete a post graduate diploma that covers all the necessary prerequisites for the MFE. I am close to completing this now. In addition, I have also taken a couple of computing courses, mainly C++ and VBA. I took my GRE and scored Q 760 V 570 A 4.5.

Making good progress in my current math program I thought it would be a good idea to apply to a handful of MFE programs to see where I stand. I applied to 6 in all and got rejects from 4 and admits from Claremont and BU. The rejects came from the more reputed New York and chicago programs, which wasn't a big surprise as I was competing against better pedigree.

I will appreciate if the more experienced can help me with the following questions.

1) Would it be wise for me to not accept any of the 2 offers and apply in Fall 2012, given I'm already 33?
2) If I do that, what could i do in the interim to make my application stand out?
2) I'm keen on getting my foot in the door in derivatives trading and was wondering if a MFE would be sufficient as i'm not inclined to go down the path of getting a Ph.d after my MFE.

I'll appreciate anyone taking the time to help me with these questions. Thanks!

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Your 760Q killed your hope of landing in any decent program. Retake it, get 800 and apply next year. That would be your best way to do the least work but increase your job opportunities substantially.

 

[SamKellmark]

Thanks @Andy Nguyen. I'm probably going to take that advice and spend the next few months getting the GRE sorted. Who knows mayde UCB might be a go next time.I'll take the next day or so to convince myself that it's the way to go

Going back to your advice, can I just ask you your personal opinion on BU as I would have picked BU had I considered doing the MFE this fall. Knowing my only options were BU and CGU.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

BU is going through a transitional phrase right now so give them a few years to work out the kinks. If you plan to work in Boston, it's a reasonable choice. If you want to work in NYC, there is no better place to study than NYC. It just makes life and job finding much, much easier.

 

[physEcon]

Your 760Q killed your hope of landing in any decent program. Retake it, get 800 and apply next year. That would be your best way to do the least work but increase your job opportunities substantially.

Who you calling indecent?