Hi,
I am using this opportunity to discuss a small point regarding my candidature and I do know that assessing a candidate success in admission application is subjective and depends on the pool as well. However I just require a small feedback.
I am an Engineering graduate from one of the top 20 colleges of India majoring in production engineering.( NITs which come below the prestigious IITs). Currently I work with an American bulge bracket bank in their fixed income division as an analyst.
I have a GMAT of 710 but a GPA of only 6.96 / 10.
My poor GPA is a result of my poor performance during my first year of college due to my extreme health conditions. ( I HAD 6-7 F GRADES IN MY FIRST YEAR). I wasn't able to attend majority of classes apart from being able to deliver good performance due to my extremely poor mindset all because of my health condition as stated above. My college uses our first year performance to put across our final GPA in its heuristics hence the poor Final GPA.( MATHS ARE ONLY C & D GRADES).
My class topper had a GPA of 8.5 hence my class standing will be around 16/45.
I know that I am in a bad position to apply to MFE since they state a minimum of 8.5 ( and F grades are heavily shunned too!!) for Indian students.Actually in my class only the topper received a GA of 8.5/10 and this has been the tradition in my department for quite some years.
Now this is my only demerit as far as academics are concerned.
MY Advantages are :
1. My professors kinda knew my situation( Bad health-->read asthma attacks --> absenteeism) but since they had to follow protocol of the college board they gave me lower grades despite my performance during my 2nd,3rd & 4th year. However they are willing to write a good Recommendation letter of a high level note including citings from the dean and HOD highlighting my special case. My professors include a current IIM ( top B school India) Asst Professor & my faculty advisor who is a NUS post grad ( Australian and Singaporean government scholarship holder)can vehemently state my cause and condition in my LORs apart from giving a stellar recommendation, plus I can give in a medical certificate as well)
2. I have taken EXTENSION COURSES(3 MATH & 3 FIN) from UC Berkeley in maths and finance ( total 6) straight A's.
3. Have a good score in GRE SUBJECT MATHS( different from the General GRE)
4. 2 Thesis on Mathematical modelling of financial models using Linear Programming and Advanced Genetic Algorithm( modeled in R) respectively that is to be immediately published in an international journal. I am further planning to present this in a conference.
5. I am a CFA level 3 candidate and a FRM charter holder
6. Good Extracurricular ( Elected Campus ambassador(Micro Finance), Lead Fundraiser(Green Peace), appreciation certificates etc)
I sincerely request you to look into my case and candidature and give a suggestion from your side regarding this. I would be highly obliged if you could advise me on the probable schools i can target.
Carnegie Mellon University LSE Financial Mathematics
Computational Finance
Columbia University Oxford MFE
New York, NY Financial Engineering
Princeton University Imperial MFE
Princeton, NJ Master in Finance
Baruch College, City University of New York
New York, NY Financial Engineering
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley, CA Financial Engineering
New York University
New York, NY Mathematics in Finance
Columbia University
New York, NY Mathematics of Finance
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA Master of Finance
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY MEng, FE concentration
Georgia Institute of Technology
Atlanta, GA Quantitative and Computational Finance
University of California, Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA Financial Engineering
Rutgers University
New Brunswick, NJ Mathematical Finance
University of Toronto
Toronto, Canada Mathematical Finance
Boston University
Boston, MA Mathematical Finance
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL Financial Mathematics
NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering
Brooklyn, NY Financial Engineering
Rutgers University
Newark, NJ Quantitative Finance
Fordham University
New York, NY Quantitative Finance
Johns Hopkins University
Baltimore, MD Financial Mathematics
University of Illinois
Urbana, IL Financial Engineering
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, MI Financial Engineering
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN Financial Mathematics
University of Washington
Seattle, WA Computational Finance & Risk Management
Claremont Graduate University
Claremont, CA Financial Engineering
Illinois Institute of Technology
Chicago, IL
James
Applying in a year...Help needed in choosing schools for MFE
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Hey there James,
Hmm, you're definitely in an interesting position here. On the raw score side, your GMAT and GPA aren't up to snuff. No shock there. But it's a big hurdle. Now, that said, there are a few things I am really liking here. For one, your GRE Math score will help. More importantly, your six extension courses will be really important. It clearly adds merit to your story that your GPA was the result of health issues and not aptitude. Thirdly, the CFA and the thesis are wonderful commitments to your field. And lastly, recommendations from professors which are strong AND can attest to your overcoming of health issues are important.
Here's what I think. You have done literally EVERYTHING within your power to make up for the GMAT and GRE. There isn't anything else to be done shy of breaking into your school's IT systems and changing your grades . But my point is, you can't change the Fs and you can't change your health. Those are what they are. But you have taken the bull by the horns and done as much as humanly possible. It is clear you're serious about the MFE. I like it!
From a school perspective, don't be afraid to be slightly aggressive but just balance out. So if you're going to throw in UChicago, throw in Illinois Institute of Technology too. The list of schools you've provided isn't a shortlist. It's just a complete list. So do some more research and shortlist the programs you'd like to go to. But within that list, diversify your risk and don't be afraid to try for 2 or 3 reach schools. Just make sure you throw in some safer programs in the Rutgers / Minnesota range.
Hope that helps and best of luck!
Bhavik
Hmm, you're definitely in an interesting position here. On the raw score side, your GMAT and GPA aren't up to snuff. No shock there. But it's a big hurdle. Now, that said, there are a few things I am really liking here. For one, your GRE Math score will help. More importantly, your six extension courses will be really important. It clearly adds merit to your story that your GPA was the result of health issues and not aptitude. Thirdly, the CFA and the thesis are wonderful commitments to your field. And lastly, recommendations from professors which are strong AND can attest to your overcoming of health issues are important.
Here's what I think. You have done literally EVERYTHING within your power to make up for the GMAT and GRE. There isn't anything else to be done shy of breaking into your school's IT systems and changing your grades . But my point is, you can't change the Fs and you can't change your health. Those are what they are. But you have taken the bull by the horns and done as much as humanly possible. It is clear you're serious about the MFE. I like it!
From a school perspective, don't be afraid to be slightly aggressive but just balance out. So if you're going to throw in UChicago, throw in Illinois Institute of Technology too. The list of schools you've provided isn't a shortlist. It's just a complete list. So do some more research and shortlist the programs you'd like to go to. But within that list, diversify your risk and don't be afraid to try for 2 or 3 reach schools. Just make sure you throw in some safer programs in the Rutgers / Minnesota range.
Hope that helps and best of luck!
Bhavik
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