COMPARE UCB vs Courant

[bootstrap]

Dear friends, may I please ask for your advice on this?

I previously got an offer from NYU Courant but got waitlisted by UCB.

I have recently been taken off the waitlist of UCB, which honestly has always been the one that I prefer.

I don't want to be blinded by my own bias. That's why I would love to hear your opinion on this. Which would you choose and why?

A million thanks!

 

[bootstrap]

Hi guys .. for those of you who have voted, would you mind sharing the reason behind your choice? Thanks!

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Do read the reviews on those programs so you can get the latest insight. UCB has a few recent reviews.

 

[joe_boy]

The UCB program would probably give you access to a wider variety of job opportunities both in tech and quant Finance due to its proximity to Silicon Valley. It seems many graduates also now go to data science roles. The market is tough, might be better to have other options apart from just Quant Finance! You can check LinkedIn for analysis. I actually think many people underuse that platform.

Some things to note though. Personally, I am not very comfortable with UCB's program being just 1yr. Some might like it but I'd love to have more time to thoroughly study..

Secondly, UCB's program is in the business school, dont really know if that helps one's chances of getting into a good Ph.D. program in the future. Many students do MFE to work not to continue towards a PhD,, but it is still worth considering.

Apart from those two things that give NYU an advantage imo, NYU Courant is well known for mathematical rigor (one of the best in the world). NYU is also in New York (which is very good if living expenses is not an issue). NY Courant has a smaller class size too. If you work hard, you will have very good opportunities to work with Professors, publish papers, these things can be helpful esp. if you want to work in Quant Research or do a PhD (could be in Fin Eng, Machine Learning, or related field) in future.

You might want to check whether you enjoy proofs, real analysis, and pure maths though...if you don't, probably better to go to UCB 'cos of grades. No point going to a good school if you don't get good grades.

Both are great programs nonetheless. I understand UCB is higher ranked on this platform but consider the things I mentioned before you make a choice.

Wish you the best.

 

[bootstrap]

The UCB program would probably give you access to a wider variety of job opportunities both in tech and quant Finance due to its proximity to Silicon Valley. It seems many graduates also now go to data science roles. The market is tough, might be better to have other options apart from just Quant Finance! You can check LinkedIn for analysis. I actually think many people underuse that platform.

Some things to note though. Personally, I am not very comfortable with UCB's program being just 1yr. Some might like it but I'd love to have more time to thoroughly study..

Secondly, UCB's program is in the business school, dont really know if that helps one's chances of getting into a good Ph.D. program in the future. Many students do MFE to work not to continue towards a PhD,, but it is still worth considering.

Apart from those two things that give NYU an advantage imo, NYU Courant is well known for mathematical rigor (one of the best in the world). NYU is also in New York (which is very good if living expenses is not an issue). NY Courant has a smaller class size too. If you work hard, you will have very good opportunities to work with Professors, publish papers, these things can be helpful esp. if you want to work in Quant Research or do a PhD (could be in Fin Eng, Machine Learning, or related field) in future.

You might want to check whether you enjoy proofs, real analysis, and pure maths though...if you don't, probably better to go to UCB 'cos of grades. No point going to a good school if you don't get good grades.

Both are great programs nonetheless. I understand UCB is higher ranked on this platform but consider the things I mentioned before you make a choice.

Wish you the best.

Thank you very much for your detailed response! Really appreciate it!

I agree that Courant is one of the best places in the world to do applied maths, and that its curriculum is probably among the most theoretically rigorous.

That said, I am a mature student looking for a career change into quant finance. My utmost priority is to look for a job. In terms of career services and access to job opportunities, I do feel that Berkeley among the best, if not the best, across all MFE programs.

I did a masters in statistics at a solid university some 10 years ago. Ploughing through Folland and Durret was both a humbling and enjoyable experience. But I have to say, I feel that the knowledge you pick up in these rigorous math courses are very rarely being drawn upon when working in the industry. Great prep for PhD studies in any STEM field though.

Overall, I think I agree with what you have said. But from a personal perspective, I am now myopically focused on securing a job as an international student. And for people with that singular goal, I feel that Berkeley might be the better choice?

 

[bootstrap]

Do read the reviews on those programs so you can get the latest insight. UCB has a few recent reviews.

Thanks Andy! I have managed to speak with a few alumns of UCB recently. I think I have a rough idea of what the program is like. That said, I am also aware that their opinions might not be entirely impartial.

On the other hand, Courant still remains perplexingly mysterious.

 

[Paul Lopez]

Admittedly biased as a courant alum myself. If you want to work in finance, you can't beat ny, and chicago, miami, and boston are close enough. You are also studying in the math department, which makes the program definitely more on the rigorous side compared to some other programs that might be in the business school of the university. It really is about what you want to do. Also remember living in ny is quite expensive, probably only comparing to san fran in high cost of living. If you want to work in data science or have a different work culture/quality of life, then the west coast could very well be a good option for you. I imagine if you are good, you'll be able to get roles you want, even with the tough competition.

 

[lalabobo]

Hi, may I ask you when did you get off of the waitlist, have you had any interviews after getting waitlist?

 

[Andy Nguyen]

On the other hand, Courant still remains perplexingly mysterious.

Very aware of it. I reached out to many Courant grads to see if they can review the program with us and share their experience.
No bite yet. It's a mystery why we got no review since 2014.

 

[joe_boy]

I did a masters in statistics at a solid university some 10 years ago. Ploughing through Folland and Durret was both a humbling and enjoyable experience. But I have to say, I feel that the knowledge you pick up in these rigorous math courses are very rarely being drawn upon when working in the industry. Great prep for PhD studies in any STEM field though.

Yeah..UCB's program seems very very industry oriented. With all what you have said, I think that's what you should be going for.

 

[bootstrap]

Admittedly biased as a courant alum myself. If you want to work in finance, you can't beat ny, and chicago, miami, and boston are close enough. You are also studying in the math department, which makes the program definitely more on the rigorous side compared to some other programs that might be in the business school of the university. It really is about what you want to do. Also remember living in ny is quite expensive, probably only comparing to san fran in high cost of living. If you want to work in data science or have a different work culture/quality of life, then the west coast could very well be a good option for you. I imagine if you are good, you'll be able to get roles you want, even with the tough competition.

Thanks Paul, as always!

From what I heard, 70% of UCB grads would end up on the east coast anyway. But its location does make networking a bit tough in the beginning.

That's a very good pt you made. Berkeley opens doors to jobs in the valley in addition to wall street jobs. In a bad market like the current one, perhaps it's not a bad idea to diversify one's bets a little.

 

[bootstrap]

Very aware of it. I reached out to many Courant grads to see if they can review the program with us and share their experience.
No bite yet. It's a mystery why we got no review since 2014.

Same experience. I reached out to 10 diff alums on Linkedin, only one got back to me. This tells me that its alum network probably isn't that solid.

 

[bootstrap]

Yeah..UCB's program seems very very industry oriented. With all what you have said, I think that's what you should be going for.

Thanks for your affirmation Joe!

 

[joe_boy]

Very aware of it. I reached out to many Courant grads to see if they can review the program with us and share their experience.
No bite yet. It's a mystery why we got no review since 2014.

Just thinking Andy, we hardly get reviews on NY based programs esp compared to the frequency of reviews each year on UCB, Chicago, CMU (not really based in NY), UCLA, NCSU, GaTech...almost all the recent reviews we had from some Baruch guys came in around the same time (March and April). Asides that, the last time was I think 2016 or so.

Does this have anything to do with NY (probably folks are just busy interviewing, working hard), or probably many don't just see the reason to write epistles if they got the kind of jobs they wanted after graduation...or maybe my analysis is just wrong. Lol

 

[Andy Nguyen]

@joe_boy
You are probably correct in your observation and analysis. Most people don't have any incentive to write a review if they get what they want. Only if you feel strongly about something, either negatively or otherwise. Working in finance is extremely stressful and busy so it's another major reason why people don't bother.
It's reasonable to assume that the wave of reviews are result of some programs' marketing push. At least, these programs have approached this in the right direction. Many programs don't bother with this at all.
People come to QuantNet to do their research on quant programs. Once they get into the program and start working, life got busy and priorities changed.
As you and I sit here, we have incentives to see more reviews but as you step on the side of the fence, things change, right?

 

[Paul Lopez]

Very aware of it. I reached out to many Courant grads to see if they can review the program with us and share their experience.
No bite yet. It's a mystery why we got no review since 2014.

Wow that's pretty crazy! I didn't think we were so antisocial

 

[joe_boy]

@joe_boy
You are probably correct in your observation and analysis. Most people don't have any incentive to write a review if they get what they want. Only if you feel strongly about something, either negatively or otherwise. Working in finance is extremely stressful and busy so it's another major reason why people don't bother.
It's reasonable to assume that the wave of reviews are result of some programs' marketing push. At least, these programs have approached this in the right direction. Many programs don't bother with this at all.
People come to QuantNet to do their research on quant programs. Once they get into the program and start working, life got busy and priorities changed.
As you and I sit here, we have incentives to see more reviews but as you step on the side of the fence, things change, right?

Haha..Such is life..

 

[Andy Nguyen]

Wow that's pretty crazy! I didn't think we were so antisocial

I would not say antisocial but "not properly incentivized" would be more appropriate.
For working professionals, if we properly incentivize them, maybe we have better chance to solicit a review.

 

[bootstrap]

@joe_boy
You are probably correct in your observation and analysis. Most people don't have any incentive to write a review if they get what they want. Only if you feel strongly about something, either negatively or otherwise. Working in finance is extremely stressful and busy so it's another major reason why people don't bother.
It's reasonable to assume that the wave of reviews are result of some programs' marketing push. At least, these programs have approached this in the right direction. Many programs don't bother with this at all.
People come to QuantNet to do their research on quant programs. Once they get into the program and start working, life got busy and priorities changed.
As you and I sit here, we have incentives to see more reviews but as you step on the side of the fence, things change, right?

To play the devil's advocate, UCB alums are generally fairly responsive, and committed to contributing to the program 3, 5, 10 years after graduation.

 

[bootstrap]

Hi, may I ask you when did you get off of the waitlist, have you had any interviews after getting waitlist?

Hi, I got off last week, a week after my 2nd interview. I got waitlisted in March.