Top UK undergrad to Top MFE (and a few quanty MSF)

[KiwiEngineer]

Hi everyone!

I am currently completing my third and final year of undergrad at a top London University (think Imperial, UCL, LSE) studying Mathematics with Economics (degree is comprised of 75% math and 25% economics), and currently in the midst of applications to top MFE and MSF programs in the US and the UK.

GPA: 1st Class Honours (71% average), equivalent to a 3.7/3.8 GPA for you fellow Americans (according to charts online, correct me if I'm wrong)

GRE: 168Q 159V

Work Experience: 2 months finance internship in continental Europe this past summer. The reason that I only have this one is that I only got 2 summers during undergrad (as I'm doing a 3 year program), and one of those summers was consumed by COVID.

Status: US Citizen/Permanent Resident in the US

Relevant Coursework: Lots of Linear Algebra, lots of Probability and Statistics, and lots of various applied mathematics. I am also currently taking a Machine Learning and Data Science course (at the Masters level), an Asset Pricing Course, and will be taking a Financial Maths course next semester.

Also took a Corporate Finance course run in partnership with the Columbia Business School - ICCF

Programming: I have some experience programming in Python with past courses (and have done a few small projects on my own), however I'm currently learning a lot through my current Machine Learning course.

For MFE:

• Columbia (top choice for MFE)
• Carnegie Mellon
• Baruch
• Berkeley
• ... and more (most of the top 10 on QuantNet's ranking)

Picks for MSF:

• MIT (top choice for MSF)
• Princeton
• Vanderbilt
• Georgetown?? (Have heard mixed reviews about it)
• LSE, Oxford, LBS, HEC
• WashU and USC (to a lesser extent)

I also need to work in the US for personal reasons, which explains my almost exclusive choice of US programs.

My questions are should I retake the GRE to increase my Quant score? From what I understand it's not high enough for the cream of the crop MFE programs. What about the "quanty" MSF programs (like MIT and Princeton)?

Do I stand a chance for those top MFE and the few MSF programs given my relatively low experience in Finance? Should I aim for lower tier programs?

Thanks a lot!

 

[bigbadwolf]

*Shrug* -- yours will probably be another run-of-the-mill application to the leading programs. Not exceptional, not the worst.

 

[KiwiEngineer]

*Shrug* -- yours will probably be another run-of-the-mill application to the leading programs. Not exceptional, not the worst.

Thanks for your response! Are you implying that there is a low probability I get accepted to the top ones? Just trying to get an idea of whether I need to extend my current list of programs I will be applying to.

 

[bigbadwolf]

Thanks for your response! Are you implying that there is a low probability I get accepted to the top ones? Just trying to get an idea of whether I need to extend my current list of programs I will be applying to.

At this stage of the game there's not much you can do. It's not that you're a weak student -- it's simply the fierce competition for limited seats at the leading programs. You want to be applying to the leading seven or eight programs (which is what you're doing anyway). If you get admitted to any of these programs you will probably do fine. Don't bother applying to programs further down the list -- though they'll readily admit you. Just throwing away time and money. Some C++ will probably help you. Daniel Duffy here has an online course or two on C++, oriented towards finance. It might be useful for you. Your call.

 

[Daniel Duffy]

C++ is important. Baruch for example has it as a prerequisite AFAIK.
Apart from anything else, it is a useful skill to have and it kind of proves programming ability. You never know what the future brings.
For UCB, one course needed is ODE/PDE, for example this

Online Courses :: Datasim

www.datasim.nl

All in all, I see the world becoming more competitive and quantitative.

I would strongly recommend QN C++ course.

 

[KiwiEngineer]

At this stage of the game there's not much you can do. It's not that you're a weak student -- it's simply the fierce competition for limited seats at the leading programs. You want to be applying to the leading seven or eight programs (which is what you're doing anyway). If you get admitted to any of these programs you will probably do fine. Don't bother applying to programs further down the list -- though they'll readily admit you. Just throwing away time and money. Some C++ will probably help you. Daniel Duffy here has an online course or two on C++, oriented towards finance. It might be useful for you. Your call.

Thank you! I'll look into the C++ courses you mentioned. In terms of the GRE, what's the overall opinion on a 168Q. Is it worth retaking it at this point to get the 170? Especially if it means sending applications later than expected.

 

[Daniel Duffy]

Thank you! I'll look into the C++ courses you mentioned. In terms of the GRE, what's the overall opinion on a 168Q. Is it worth retaking it at this point to get the 170? Especially if it means sending applications later than expected.

You're welcome.
I have no idea of what GRE is We didn't have it in my day.
Will you watch the rugby match IRL-NZ this weekend. (kiwi?)

 

[bigbadwolf]

Thank you! I'll look into the C++ courses you mentioned. In terms of the GRE, what's the overall opinion on a 168Q. Is it worth retaking it at this point to get the 170? Especially if it means sending applications later than expected.

I wouldn't bother. But if you're weak in ODEs and PDEs, I would spend some time on those.

 

[KiwiEngineer]

You're welcome.
I have no idea of what GRE is We didn't have it in my day.
Will you watch the rugby match IRL-NZ this weekend. (kiwi?)

I will! Should be a good match ...

I wouldn't bother. But if you're weak in ODEs and PDEs, I would spend some time on those.

Ok sounds good. I might still try to retake it for programs with later deadlines. And would that be a serious detriment to my application if I wasn't excellent at solving those? I mean I have gone over them in my courses but would an ODE or PDE question come up at any point during the application process/interviews?