Profile Evaluation for Fall 2025 MFE and usefulness of MFE

[cooper_]

Hi everyone, I am a 29 yo Italian guy thinking of applying for the fall 2025 MFE program. I'd like to see my chances of getting into top programs (let's say Baruch, Columbia, NYU Tandon/Courant, ecc). I would greatly appreciate any insights anyone might have.

Education: Italian equivalent of a Bachelor's in Physics (3 years) + Master's in Mathematics (2 years)
GPA: average (I'd imagine every school translates the Italian grading system differently but using an online converter for the master I got a 3.61)
GRE/GMAT: Haven't taken
English Requirements: I don't have any official document. When required I plan on taking the Duolingo test realistically aiming for 140+
Coursework (including courses taken both in the Bachelor's and in the Master's):
- Math: Real & Complex Analysis; Linear Algebra; Calc I & II & III (it includes basic calc, multi-calc, ODE); convex and dynamic optimisation, PDE
- Probability&Statistics: basic probabolity and statistics, advanced probability (discrete martingales, and discrete stoch processes), Stochastic Calc
- CS: C++ (2 courses) and some MATLAB for some applications in prob/statistics
- Others: Quantitative finance (B&S and main interest rate models); Econometrics
Languages: C++,Python, VBA, MATLAB, basic SQL
Experience: 6 months as junior consultant implementing desktop applications (VBA/Python) to automate traders activities, 3.5 years as consultant for an Italian Bank (pricing and hedging derivatives and coding the models in C++/Python/VBA, help traders develop trading strategies on bonds, and some datasets analysis). The company I work for (both as junior and now) is an international consulting company (like Deloitte, pwc, kpgm, ecc)
Others: I have taken many online courses on Coursera about derivatives, Stochastic processes, and ML, but I don't really think they are too relevant but correct me if I'm wrong
Concerns: Letters of recomendations are basically non-existant in Italy and I finished school almost 5 years ago so, I can ask my current employers for a couple, but I am unsure about any academic letter.


I would like to end with a few words: although I am already working as a quant here in Italy, it has always been a dream of mine to work and live in the States both for the more interesting opportinuties the USA offers and its lifestyle in general.
I already tried to apply for positions in the USA but I never got passed the resume screening, which, perhaps optimistically LOL, I attributed to the fact that I do not come from a top/reknown school and the cost for them to sponsor my visa probably isn't worth their while. This is why I thought that a MFE at a top US university could open a lot of doors and serve as a great network experience.
I got a little worried when I saw a lot of people discouraging the persuit of such a program stating it is totally useless and doen't really help you in imporving your career, with some even saying that after years they have never received an offer. Since the cost of the program, the money I'd need to use to take some tests and the move to the States require me to take on a loan (say 50k), I wanted to be reassured about its usefulness. My second question then: is it true that a MFE is not the best way to go about my plan?

Thanks for your input and sorry for the length of the post!

 

[Andy Nguyen]

For your goal of moving to the US, MFE is the only way to go. I'm guess people discouraging you to take this path are still in Italy?
There is no reason for any employers in the US to bring you or anyone with similar background to the US when there are thousands of MFE graduates coming from the top programs in the US alone.
That said, most of the issues on your profiles are minor and can be overcome with preparation.
You have come to the right place to ask this.

 

[cooper_]

Thank you very much for your reply.

For your goal of moving to the US, MFE is the only way to go.
There is no reason for any employers in the US to bring you or anyone with similar background to the US when there are thousands of MFE graduates coming from the top programs in the US alone.

I thought as much. Thanks for confirming it

I'm guess people discouraging you to take this path are still in Italy?

No, I was reading some online discussions, but I'm happy to hear that it is probably some exageration or some ufortunate unique case.

most of the issues on your profiles are minor and can be overcome with preparation.

Can I ask what minor problems you see?