- Joined
- 7/18/24
- Messages
- 12
- Points
- 3
Hi everyone,
I posted here around a month ago, and have since put together a plan for the next year in order to bolster my application, as well as fill most of the quantitative holes from my undergrad degree. Any feedback/suggestions would be much appreciated!
A little background:
I graduated in 2021 with a BBA in Economics/Finance from Baruch College. My GPA was not good (~3.00), but I’ve since gained 3.5 years of experience in industry. My career so far has been in data engineering, software project management, and data science. I consider myself very proficient in Python, SQL, and various BI tools, and I have extensive experience managing global software projects (current doing this at a tier 2 IB, back-office). I have done lots of meaningful work so far at a few different companies that I am proud of, and have fantastic contacts for letters of recommendations.
I would really appreciate any feedback or suggestions you might have, especially if there’s anything I’m overlooking or could be doing differently to enhance my chances. Some book recs would also be great!
Thanks!
I posted here around a month ago, and have since put together a plan for the next year in order to bolster my application, as well as fill most of the quantitative holes from my undergrad degree. Any feedback/suggestions would be much appreciated!
A little background:
I graduated in 2021 with a BBA in Economics/Finance from Baruch College. My GPA was not good (~3.00), but I’ve since gained 3.5 years of experience in industry. My career so far has been in data engineering, software project management, and data science. I consider myself very proficient in Python, SQL, and various BI tools, and I have extensive experience managing global software projects (current doing this at a tier 2 IB, back-office). I have done lots of meaningful work so far at a few different companies that I am proud of, and have fantastic contacts for letters of recommendations.
Current Plan:
- Calculus 1-3: I’m currently re-taking Calculus I (took it in undergrad, but did not really learn it, and it's been years so i decided to take it all again. I am taking the final for this next week.) and plan to take Calculus II and III over the next ~6-8 months. These are flexible online courses through UND. I would've preferred to go through a better school, but my company only covers x amount every year for tuition reimbursement, and it was the cheapest and most efficient option to obtain the credits while I'm working full-time.
- Baruch Pre-MFE Seminars: I’m planning to take nearly all the following seminars, fortunately my company will pay for these (assuming I get admitted):
- Probability Theory for Financial Engineering
- Numerical Linear Algebra for Financial Engineering
- Advanced Calculus for Financial Engineering (if time permits and I'm not overloaded with work)
- C++ Programming for Financial Engineering
- Advanced C++ for Financial Engineering
- Options Primer for Financial Engineering
- Linear Algebra and its Applications, Gilbert Strang
- Econometrics: A Modern Approach, Jeffrey Wooldridge
- Primer for the Mathematics of FE, Dan Stefanica (reading this in parallel to my courses - even though I may not be able to solve the exercises yet, it is helpful to see how it all relates to the material that will be taught in the MFE program).
- Machine Learning Pet Project:
- Independent project to scrape tons of NBA player prop data, identify arbitrage opportunities, and develop predictive models. I've been working on this on and off for a while with some peers and have made a modest amount of profit.
- Application Goal: The goal is to officially apply for Baruch’s MFE program in November 2025, for the Fall 2026 semester.
I would really appreciate any feedback or suggestions you might have, especially if there’s anything I’m overlooking or could be doing differently to enhance my chances. Some book recs would also be great!
Thanks!
