- Joined
- 9/12/23
- Messages
- 71
- Points
- 168
Hi all, after lurking this forum for ages I'm jumping I to get advice on how my profile looks for the Fall 2024 MFE cycle and anything I can do to improve it.
Background:
Education: Graduating this Spring with an Economics undergrad from no-name Canadian university, 3.81 GPA
Relevant Coursework:
Experience: 1 year data analytics internship at major Canadian bank, 4 month credit stress testing internship at same bank
Extracurriculars: 8 months supervised fin math unpublished research (derivative pricing model calibration with stochastic calc and numerical methods), 1 year in a student managed investment fund as analyst & PM
Languages: Python (no coursework, just self taught and work experience), SAS, SQL, R, MATLAB, planning on taking Baruch C++
Applying to:
Background:
Education: Graduating this Spring with an Economics undergrad from no-name Canadian university, 3.81 GPA
Relevant Coursework:
- Calc 1 (A), Calc 2 (A+)
- Linear Algebra (A)
- Stats (A), Econometrics 1 (A-), Multiple Regression (B+), Forecasting Techniques (A), Numerical Analysis (A+)
- A whole bunch of macro/micro economics and finance classes (all A or A+)
- Currently taking Probability, Econometrics 2, Discrete Math (all on track for As)
Experience: 1 year data analytics internship at major Canadian bank, 4 month credit stress testing internship at same bank
Extracurriculars: 8 months supervised fin math unpublished research (derivative pricing model calibration with stochastic calc and numerical methods), 1 year in a student managed investment fund as analyst & PM
Languages: Python (no coursework, just self taught and work experience), SAS, SQL, R, MATLAB, planning on taking Baruch C++
Applying to:
- Berkeley
- Chicago
- CMU
- Columbia MFE
- UCLA
- Toronto
- My biggest concern is that before I was in Econ I was in Engineering for 2 years with bad grades (~average C). That was a result of a whole bunch of terrible circumstances lining up (physical & mental health, financial, and family situation). Even though those grades don't count towards my GPA, they appear on my transcript. It's clear from my recent classes that those old grades are not reflective of my academic capabilities and where I'm at now. Is there anything more I can do to help alleviate any of those concerns that admissions might have?
- Being from a no-name school with an Econ degree is obviously not a positive and A grades are expected for these programs, but does my undergrad reputation disqualify me automatically from some programs?
- Am I being too ambitious with my school choices?
- I'm short on some more advanced math classes like Differential Equations and PDEs, but I have had a lot of exposure to them through my supervised research, can this compensate?
- Should I wait until my grades are in for my current classes and have finished the C++ certificate, applying in Round 2, or is it okay to apply in Round 1 if I mention these things in progress?
