New Quantnet members say hi

[Yan He]

I am new to the forum and not a student but a working practitioner. Great site...

Welcome onboard! Why not sign up for one of the event to join us, or simply come for a coffee or smoke with some of our smokers...

 

[RussianMike]

Welcome aboard sdyoung,

definitely come by and visit us, either here or in real space.

Regards,
Mike

 

[Tony]

Hi

Hi everyone:D , I am planning to appy this program for Fall 2007.

Here is my background:

I hold bachelor and master degrees in engineering, worked 3 years for IBM as a software programer(including 2 years banking project experience), and with decent GPA and TOEFL score, GRE score has not been reported though.

I am very interested in Baruch's program. Any suggestions you guys can give me before I summit the application?

 

[Yan He]

Re: Hi

Hi everyone:D , I am planning to appy this program for Fall 2007.

Here is my background:

I hold bachelor and master degrees in engineering, worked 3 years for IBM as a software programer(including 2 years banking project experience), and with decent GPA and TOEFL score, GRE score has not been reported though.

I am very interested in Baruch's program. Any suggestions you guys can give me before I summit the application?

I assume you should have taken those required courses: calculus, linear algebra, probability and programming. If you are interested in applying Baruch, be ready for, first, the interview with Prof. Dan Stefanica, in which he would ask some "basic" quantitative or financial questions. I would suggest you to read Hull's book. Second, prepare for the stressful and the overloaded daily life....

Good luck.

 

[Tony]

Thanks for your reply, yes i did take all the math prerequisite courses during my undergraduate study.

Do you mean Hull's book "Options, Futures and Other Derivatives"?

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Do you mean Hull's book "Options, Futures and Other Derivatives"?

Yes, when people refer to Hull's book, they mean "Options, Future and Other Derivatives" because it's the Book. Hull has other books as well but they are less mentioned.

 

[civic98]

Hi,
I am currently in my third year at Rutgers in New Brunswick, NJ. I am a finance major/math minor very interested in math finance related fields. Have taken linear algebra, calc III, calc IV, and computer science (C++) and did well. Currently in theory of probability and advanced calculus for engineering (PDEs). Trying to get an early start looking at programs. Would be applying to start in Fall 08. Planning on taking the GRE in the spring. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[civic98]

FE Classes

I was reading the Baruch FE course descriptions on the website to try to get a better understand of the program and what the classes are like. I was wondering, how theoretical are these classes? I appreciate any help. Thanks

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Re: FE Classes

I was reading the Baruch FE course descriptions on the website to try to get a better understand of the program and what the classes are like. I was wondering, how theoretical are these classes? I appreciate any help. Thanks

This question should be asked under the appropriate forum which is "Question about Baruch's MFE program" http://www.quantnet.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=61

 

[civic98]

Arent we only supposed to post in this forum if we are new?

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Arent we only supposed to post in this forum if we are new?

Yes, this forum is to introduce yourself. After that, you can post questions on other forums. That way, it's easier for our members to answer questions on one central place. Hope it helps.

 

[anupam_tyagi]

Hi Everybody

Hi Everybody,
I am Anupam, a prospective student from India.I am a 2004 passout from the Pune University in the Electronics and Telecommunication stream.Currently working as a software engineer in HSBC in the Foreign Exchange Options dept.

I must say i have found this forum very informative and guiding.


Thanks To all the members who have posted their helpful replies.


Regards

Anupam

 

[SteveTownsend]

software career redirection

Hi, my name is Steve and I work (conveniently) at Credit Suisse in Fixed Income Derivatives IT. I am planning to apply for entry as a part-time student in Fall 2007 after attending the info session on Monday. My background is undergrad mathematics, then 22 years in the software industry (comms software, then at Microsoft).

I have been in NYC nearly two years, and at CS for most of this year. The move from Seattle to NYC was intended to make it possible for me to combine the math aptitude with the software experience in a quant-related role, so the Baruch program looks ideal.

Thanks for this site, a great resource, not least to stop me asking dumb FAQ last night.

 

[Johnny5]

Hi, all.

Hi. I'm John. I am also interested in applying for the Fall 2007 MSFE. I earned a BS in Biology 10 years ago and have been working in the IT operations/support field since then. I was recently accepted into Baruch's MBA program, but deferred for employment reasons.

I took the GRE about 9 years ago (570 V/730 Q). From reading the other posts by future applicants, I should be taking it again. If I do, may I only take the Quantitative section? My GPA is....well, let's uh, move on.

As for prerequisites, I took Calculus I & II (4 cr. each). I am taking Linear Algebra in a few weeks (4 cr. vs. 3 cr.). I took C++ a while ago, so I am brushing up with the books referenced in the refresher course syllabus. I used LotusScript in various projects 5 years ago. I took Elementary Statistical Analysis, since there was no course called Probability, so I hope that is acceptable. I have just ordered Hull's book on options, so I know what I am reading during my 6 hour commute each day. I don't have any finance courses under my belt, but I have worked for a Fortune 100 financial services firm and was exposed to that side of the business and would love to cross-over.

Is there a disadvantage for a career-changer like myself? Thanks!

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Re: software career redirection

Thanks for this site, a great resource, not least to stop me asking dumb FAQ last night.

Hi Steve,
Many of our alumni work at CS. In fact, the person who created Quantnet works there as well.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Re: Hi, all.

Hi. I'm John. I am also interested in applying for the Fall 2007 MSFE. I earned a BS in Biology 10 years ago and have been working in the IT operations/support field since then. I was recently accepted into Baruch's MBA program, but deferred for employment reasons.

MBA is a road well travelled and it will lead to a totally different career path than what our MFE program will give you. It depends on what you plan to do in the future.

I took the GRE about 9 years ago (570 V/730 Q). From reading the other posts by future applicants, I should be taking it again. If I do, may I only take the Quantitative section? My GPA is....well, let's uh, move on.

Ok, moving on.
You definitely have to retake the GRE. They are expired. You don't have a choice of what section you want to take. It comes with Quant, Verbal and Writing. If what I read is correct, they may change the GRE format very soon to give the exam more quant question and less of verbal. Not sure when it will go into effect. You may look into it.

Is there a disadvantage for a career-changer like myself? Thanks!

None, whatsoever. In fact, many of our students are from IT sector. Having dealt with Fortune 100 and being exposed to finance is a good thing. It seems you are not so sure of what career track you want. You should decide carefully whether you want MBA or MFE. The MBA door is already open for you. Apply when you're absolutely sure MFE is for you. It's a much tougher road to take.

 

[DavidKDeutsch]

Hello there everybody....

My name is David; I am a 36-year-old software engineer, currently working for Thomson Financial. I have a BS in Computer Science, with a minor in Mathematics. I'm considering applying for '07, but I am going to research the program (as well as potential career paths) before going for it. As I approach 40, the only way to move up seems to be management, which I tried and hated; I am a geek at heart. So, I am thinking of going the quant route.

I took a look at the refresher courses; it has been over 10 years since my undergrad work so I would have to take all of them (except for C++, which I have a very solid background in, though I will probably give myself a refresher). In college, I breezed through Calc I with no problem, but really struggled with Calc II. Finding derivatives is easy; going the other way took a lot of memorization which I found difficult. As far as linear algebra goes, I took one semester of it, but the refresher course says that a prerequisite is to know it "very well". This confuses me a bit, since if I knew it very well, I would not need a refresher course.

I actually got into math because I enjoy (ahem) wagering occasionally. So probability should be no problem
I am also really into game theory, though I am not sure how much that plays in an MFE.

It is actually too bad that one cannot take the refresher courses before applying; that would give me a good idea if I am cut out for it or not (boy, I sure do sell myself well, don't I?)


BTW, is anyone here trying for the Netflix prize?

 

[bkampsch]

Brandon is in the house!

Hello everyone,

First off, nice job Andy...this is a great forum, especially considering how small the program at Baruch is. It really demonstrates how involved and passionate all the future quants at Baruch are.

Anyways, I'm a 22 year old who graduated last June from the University of California, San Diego with a BS in Computer Science with a minor in Management Science. I developed an interest finance from three things: 1) My dad runs his small own CTA and brokerage firm 2) I participated in the Interactive Brokers Olympiad and came in 4th, winning $10,000 (a Baruch student came in 2nd, by the way) and 3) I took an undergraduate course in mathematical finance and became very interested in financial mathematics and derivatives pricing.

Since I graduated I've been working at Genesis Financial Technologies, a company that makes charting/trading software similar to TradeStation and J-Trader. I am responsible for the creation of an option pricing in C++ that will be the core of a retail option analytics and trading program they will release in a year or so. I've really been enjoying my job and the R & D, which has thus far included programming Black-Scholes, the binomial method, finite differences schemes, portfolio analytics and interpolation of volatility smiles and surfaces. Very interesting stuff!

I was thinking about applying to Baruch, but it seems like those who are accepted have much more experience either in the work place or in academia than I have. My gpa was 3.78 and I have good GRE scores (800Q, 620V), but still I just don't think I'd make it (that's not to say I don't think I could be successful in the program, though). Please let me know if you think otherwise...

So I guess I'm a potential candidate for 2008 or 2009, after I've gained some more experience, preferably working for some kind of bank after I finish up at Genesis.

I am interested in financial engineering because I want to learn all there is about finance, trading, financial modeling and such. I hope to one day work at a hedge fund or as a trader.

-Brandon

 

[Uncle Max]

Brandon,

You have a very strong profile and should not hesitate to apply.

Best of luck to you

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Re: Hello there everybody....

Hi David,
Welcome to Quantnet, home of future quants

This confuses me a bit, since if I knew it very well, I would not need a refresher course.

This is what i thought before taking the courses. Looking back, i believe it's the one of the best steps I took preparing for the program. The basic knowledge is the same as everyone took during undergrad but the refresher courses use that in financial context. There are just many problems you solve during refreshers that you will do again during the real courses. It in itself is a big time saver.

It is actually too bad that one cannot take the refresher courses before applying; that would give me a good idea if I am cut out for it or not (boy, I sure do sell myself well, don't I?)

Refreshers are only for admitted students only. There will be tests to see if one needs to take refresher or not. To give yourself a quick check, use the materials in Prerequisite forums. That's all the materials we did during this summer.

BTW, is anyone here trying for the Netflix prize?

I read about that a quite ago. It's one of those algorithms that will have significant impact on Ebusiness. For 1 mil you make solving the problem, the companies will benefit in the areas of billions :D
So no, we are trying the IB Trading Olympiad which involves trading algorithms.