Columbia M.A. Master in Mathematics of Finance

Is this program legit?? Does anybody know anything about the job-placement of students in this program?
Does anybody else fine it weird that the GRE/GMAT is optional??....are they having trouble getting people to apply?? easy to get admitted?

http://www.math.columbia.edu/department/mafn/inde…

 

I question whether or not it's legitimately "optional" (how many applicants got in without those scores), or if it's just a way to get more people to apply so they can say their acceptance rate is lower. Unless you're coming from a math/engineering undergrad with a very strong GPA I would imagine a strong quantitative score on your GMAT/GRE is necessary. Ie: No business administration undergrad is going to make the cut.

 
Best Response

It's one of the top Quantitative finance programs in the country 1. Furthermore, a LinkedIn search of MAFM graduates shows that they all have "legit" backgrounds. That said, it's still behind the MFE program at Columbia and is newer. People in the program say that they loose out recruiting opportunities to MFE students. Also, the program is less flexible and more theoretical than the MFE program.

Anyway, it's obvious you have no clue about this program, so please do some research. Google is a start.

1 http://www.quantnet.com/forum/showthread.php?t=5415

 

VERY HARD to get admitted to this program. But the program appears to have more people without work-experience than other top similar programs. Acceptance rates are misleading- but typical students are ex-PhDs, top engineering/science majors, etc. It's been around for a while now. At one point it was one of the easier top programs to get into but they have seen their application numbers EXPLODE.

the optional-GRE situation is mostly just for french students who studied under a mathematician who has ties to columbia's math dept. they get in pretty easy leaving less seats for the rest of us (but those french men really know their maths...)

 

VERY HARD to get admitted to this program. But the program appears to have more people without work-experience than other top similar programs. Acceptance rates are misleading- but typical students are ex-PhDs, top engineering/science majors, etc. It's been around for a while now. At one point it was one of the easier top programs to get into but they have seen their application numbers EXPLODE.

the optional-GRE situation is mostly just for french students who studied under a mathematician who has ties to columbia's math dept. they get in pretty easy leaving less seats for the rest of us (but those french men really know their maths...)

unrelated point: but anyone notice how almost all quants at their workplace seem to be French, Indian or Chinese?

 

I've heard that too. Unlike its peer programs, there is no dedicated career services system. You use the same OCR as everyone else at Columbia University. And that's what so ironic- the 4 people I know from the program had no real work experience and probably no connections. that's why a lot of them end up in risk management (which isn't too bad- but def not the first choice of most MFE students)

 

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