Columbia MAFN Columbia MAFN Admission Discussion

[Swarna]

Lonyasta ... are you on waitlist too ?

 

[Lonaysta]

nope...I'm just so confused by MAFN's admission procedure.

Lonyasta ... are you on waitlist too ?

 

[Shadowfox]

Hey Dennis Congratulations on UChicago..They told me dat there is a placement exam on C++. If one clears that he/she would be exempted from taking that course. Are you preparing for that. Let me know. Sorry for thread jacking.

 

[Dennis Choi]

Hey Dennis Congratulations on UChicago..They told me dat there is a placement exam on C++. If one clears that he/she would be exempted from taking that course. Are you preparing for that. Let me know. Sorry for thread jacking.

Well yeah I will probably unless I get a short-term internship. I have already taken a course in C++ back when I was an undergraduate so I'll be reviewing those books and some other ones at the library.

 

[Azamat Bagatov]

congrats kumarab, and good luck to you!

 

[FlowerShin]

On Jun 21st I received the decision that I had been moved onto a short waiting list.
And then yesterday (Jun 24th) I received my admission.
It's a looooooooooooooooooooooooong period since I completed my application in Jan 2013.

Besides, I had an admission for MSFE in UIUC.
So here I would also like to ask for your opinion that whether I should go to UIUC or MAFN?
Since I'm a little afraid of the short length of MAFN which means that I have to look for a job as soon as I arrive NY.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

FlowerShin
Congrats and please update the Tracker with your app timelines/result for Columbia MAFN and UIUC MSFE.

 

[Shadowfox]

FlowerShin I suggest you to look at the option of completing the program in 3 semesters at Columbia. It will give you a chance to do internship in between.. I remember you are a fresher and without any significant work experience...

 

[FlowerShin]

FlowerShin I suggest you to look at the option of completing the program in 3 semesters at Columbia. It will give you a chance to do internship in between.. I remember you are a fresher and without any significant work experience...

Apart from the expensive cost on housing and living, the length may be the only problem.
I had also heard that there is an option of 3 semesters. But I'm not sure how to activate this option.

Um, and how about the career service and placement of MAFN?
Even though it is said that the service is poor, I still found the placement quite satisfactory.

BTW, it is amazing that you still remember my background~

 

[mhy]

I had also heard that there is an option of 3 semesters. But I'm not sure how to activate this option.

Talk to the director (Lars Nielsen); he told me this was a new option from this year and should have some information for you.

 

[FlowerShin]

Talk to the director (Lars Nielsen); he told me this was a new option from this year and should have some information for you.

Um, when? Right now? Or after I settled down in NY?

 

[mhy]

No reason to wait until you're here. ltn@math.columbia.edu. From what I remember he responded quite quickly.

 

[Canuck]

I have a question for you. It seems like a lot of people say this thing that 'extend to 3 semesters and do the internship in between.' But, can't you find/do internship with just one year program??

I think the issues at play are more about the quantity of material you need to absorb in a single year and also the fact that an internship in between semesters can give you a real world context about what you're learning.

 

[Canuck]

Well, I guess 3 semesters will give you more time, but the amount of study will be almost same. But, you are right because you will learn/study more thoroughly with 3 semesters.

And, as you said, internship will give you a real world experience about what you're learning. But, that is what internship is. You will have the same experience whether you graduated or you have one more semester left. I just don't understand why people try to distinguish between a summer internship in between semesters and a summer internship right after graduation.

Agreed but doing an internship and then being able to return to a classroom is a great thing to be able to do. It gives you time to digest your new practical knowledge in a safe academic environment and also gives you context within the classroom.

 

[mhy]

Personally Speaking, I dont think an Internship does server any purpose beside giving u an opportunity to speak to some people and show them that you can actually be very useful. I think its a short term commitment for both you and the comapny that u are going to be working for. Three semesters does reduce the pace a bit so that you get more time to absorb and carefully plan your career. I know a lot of people are interested in pursuing a career in quant finance and after spending 5 years in this area with a reputed firm in Asia, I can tell you that its not like all of them understand what career better suits to their profile. A lot of very intelligent people feel to join the lucrative field of finance for the sake of showing off their intelligence. After all its not much about intelligence and a lot more depends on your passion and creativity to excel in this field. An internship is ideal for people who aint sure how they want their career to be shaped after the completion of the course. Believe me, I have hired at least 10 very smart candidate in the area of high frequency trading and most of them ended up not liking it or liking it for entirely different reasons(like challenges in terms of writing efficient code or reducing latency).

An internship leads to a job at the company. Since it's especially difficult for international students with no experience to get a full-time job after graduation, the internship is extremely valuable for such students (which form a large part of incoming MFE classes)

 

[FlowerShin]

Yeah, thank you for this long insight. I agree that internship is ideal for starters. My point was just to say that finding good internship after two semester long program is also possible. I just didn't like people talking negatively about 2 semester long program on a base that internship is after graduation.

it is true that an internship after graduation works well.
but as for myself, one of the biggest problem comes from the visa. I've heard that for an internship after graduation, your visa will be transferred from F1 into OPT? I've no idea on how difficult to obtain OPT. Besides, compared with local ones, will it be harder for international students to get an internship in NY due to the application of visa after graduation?

 

[mhy]

it is true that an internship after graduation works well.
but as for myself, one of the biggest problem comes from the visa. I've heard that for an internship after graduation, your visa will be transferred from F1 into OPT? I've no idea on how difficult to obtain OPT. Besides, compared with local ones, will it be harder for international students to get an internship in NY due to the application of visa after graduation?

While on OPT you are still considered to be in F1 status. OPT is an extension of the F1 visa and is available to all F1 students who have studied for more than nine months (typically one academic year). As far as I know it is up to each company whether they hire people on OPT. For full time employment, what I've seen sometimes is that when a student's work visa application is unsuccessful they will hire the student on OPT and try the visa process again the next year. Large companies (including my first employer) will often go immediately to the H-1B visa.

I would argue that it is somewhat more difficult to obtain an internship as an international student (simply because not all firms hire internationals).

 

[pankajmadan]

I received admission offer yesterday(Tracker Updated). I was initially thinking of going to Chicago Singapore.But it seems Columbia MAFN is the place where I should go to. Fellow Quantnet people who are also thinking of joining,please add me to you list/group/Facebook Group. I am from India (IIT).

Hi KumarAb,
Congrats on your Admit, I am also planning on going To Columbia , Would like to talk to you, kindly let me know your contact details. I am from Delhi, India
Thanks
Pankaj

 

[Nav]

Hi guys! Is there a Facebook page that has been created for the incoming MAFN students?

 

[pankajmadan]

I received admission offer yesterday(Tracker Updated). I was initially thinking of going to Chicago Singapore.But it seems Columbia MAFN is the place where I should go to. Fellow Quantnet people who are also thinking of joining,please add me to you list/group/Facebook Group. I am from India (IIT).

Hi, KumarAb
Also going to Columbia , want to get in touch with you. Kindly send in your contact details on my E-mail Id:
pankajmadan2005@gmail.com

Thanks
Pankaj