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
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Applying in a year...Help needed in choosing schools for MFE
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mbaMissionKate
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Hi James,
Yes, your GPA is quite low. In some ways though, a low GPA is an OK problem to have because a) it was further in your past and b) there are steps you can take to offset a low GPA. It sounds like you are doing many of these things already - taking supplemental courses, achieving difficult certifications like the CFA, securing solid recommendations, etc. While your GMAT is strong, is it possible for you to retake? Since you have a year until you apply, it might be worth another shot, just to see if you can get even higher to outweigh the low GPA.
I have most experience with MBA programs, so I'm not sure how much specific advice I can give you on schools. But I noticed that you have A LOT of schools on your list, and in particular you have different types of programs (MFE vs MFin). What are your ultimate career goals? I assume they are in Finance, but are you drawn more to the technical / quantitative side of finance or the more business related problem-solving side of finance? I think this is an important decision for you to make before you narrow down your list. Once you can articulate more about your career goals, you can also look at placement stats for the various programs and use that as a way to narrow down.
Looking at the list and based on what I know about these programs....the toughest schools for your profile will likely be Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, NYU, Chicago, Cornell, and Berkeley. So perhaps only apply to 1 or 2 from those stretch schools.
Good luck with the process!
Yes, your GPA is quite low. In some ways though, a low GPA is an OK problem to have because a) it was further in your past and b) there are steps you can take to offset a low GPA. It sounds like you are doing many of these things already - taking supplemental courses, achieving difficult certifications like the CFA, securing solid recommendations, etc. While your GMAT is strong, is it possible for you to retake? Since you have a year until you apply, it might be worth another shot, just to see if you can get even higher to outweigh the low GPA.
I have most experience with MBA programs, so I'm not sure how much specific advice I can give you on schools. But I noticed that you have A LOT of schools on your list, and in particular you have different types of programs (MFE vs MFin). What are your ultimate career goals? I assume they are in Finance, but are you drawn more to the technical / quantitative side of finance or the more business related problem-solving side of finance? I think this is an important decision for you to make before you narrow down your list. Once you can articulate more about your career goals, you can also look at placement stats for the various programs and use that as a way to narrow down.
Looking at the list and based on what I know about these programs....the toughest schools for your profile will likely be Carnegie Mellon, Columbia, NYU, Chicago, Cornell, and Berkeley. So perhaps only apply to 1 or 2 from those stretch schools.
Good luck with the process!
Thank you for your advise and reply.
I am detailing below more information pertaining to my profile.
Work experience: 6 months at Copal Amba ( a Moody's Analytical Company ) a top 10 multinational KPO
- worked as an Analyst( the entry position to this position is actually associate analyst, however I was directly taken into analyst position despite 0 work experience.) for fixed income in the quantitative research division.Worked as an offshore analyst for a bulge bracket firm in U.S. primarily catering to US clients in resolving their queries and issues with respect to the multiassset portfolio analytics tool developed by the bank.
2 months- present - Morgan Stanley
- working as an analyst in the fixed income division. Have just completed my training period, nevertheless in a nut shell it includes developing investment recommendations on fixed income securities through studies of market fundamental and technical research.
Career goal: I am in the process of co founding a financial firm in the middle east ( Dubai) along with a friend. I hope to develop it as quickly as possible as well as obtain a PE funding.
I do feel that my degree ( engineering) hasn't provided a depth knowledge as far as finance is considered. Which is why my primary goal would be first to get necessary industry exposure and together with this I intend to do a full time course in finance preferably MS in Finance or MFE to supplement my working knowledge with a sufficient theoretical knowledge as well. After a couple of years I intend to do an MBA part time to complete my expertise required.
Test Scores:
GMAT: 710(q 48 v 39)
GRE Subject math test: 810
If you don't mind I would also like you to advise me and assess my candidature for some MS in finance course which I am below mentioning. I ask so because recently I had sent a mail to LSE masters in finance admission department and this is the reply I obtained from them after explaining my GPA problem.
"Dear ****
Thank you for your email. While we look not only at the grades on your transcript, but also your personal statement, references, work experience, and any additional test score, if your grades are lower than our general minimum requirement, you are subsequently less likely to be made an offer of a place on the programme. If there are any extenuating circumstances to your grades, please make sure your referee(s) mention them in their references.
We are still accepting applications for two of our programmes for 2015 entry: MSc Risk and Finance (www.lse.ac.uk/study/graduate/taughtProg ... nance.aspx) and MSc Finance and Economics (www.lse.ac.uk/study/graduate/taughtProg ... omics.aspx). You are advised to apply as soon as possible as the last few places will be filled this month.
Kind regards
Jasper
Jasper Heeks | Admissions Assistant
Department of Finance | London School of Economics and Political Science
OLD 2.04 | Old Building | Houghton St | London | WC2A 2AE | t: 020 7955 5048"
The schools that I am targeting for MS in finance is:
1. LSE ( states a min of 8.5 for indian candidates in their website) ---a) MS in finance
b) MS in financial econometrics
c) MS in finance and economics
d) MS in private equity
e) MS in Accounting and finance
2. Oxford---> MS in finance economics
3. Said---> MS in finance
4. Imperial college--> MS in finance
4. HEC Paris--> MS in finance
5. York university---> MS in finance
6. Univ of Toronto---> MS in finance
7. University of Illinois Urbana Champgne--> MS in finance
8. Olin business school--> MS in finance
Kindly advise me on the schools as well what the response from the LSE department implies..
James
I am detailing below more information pertaining to my profile.
Work experience: 6 months at Copal Amba ( a Moody's Analytical Company ) a top 10 multinational KPO
- worked as an Analyst( the entry position to this position is actually associate analyst, however I was directly taken into analyst position despite 0 work experience.) for fixed income in the quantitative research division.Worked as an offshore analyst for a bulge bracket firm in U.S. primarily catering to US clients in resolving their queries and issues with respect to the multiassset portfolio analytics tool developed by the bank.
2 months- present - Morgan Stanley
- working as an analyst in the fixed income division. Have just completed my training period, nevertheless in a nut shell it includes developing investment recommendations on fixed income securities through studies of market fundamental and technical research.
Career goal: I am in the process of co founding a financial firm in the middle east ( Dubai) along with a friend. I hope to develop it as quickly as possible as well as obtain a PE funding.
I do feel that my degree ( engineering) hasn't provided a depth knowledge as far as finance is considered. Which is why my primary goal would be first to get necessary industry exposure and together with this I intend to do a full time course in finance preferably MS in Finance or MFE to supplement my working knowledge with a sufficient theoretical knowledge as well. After a couple of years I intend to do an MBA part time to complete my expertise required.
Test Scores:
GMAT: 710(q 48 v 39)
GRE Subject math test: 810
If you don't mind I would also like you to advise me and assess my candidature for some MS in finance course which I am below mentioning. I ask so because recently I had sent a mail to LSE masters in finance admission department and this is the reply I obtained from them after explaining my GPA problem.
"Dear ****
Thank you for your email. While we look not only at the grades on your transcript, but also your personal statement, references, work experience, and any additional test score, if your grades are lower than our general minimum requirement, you are subsequently less likely to be made an offer of a place on the programme. If there are any extenuating circumstances to your grades, please make sure your referee(s) mention them in their references.
We are still accepting applications for two of our programmes for 2015 entry: MSc Risk and Finance (www.lse.ac.uk/study/graduate/taughtProg ... nance.aspx) and MSc Finance and Economics (www.lse.ac.uk/study/graduate/taughtProg ... omics.aspx). You are advised to apply as soon as possible as the last few places will be filled this month.
Kind regards
Jasper
Jasper Heeks | Admissions Assistant
Department of Finance | London School of Economics and Political Science
OLD 2.04 | Old Building | Houghton St | London | WC2A 2AE | t: 020 7955 5048"
The schools that I am targeting for MS in finance is:
1. LSE ( states a min of 8.5 for indian candidates in their website) ---a) MS in finance
b) MS in financial econometrics
c) MS in finance and economics
d) MS in private equity
e) MS in Accounting and finance
2. Oxford---> MS in finance economics
3. Said---> MS in finance
4. Imperial college--> MS in finance
4. HEC Paris--> MS in finance
5. York university---> MS in finance
6. Univ of Toronto---> MS in finance
7. University of Illinois Urbana Champgne--> MS in finance
8. Olin business school--> MS in finance
Kindly advise me on the schools as well what the response from the LSE department implies..
James
GMAT/MBA Expert
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mbaMissionKate
- Senior | Next Rank: 100 Posts
- Posts: 71
- Joined: Fri Mar 27, 2015 1:05 pm
- Thanked: 19 times
- Followed by:4 members
Thanks for sharing the additional details.
On the email from LSE, I think they are basically saying that they will consider you but that your chances will be quite low since your GPA is below their cutoff and since they have very few slots left. But they're not saying don't apply, either, so that's good.
Our expertise as a firm is really in MBA programs, so I'm not sure how much else I can comment on in regards to the specific schools you list. I would just consider factors such as the following...
-Rankings / class profile stats (to see how you measure up)
-Career placement stats / career support
-Location (matters because you have to live there but it also impacts where the alumni network is)
-Reputation in a particular field / industry
-Curriculum / method of instruction
-Campus culture (if you can't visit, you can still try to speak with students or alums)
Hope this helps with your research and good luck!
On the email from LSE, I think they are basically saying that they will consider you but that your chances will be quite low since your GPA is below their cutoff and since they have very few slots left. But they're not saying don't apply, either, so that's good.
Our expertise as a firm is really in MBA programs, so I'm not sure how much else I can comment on in regards to the specific schools you list. I would just consider factors such as the following...
-Rankings / class profile stats (to see how you measure up)
-Career placement stats / career support
-Location (matters because you have to live there but it also impacts where the alumni network is)
-Reputation in a particular field / industry
-Curriculum / method of instruction
-Campus culture (if you can't visit, you can still try to speak with students or alums)
Hope this helps with your research and good luck!
