UCB MFE UCB MFE Admission Discussion

Xiaowen Cao · 7/5/21

juliasjy said:
It's a matter of how wide the knowledge you have. And highly depend on the interviewer.
I was quizzed on the recent market, basic quant finance, statistics, simple coding, machine learning, and a small brain teaser. I was told there wasn’t a second-round unless necessary.

Thank you so much for sharing. I just got interviewed. By the way, did you get the final decision from the committee?

hbmoon · 7/22/21

I applied for Round 3 for Spring 2022 and did one interview a week ago. I received a status update today with the following message:

"The admissions committee was impressed by your application and has decided to offer you a place on our waitlist for Spring 2022 term to the Berkeley Haas Master of Financial Engineering (MFE) Program.

Some applicants on the waitlist may receive an update to their admission status as early as one month after being placed on the waitlist. Others may not have a final decision until our application cycle closes.

Please note that we typically reserve spots every year for candidates who are placed on the waiting list. In an effort to enhance your chances of admission to the Berkeley MFE Program at this time, we strongly encourage you to start completing a series of items, herein referred to as “preparation”. You will find this tailored list of preparation items and their respective deadlines listed under "Preparation Checklist" when you log into your online application account. The Admissions Committee will review your file regularly to track your progress."

Does anybody know the chance of admission, given that I am willing to complete most of the "preparation"? It says they were impressed by my application and yet I was placed on the waitlist.

WorkofArt · 7/22/21

Hey! I don't have any information regarding the wait list process and conversion rate but I also applied by the Round 3 deadline and have my interview in a couple of days. Do you mind sharing your interview experience? What questions were asked,duration of the interview,etc? Sorry for going off topic but I could really use the help to prepare for mine. Thanks!
From what I've seen here on QN,UCB offers a lot of conditional offers,so there should be plenty of people to answer your question!

hbmoon · 7/22/21

Sure. I won't be able to disclose anything specific but the interview seemed to be very tailored in terms of your experiences and skillsets on your resume/CV. For example, the interviewer asked me if I had any work experience in OOP. I said no and the interviewer did not bother to ask further questions about that topic. That being said, just make sure you know everything mentioned on your resume (e.g., coding, machine learning)

quinnphm · 7/23/21

Congratulations! For UCB MFE, being on the waitlist shows potential for admission, but you will need to study a little more (indicated in your preparation list). I've seen some people in this forum receive admission after being on the waitlist. IMO, UCB cares a great deal about prospective students, and even merely completing the preparation list would put you in a better shape to find jobs in the field. So just be patient

hbmoon · 7/24/21

quinnphm said:
Congratulations! For UCB MFE, being on the waitlist shows potential for admission, but you will need to study a little more (indicated in your preparation list). I've seen some people in this forum receive admission after being on the waitlist. IMO, UCB cares a great deal about prospective students, and even merely completing the preparation list would put you in a better shape to find jobs in the field. So just be patient

Thanks for the comment! Just curious, did you go to UCB MFE? If so, would you mind if I can ask you a few questions regarding the program?

quinnphm · 7/27/21

Hi all,

I've just received a conditional offer from UCB MFE for Spring 2022 Program with a preparation list to complete prior to 1st November. While this list will help me best prepare for the program, and I'm thrilled to work on it as soon as possible, I wonder when it is safe to let my current employer know about the update and leave the current full-time job?

Another question for UCB's current students & alumni: how did you use the few months before the program starts? Did you take time off to review the knowledge/ do industry projects/ just rest?

Akshay Jain · 7/28/21

In the same boat as you. The program schedules regular 'coffee chats' with Alumni, which could be a good platform for your queries.

kobebry · 7/28/21

do you mind sharing your application profile?

WorkofArt · 7/28/21

kobebry said:
do you mind sharing your application profile?

If I had to make an educated guess, (based on the information available here) the latest application on the tracker to get accepted by UCB would be @quinnphm 's.

WorkofArt · 7/30/21

I just received my admit letter today! I quit my job back in May to attend Georgia Tech's QCF program. If you are confident of completing the prerequisites while balancing work,I think you can quit a month or two before the program to get ready for it. I personally,am not going back to a full time job and will search for an off cycle internship.
I also had a follow up question regarding the prerequisites,I have CFA level 1 on my checklist. The earliest date I can register for is the Feb 2022 attempt. That means the exam results would only be released after classes start. There's also the uncertainty of not being able to pass the exam. I was wondering what UCB takes into account? Is it enough that was prepare and write it or is it a must that we pass? I have emailed the admissions committee and am waiting for their reply. I also have to make a decision between UCB and GaTech based on this and would really appreciate the help!

RahulRaj · 9/16/21

Hi Everyone,

I did not find any thread for round 4 spring 2022 entry at UCBH, hence thought of starting one for candidates' information on latest developments. I , myself, have applied for round 4. Not sure if UCB has started evaluating the round 4 applications yet.

Although the tracker here shows ~11 students have been accepted until round 3 for spring 2022 entry, anyone having any idea on the exact/actual number of students accepted until last round?

Thanks

RahulRaj · 9/23/21

Hey guys, I got placed on the waitlist within a matter of few weeks. And they are asking to compete the entire set of course list which is huge.

Any one completing that voluminous list of tasks?

Rambam · 10/11/21

Hello, I am in the exact same case, already started to complete the online course, which ones do you have to complete?

Zuzukai · 10/12/21

RahulRaj said:
Hey guys, I got placed on the waitlist within a matter of few weeks. And they are asking to compete the entire set of course list which is huge.

Any one completing that voluminous list of tasks?

Did you end up interviewing? How long between getting waitlisted and interview if yes?

Rambam · 10/21/21

Hello,
Could you please describe the notion and knowledge needed for the tech interview?

RahulRaj · 10/24/21

Zuzukai said:
Did you end up interviewing? How long between getting waitlisted and interview if yes?

All within a week's time

RahulRaj · 10/24/21

Rambam said:
Hello, I am in the exact same case, already started to complete the online course, which ones do you have to complete?

The list is huge Rambam. Have started a few ones but not sure if I will be able to complete the list. The courses recommended are very very expensive to join

WorkofArt · 10/24/21

RahulRaj said:
The list is huge Rambam. Have started a few ones but not sure if I will be able to complete the list. The courses recommended are very very expensive to join

It's the recommended list,not the required one. You can always email the admissions team and suggest alternatives that are more suitable for you. They'll approve the courses if it meets the requirements they're looking for.
Have you been placed on the waitlist with a guaranteed admit for next year?

RahulRaj · 10/25/21

WorkofArt said:
It's the recommended list,not the required one. You can always email the admissions team and suggest alternatives that are more suitable for you. They'll approve the courses if it meets the requirements they're looking for.
Have you been placed on the waitlist with a guaranteed admit for next year?

Thanks for the advice @WorkofArt , will surely ask the adcom for inexpensive alternatives. I have not received any guarantee for next year though.

UCB MFE UCB MFE Admission Discussion

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