MSF Profile Evaluation. Thank you!!!

Hi, WSO users

I'm trying to apply for 2015 MSF and I'd be really appreciated any advice or insights related to my profile.

Nationality: Chinese
School: Undergrad at Indiana University, Kelley School of Business
Major: Accounting, Finance and Technology Management
Current Undergrad GPA: 3.58
GMAT: I'll take it on October 30 and probably can get 730-750
Passed CFA Level 1 on June
Working Experience: I don't have work experience in U.S, but I did two internships in China
1. Interned as Deputy Project Manager&Data Analyst in an international Japanese firm
2. Asset Management Intern (the firm is well-known in China but not in U.S); Main responsibilities: Due Diligence and Financial Data Analysis

School I plan to apply:
MIT MFin
Vanderbilt MS in Finance
UIUC MS in Finance
Johns Hopkins University MS in Finance
Boston College MS in Finance
WUSTL MSF
USC MS in Finance (still under consideration)

I'm really interested in MIT MFin but I think my GPA is way too low for getting admitted, because the class profile of MFin states that the average GPA is 3.8. Is it still possible for me to get admitted in MIT? What is chance of getting admitted in other schools I'm going to apply?

 

Here's an insight, why do you need a masters degree to find gainful employment when you are coming out of Kelley? They have solid recruiting. Believe it or not, actual work experience is worth more than education.... stop being a career student, go to work and then get an MBA if you need one.

 
Best Response

3.6 from a really good UG program. Assuming you do well on your GMAyT I think MIT is worth an application. UIUC is all Chinese students, but I think with Indiana you would have a really strong Chicago network. That is where I would apply if you went that route.

As for the other schools, assuming the GMAT is in line, you should be competitive and get into most. You have internships which is helpful, Indiana is a great school and well respected, your GPA is at or higher than most programs average (MIT being the exception).

Focus on the test and when you get the score let us know. That will be the make or break aspect of your profile. I'd take JHU off the list though, UIUC makes better sense as a safety school considering your UG school.

 
0011:

Hi, WSO users

I'm trying to apply for 2015 MSF and I'd be really appreciated any advice or insights related to my profile.

Nationality: Chinese
School: Undergrad at Indiana University, Kelley School of Business
Major: Accounting, Finance and Technology Management
Current Undergrad GPA: 3.58
GMAT: I'll take it on October 30 and probably can get 730-750
Passed CFA Level 1 on June
Working Experience: I don't have work experience in U.S, but I did two internships in China
1. Interned as Deputy Project Manager&Data Analyst in an international Japanese firm
2. Asset Management Intern (the firm is well-known in China but not in U.S); Main responsibilities: Due Diligence and Financial Data Analysis

School I plan to apply:
MIT MFin
Vanderbilt MS in Finance
UIUC MS in Finance
Johns Hopkins University MS in Finance
Boston College MS in Finance
WUSTL MSF
USC MS in Finance (still under consideration)

I'm really interested in MIT MFin but I think my GPA is way too low for getting admitted, because the class profile of MFin states that the average GPA is 3.8. Is it still possible for me to get admitted in MIT? What is chance of getting admitted in other schools I'm going to apply?

Your biggest problem is not your GPA but rather your nationality. Your English seems strong. That's a major plus. Your stats place you somewhere in the middle of the pack at WUSTL (QuantFin track), depending on your gmat score (the average for the program is around 730). I would say, again depending on what you get on the GMAT and your English skills, your chances at WUSTL are relatively strong.

I Don't think that Vandy is the right program for you based on their curriculum. It's too soft and geared more towards American students. I wouldn't waste my time applying to either Johns Hopkins or UIUC. If I were you, I would apply to WUSTL, USC and MIT.

“Elections are a futures market for stolen property”
 
Esuric:
0011:

Hi, WSO users

I'm trying to apply for 2015 MSF and I'd be really appreciated any advice or insights related to my profile.

Nationality: Chinese
School: Undergrad at Indiana University, Kelley School of Business
Major: Accounting, Finance and Technology Management
Current Undergrad GPA: 3.58
GMAT: I'll take it on October 30 and probably can get 730-750
Passed CFA Level 1 on June
Working Experience: I don't have work experience in U.S, but I did two internships in China
1. Interned as Deputy Project Manager&Data Analyst in an international Japanese firm
2. Asset Management Intern (the firm is well-known in China but not in U.S); Main responsibilities: Due Diligence and Financial Data Analysis

School I plan to apply:
MIT MFin
Vanderbilt MS in Finance
UIUC MS in Finance
Johns Hopkins University MS in Finance
Boston College MS in Finance
WUSTL MSF
USC MS in Finance (still under consideration)

I'm really interested in MIT MFin but I think my GPA is way too low for getting admitted, because the class profile of MFin states that the average GPA is 3.8. Is it still possible for me to get admitted in MIT? What is chance of getting admitted in other schools I'm going to apply?

Your biggest problem is not your GPA but rather your nationality. Your English seems strong. That's a major plus. Your stats place you somewhere in the middle of the pack at WUSTL (QuantFin track), depending on your gmat score (the average for the program is around 730). I would say, again depending on what you get on the GMAT and your English skills, your chances at WUSTL are relatively strong.

I Don't think that Vandy is the right program for you based on their curriculum. It's too soft and geared more towards American students. I wouldn't waste my time applying to either Johns Hopkins or UIUC. If I were you, I would apply to WUSTL, USC and MIT.

UIUC is a good safety considering the Indiana UG (especially for Chicago recruiting). Vanderbilt isn't designed for any students. It is a corporate finance MSF. They have 20% internationals in their class and place well in NYC and major southern centers. I wouldn't discount it because of his ethnicity or the "softness" of its class. It is the same program as WUSTL, BC, Villanova, etc.

USC is a good chance depending on where the GMAT shakes out. They like name brand schools. A professor is running the process vs. a business office so they are big into stats (as opposed to someone slightly softer, but highly employable).

 
<span class=keyword_link><a href=/company/trilantic-north-america>TNA</a></span>:

UIUC is a good safety considering the Indiana UG (especially for Chicago recruiting). Vanderbilt isn't designed for any students. It is a corporate finance MSF. They have 20% internationals in their class and place well in NYC and major southern centers. I wouldn't discount it because of his ethnicity or the "softness" of its class. It is the same program as WUSTL, BC, Villanova, etc.

USC is a good chance depending on where the GMAT shakes out. They like name brand schools. A professor is running the process vs. a business office so they are big into stats (as opposed to someone slightly softer, but highly employable).

  1. UIUC as a safety? Sure, no problem. It's definitely a safety.

  2. Vandy offering the same program as WUSTL? No, definitely not, at least not when it comes to WUSTL's Quant track. Courses offered by this specific track:

  • Stochastic foundations for Finance
    • Data Analysis for Investments
    • Risk Management & Insurance
    • Data Analysis and Risk Forecasting
    • Java Programming
    • Advanced Credit Risk Modeling
    • Mathematical Finance
    • Quantitative Risk Management
    • Advanced Derivative Securities
    • C++ Programming
    • Advanced Fixed Income Derivatives

In addition to the FA/Valuation/Derivative pricing courses offered at traditional MSF's, such as Vandy. WUSTL's quantfin track offers a degree of flexibility for the quantitatively inclined. At Vandy, he will be pigeonholed into applying for traditional, FO corporate finance positions against domestic candidates with experience. WUSTL will allow him to do that AND apply for more niche/quanty types of positions (risk management, quant AM, FI, etc).

  1. I'm not telling him to discount anything based on his ethnicity. I'm just highlighting the fact that it's more difficult for internationals, especially East Asian internationals. They need a wow factor; more is expected from them.
“Elections are a futures market for stolen property”
 
0011:

Should I apply for Quant Track or corporate finance in WUSTL? What do you think?

The CorpFin track has, I believe, a lower acceptance rate, but the quality of the applicant pool, at least based on the raw numbers, is lower for the CorpFin track relative to the QuantFin track (the average GPA is around 3.6 and average GMAT is 730). The latter is undoubtedly more rigorous and gives a higher degree of flexibility. You have to take the core quant courses but have the option of taking many of the traditional MSF type of classes (advanced business valuations and financial statement analysis, advanced corporate finance - all three levels, real option analysis, etc).

“Elections are a futures market for stolen property”
 

But we aren't talking about the quant track. WUSTL used to never have a quant track. They just had a more "quanty" MSF. Then they decided to split programs and have a corporate finance track and a quant track. So the WUSTL corporate finance track is in line with what is taught at Vandy, Villanova, USC, etc etc.

I'll agree that maybe the quant track might be right for the OP, I just didn't see him mention it. Seemed to me he is looking at traditional programs. Hence my comment. But if he is looking at the quant track then yes, it is more quant than Vandy, etc.

I see your thought process with the quant track rec, my issue would be does he have the math and stats to 1) get into it and b) to excel. A finance background really isn't the ideal background for going into a math heavy program.

I think vandy or the other main schools do a good job at limiting the number of international students to keep things competitive and fair when it comes to jobs. Vanderbilt seems to have no trouble placing the 20% they admit so in that case I wouldn't think it is an issue.

Frankly, I don't think the OP even needs a masters. Indiana and some networking should be sufficient.

 
0011:

Thank you for replying. I don't have strong math or stats background, so I think corporate finance is more ideal for me. What's your opinion?

So as was already mentioned, ideally, you want to find a job now and shoot for an MBA down the road. As a Chinese international, employers ask for a lot. I know a lot of internationals that are about to graduate from WUSTL's Corpfin and Quantfin track and I can tell you that their interviews are extremely technical. They're frequently asked complex statistics questions, about Rstudo code, Matlab familiarity, etc. In this regard, the QuantFin track is a better option IF you can handle the subject material.

Can you get into it? Well you went to a good undergrad, your anticipated gmat score indicates strong math capabilities, you passed level 1 CFA, and your GPA is relatively strong. So to answer your question, yes, I think you have a pretty good shot. How many math/stats courses have you taken? What were your grades in those classes? Feel free to pm me if you want to discuss this in greater detail and in private.

“Elections are a futures market for stolen property”
 

Definitely shoot for the Quant track. If I were you it would be MIT --> CMC --> WUSTL Quant --> USC --> Vandy --> WUSTL Corp.

“Elections are a futures market for stolen property”
 

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