Profile Evaluation for Fall 2025 MFE

[showmakerzzz]

Hi all, just finished my junior year and want to apply for the fall 2025 MFE program. I'd like to see my chance of getting into top programs. All opinions, advice, and comments are appreciated.

Education: US top 15 undergrad (east coast)
Major: Mathematics, Economics, Statistics
Minor: Data Science, Law
GPA: 3.7+
GRE/GMAT: Haven't taken, aim at 330+/720+
Coursework (taken or plan to take):
- Math: Real & Complex Analysis; ODE; Linear Algebra; Multi Calc; Calc I & II; Abstract Algebra; Computational Algebra (about algeberic geometry and commutative algebra); Nonlinear Dynamics
- Stats: Theory of Statistics; Statistical Sampling Theory; Causal Inference; Statistical Computing (advanced R programming); Probability Models & Inference; Financial Mathematics in Actuarial Science; Biological Statistics; Categorical Data Analysis
- CS: Python Programming; Database Systems; Reinforcement Learning; Machine Learning & Data Mining
- Econ: Intermediate Micro/Macro; Econometrics, Game Theory, Decision Theory, Economics of Information Theory, Behavioral Economics
- Others: Futures, Options and Financial Derivative; Intro to Financial Engineering, Stochastic Calculus
Languages: Python, R, SQL, Stata, MATLAB
Experience: One Quant Risk summer internship at a bulge bracket level bank NY office (think WF/DB/Barclays); One QR internship at a small buy-side start-up; One Equity Research internship at a local REPE; One IB internship at a boutique investment bank
Research & Project: Two on-campus RAs with data analysis/mining and statistical inference and model training in python/R/Stata, No publications
One ML optimization project in python using K-means and KNN
Co-authored an R package
Other EC: TA for 2 years in advanced statistics and CS courses
Note: Have chance to early admit into my school's MFE program (quantnet top 10)
Concerns: GPA is not quite competitive; No C++ & Java experiences

Thanks!
.

 

[weab]

I would not waste my time with an MFE if I were you. You have great math, stats, cs background and even financal math knowledge and you are from a target school with relevant internships and research experience. If you cannot get a quant job, MFE will not help you.

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Profile sounds good. Take the QuantNet C++ course to beef up your profile.

 

[zephyrus]

that coursework profile is one of the strongest I've seen here

 

[showmakerzzz]

I would not waste my time with an MFE if I were you. You have great math, stats, cs background and even financal math knowledge and you are from a target school with relevant internships and research experience. If you cannot get a quant job, MFE will not help you.

True.. But my goal would be doing QT/QR in a HF or Prop Shop, and most of them require an advanced degree (Master of PhD). That's why I am considering doing an MFE which I guess can give me more leverage in getting into buy-side quant? But that might not be the case since I also see a few people get into those places as undergrads...

 

[MikeLawrence]

True.. But my goal would be doing QT/QR in a HF or Prop Shop, and most of them require an advanced degree (Master of PhD). That's why I am considering doing an MFE which I guess can give me more leverage in getting into buy-side quant? But that might not be the case since I also see a few people get into those places as undergrads...

Your profile is great. Go for the top four MFE's ranked here + Uchicago as backup for the great scholarship they'll give you.

Baruch accepts all qualified applicants, and if you get in you will get a great job. Especially given your profile, you'll be a very good candidate. It should help you lock in a QR role. You could also go for a top non-mfe masters degree if you have a good one in mind. A masters is needed for QR, but you could get lucky out of undergrad. Even then, I'd think you should take some night classes to hone some other skills.