New Quantnet members say hi

[Andy]

I thought it would be reasonable to ask new members and prospective students to post here, say hi, introduce themselves to the rest of the Quantnet family.

Don't feel shy. We are a very friendly group of people and will do everything we can to make sure your visit here a pleasant experience. ;)

[Zaur]

Thank you, Andy, for creating this topic!
Let me now say hi...
Hi everybody!!!
My name is Zaur, I have just joined the program and taking my first refresher course in Linear Algebra.
I graduated from Baruch this January with Finance major and two minors - math and CIS.
Work experience includes some internships in AXA, Citi, one at Merrill Lynch equity research. Now I am at AllianceBernstein working as what's called an APM (Associate Portfolio Manager).
Looking forward to start the AMF program and meeting new people.

[Andy]

Welcome Zaur,
Are you taking LA refresher right now? If so, i guess you are sitting on the back of the class because I'm sure I know almost everyone taking the class.
Are you officially in our program starting this Fall? If so we would have met you way before this. :D
If not, then there are still time.
Again, welcome to the family.

[Zaur]

Yes, I am the one sitting in the back. And I am officially in the program, almost certainly decided which classes to take.
I guess we'll have a lot of time to meet.

[Vimal]

Hi Everybody,

I am Vimal, a prospective candidate from India for fall 2007. Completed my Bachelor of Engineering in 2005 from National Institute of Technology Karnataka. Presently working as a software engineer :smt024 in Bangalore.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the senior members of this forum for their informative posts...
Great going guys :smt006 and hope to see u all next year :D

[Sankar]

This is a great forum.

Currently working for an asset managemet firm developing trading applications.
I will be taking MTH 9814 this fall. I am not a MS student yet.

Much thanks to Andy.

[Tom Tang]

Hi my name is Tao, this is going to be my third semester in Financial math program. I am currently working for Mizuho Coporate Bank.

[abhinavsharma]

Hi all, this is Abhinav here from India.
I am an engineer MBA, currently working as a buy side equity research analyst. looking forward for the fall 2008 session. I hope I can make it somehow.. :smt035

[Jonathan]

Whats up everyone, I'm Jon. I recieved a M.S. in Electrical Engineering in January and have been job searching until recently. Eventhough I am employed as an electrical engineer, business applications are more for me. A few months ago, I didnt even know what a stock and bond was and decided to go for an MBA finance at Baruch and got accepted. Until now, Ive self educated myself in accounting, economics, finance, investments, etc. I had no idea that finance could get nasty like quantum mechanics. And I thought all my programming and PDE background was a waste, I then decided to enter the quant arena. However I didnt know about the applied math for finance degree until recently and I guess its too late. Hopefully I can read some textbooks in the cirriculum to have some exposure because I dont think the MBA finance degree will give me a good quant background. Good luck everyone and have a great week.

[Andy]

Hi guys and welcome to the Baruch MFE family,

If you are thinking of applying to the program in 2007, take advantage of this great community and learn more about the program. There is no other MFE program where you can interact directly with the alumni, current and fellow prospective students all in one place.

Even if you are not applying, this community can be a lot of fun where you can talk about programming, math, finance and anything else. We look forward to your contribution and hope you find this a welcoming place.

[maanas]

Hi All,
I am a prospective student for Fall 2007.
I am here to gain useful tips and learn more about Baruch. I really like this program after already hearing so many great things about it.
Thanks
Maanas

[Andy]

Hi Mannas,
If you are international student, I suggest that you apply early (Dec-Jan). This way, you can get your visa before the refresher classes start. If and when you are accepted into the program, I strongly recommend that you take all four refreshers.

[maanas]

hi Andy,
I am indeed international, however i am already in the US (doing undergrad)- so i am not sure if i will need a new visa.
I was also planning to visit Baruch in the fall so i could meet the exalted dean everyone is such a big fan of.
However- what kind of finance knowledge is one expected to have?
Thanks a lot.
Maanas

[maxrum]

so i could meet the exalted dean everyone is such a big fan of.

His name is Dan, and he is not a dean :)

[maanas]

Thanks for correcting me.
It is Dr. Dan Stefanica.

[Andy]

hi Andy,
I am indeed international, however i am already in the US (doing undergrad)- so i am not sure if i will need a new visa.Great, you won't need new visa, only a new I-20. You should take some time next summer to visit the programs you plan to apply :)
I was also planning to visit Baruch in the fall so i could meet the exalted dean everyone is such a big fan of. When they are open again, schedule to attend an open house info session. Arrange to meet our director, Prof. Dan Stefanica before the session. You may meet some of our students and ask them questions during the information session. The link to sign up for open house info session is
http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/wsas/graduate_programs/open_house.html
However- what kind of finance knowledge is one expected to have?Depends on your background. If you are like me, coming from CS or Math background, little finance knowledge is assumed of you. You should, however, pickup the John Hull's Options book and read it now. You may be asked what a call option is in your meeting with the director.

[abhinavsharma]

Hi Andy and others,
while most of the students admitted have a maths or cs backgrounds, and quite a good number are phds as well, what competitive advantage would an mba get, who has done quite a bit of finance? i see that most of the students have a predominantly maths background and very few have a finance background. do u see this trend to continue considering that more and more maths/cs grads r looking towards finance?

thanks a lot,
abhinav

[Andy]

Hi Andy and others,
while most of the students admitted have a maths or cs backgrounds, and quite a good number are phds as well, what competitive advantage would an mba get, who has done quite a bit of finance? i see that most of the students have a predominantly maths background and very few have a finance background. do u see this trend to continue considering that more and more maths/cs grads r looking towards finance?
Hi Abhinav,
In my opinion, the financial engineering field is relatively new compared to MBA so it does not enjoy the popularity among finance/econ graduates that MBA programs have. If you find yourself enjoy programming and doing numerical problems, you should have no problem getting into this field. The question is how to prove that you are quantitatively capable in your application. Having a BS,MS,PhD in Math, CS, engineering or any hard-science is one way. If you have an MBA, then you should get a good quant GRE score (780-800), take some calculus level math courses, C++ programming and do well.

If you read the bios of 2006 incoming students, you will find that not everyone is coming from CS/Math background. There are quite a few students with Econ, Accounting, Law, Finance, MBA degrees and they are doing just fine. :)
Regards,

[maanas]

After seeing a lot of people already either with masters or tons of work experience, i would like to know if undergrads really stand a decent chance?
Is it better both academically and professionally to gain work experience before pursuing masters?

[Andy]

After seeing a lot of people already either with masters or tons of work experience, i would like to know if undergrads really stand a decent chance?Being a competitive person, I would like to say why not. Providing you have a good undergrad record and GRE score, you can get into our program. There are several students with only a BS got accepted this year. That may or may not be the case next year. We admit the best applicants of the pool. Without knowing your profile, it's hard to make suggestions as to how to improve your chance.

Is it better both academically and professionally to gain work experience before pursuing masters?It depends on what your career objective is. Some fields such as MBA, work experience is required before doing your master degree. Again, without knowing what you want to achieve, it's hard to answer.

[nostalgiuz]

Hi all

My name is Ravinder and i am Engineer from India planning to apply for Fall 07 Ms in FE.
I was impressed with the info about Baruch on Global derivatives and hence decided to find out more.
hope u guys can answer a few questions :D

[DominiConnor]

I'm Dominic Connor, a headhunter in global financial markets, specialising in quants. Or "pimp" as I am generally called.
Some of you may know me as DCFC from www.wilmott.com

One thing Paul Wilmott & I have put together is a guide to getting a job in quantitative finance, which is now over 80 pages.
So if anyone wants a copy drop me your CV at Dominic@PaulDominic.com

[kevin]

This is Kevin. See my info in another thread.

[abhinavsharma]

it is quite heartening to note that baruch students are so active in helping out those who are planning to give it a try. even on global-derivatives i came across baraider (dunno the actual name) who has been clearing doubts with increasing regularity.
this is a change from other univs which prefer an official from the admission office replying to queries. there is no information better than from someone who is already going through the grind!

[Andy]

Yes, we are proud of being a close-knit community, helping each other and being actively involved in all facets of the program. The members you see on Global derivatives are current, alumni students. That just shows you how much each student cares about the program. Here, we refer to everyone by their first names and think of us as a big family - the Baruch's MFE family.
So welcome again. :)

[Antonio]

My name is Antonio.

I am currently a Junior Math major at Albany State University (small school in Albany, GA)

I have a lot of intereste in Financial Engineering and since this is the first online college forum i have come across, i decided to join.

I see that most of the students doing graduate studies have had some form of work experience or are from prestigious colleges.

At the moment i have a 4.0 G.P.A. and I am going in my major classes - but i don't think the professors are making the courses challenging so that i will be prepared for grad school.

If anyone can point out some tips for applying to Baruch, or any suggestions pertaining to books that i could read and do extra problems in order to be fully prepared - i would really appreciate it.

BTW - Does Baruch have scholarships for International Students ( I am Jamaican).

Hope my first post wasn't too long.

Thanks for reading.

[Andy]

My name is Antonio.
I am currently a Junior Math major at Albany State University (small school in Albany, GA)
I have a lot of intereste in Financial Engineering and since this is the first online college forum i have come across, i decided to join.
As far as I know, Baruch is the only MFE program that has a student forum. Quantnet will reach its 3rd anniversary next month.
If anyone can point out some tips for applying to Baruch, or any suggestions pertaining to books that i could read and do extra problems in order to be fully prepared - i would really appreciate it.
All the tips are here, on Quantnet forum. Take time to read the Prerequisite forum. We took 4 courses during the summer and those prepared us well. Read John Hull. Get all the books we use for the Fall 2006 semester. Take as much C++ as you can.
Does Baruch have scholarships for International Students ( I am Jamaican).
Not that I know of. Baruch is a public school. MFE is a master program. Those two factors are not made to give lot of scholarships. Do look at the Baruch website from time to time since they may have new scholarships available.
You are junior so you still have time to pick the courses pertaining to your career path. Goodluck.

[Antonio]

Wow. Thanks for the prompt reply.

Unfortunately - the programming classes at my institution are done with java.

I doubt they still do C++.

[Andy]

Unfortunately - the programming classes at my institution are done with java.
I doubt they still do C++.
That does not stop you from doing something about it. Take class at another school, buy books and learn it, intern for free during summer to learn C++,etc.
If you manage to get in Baruch, you will be playing catch up because every assignment is done in C++. If you manage to survive the course and graduate, you will be at a disadvantage when you compete with other MFE graduates with stronger C++ skills. And if you manage to get a job on Wall Street, you will end up in backoffice. As you can see, I'm a big proponent for more C++ skills. I believe it will give me more of a chance to compete.

Time is on your side and with the info you are given here, there is no excuse if you come unprepared. Remember, you will compete with Math PhD, professional programmer, people working on Wall street when it comes time to apply to Baruch next year. With all the good jobs we are doing at Baruch, I'm confident that it's only getting harder to get into Baruch's MFE program in the foreseable future.

If you are serious enough about going into MFE and applying to Baruch, do not hestitate to come back and ask questions. We prefer students who take time to learn and prepare for the program than those just wake up one day and decides to apply.

Regards,
Andy

[Antonio]

Thank you very much for all the information you have posted.

I do intend to do some C++ classes the folowwing semesters.

I can see that the program is competitive and this is what even gives me more drive to get everything in order.

I will be getting some C++ books as well as other wriiten materials that you have suggested.

Unfortunately, I won't be as active on the forums as some of the other members given my limited knowledge on the subject, but i will try and contribute in any way i can, while learning from the best here.

Thanks for your time.

[EliasL]

Hey all, brief intro...

Was in the Baruch program but for a second -- unfortunately, work and family has me tied down and unable to commit to the program's demands. Still, I've been continuously studying math/quantitative finance on my own for several years now, and continue to follow what's going on in the field... it's in my blood. ;)

Wish I could be there with you guys!


--eli

[Peik Looi]

Hello Elias,

Wish you were here with us too!

[Bridgett]

Elias,

I am impressed with your persistency. Keep up the good work. We sometimes just have to remind us that life offers both opportunities and trials.

Best wishes,

Bridgett

[daveL]

hey everyone,

I am a prospective student for Fall 07.

I am currently working on the MS in applied math (former PhD student, that looked ahead a few years and realized 5-6 years of school isn't for me).

I am very passionate about finance, and am studying for the CFA Level I to be taken in December. I also enjoy programming and algorithms, which is why I think Quant Finance is the perfect fit.

[Andy]

Welcome onboard.
Was in same situation before joining Baruch's MFE program. :)

[davethemovie]

Hi everybody,
I'm David. I'm in the MBA Program at Baruch and taking the market and credit risk management class. I'm looking to build my math and programming abilities to get on a good career track in risk management.
See you around.

[dovidong]

Hi guys and girls,
It's so glad to meet you all at Baruch. I'm Wei Dong. Now I'm a Physics Ph.D. candidate student at CUNY Graduate Center. This semester I have taken 9814 and 9831, Hopefully I can know more about you.

[nonoah]

hi, I am noah, merely another carbon based being, happen to graduated from this progarm, MS in mathematics for finance. (I think I like the old title of the program better.)

cheers all,


Noah

[VIJAI RAJ]

hi everybody,
iam Vijai from india done my bachelors in Marine engineering by mistake and now
looking to pursue a career in finance related jobs.So joined this group to get some
valuable information related to finance.
Thanks a lot,
Vijai

[LB2006]

Hi all,

Cool website, good job

[jay827]

Hi everybody:
My name is Jie. I am a applicant for Baruch's AMF program for fall 07. I will have completed my BS in applied mathematics in City Tech, CUNY, by June, 2007.

Here is my profile:
GPA = 3.9
GRE = V680+Q800+W4.5
Courses taken: Calculus I II III
Probability and Statistics I II
Linear Algebra
Different Equation
Math Modeling
Discrete Math
Programming Language as C++

Currently I am working on my personal statement. Plus, I am doing an internship in State Farm Insurance.

I really don't know how big my chances are to get into Baruch's AMF program. Can you guys give me some ideas? What else should I do to improve my chances?

Thanks in advance!

[Andy]

Hi everybody:
My name is Jie. I am a applicant for Baruch's AMF program for fall 07.
I really don't know how big my chances are to get into Baruch's AMF program. Can you guys give me some ideas? What else should I do to improve my chances?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Jie,
Congratulation on your decision to apply to Baruch's MFE program (it is now called MFE. Look at the title on this site). It's a first step in the right direction. Here are the next 2 steps (assuming you haven't done so already)

1) Attend one of the info sessions on either Tuesday October 17, Monday November 13 or Monday December 4
2) Schedule an interview with the director, Prof. Stefanica. If you are lucky enough to have 5 minutes of his busy schedue, he may take you to Quantnet Lab so you can meet current students.

Make sure you take this time to double up on your C++, math and finance knowledge. Did I mention C++ ? All the materials are already posted on this forum.

Goodluck.

[maxrum]

I really don't know how big my chances are to get into Baruch's AMF program. Can you guys give me some ideas? What else should I do to improve my chances?

You have a pretty strong profile. The other question is why are you interested in this program? What do you expect form it? The C++ is the most important skill to have before you join to the program. Not because it has more use than finance or math, but rather because it takes long time to master it, and all classes will require you to code something in C++ on weekly basis. Moreover, we have only one C++ class, and professor will expect you to know it well. The other great thing to do while you have some time before next fall is go through the Hull book. It will give you some financial knowledge. And read Derman's book "My life as a Quant" for some inspiration :) Good luck! ;)

[RussianMike]

Jie your profile looks very strong. Good luck and we look forward to seeing you in our program. Andy is absolutely correct. C++ is mandatory and I'm learning this the hard way having only been introduced to it in January.

[jay827]

Hi Andy, maxrum and RussianMike:

Thanks for all your suggestion.
I have signed up for the info session on Oct.17. (It says that I will receive a confirmation email but I haven't got it so far.)
I just borrowed a Hull's book from Baruch's library on Friday. I've read the first several chapters and I am pretty interested in this kind of things. I also want to try some exercises but I don't have the solution manual.

One question concerning C++:
Even though I've taken three C++ classes in my undergraduate years and got good grades, I am still not sure about my C++ skills. In fact, I have forgot a lot. :smt005 Do you guys have any books to recommend so that I can catch up?

Again, thanks!

[maxrum]

One question concerning C++:
Even though I've taken three C++ classes in my undergraduate years and got good grades, I am still not sure about my C++ skills. In fact, I have forgot a lot. :smt005 Do you guys have any books to recommend so that I can catch up?

If you programmed before it will be easy for you to pick up things quickly. The best book in general about C++ is Lipman's "C++ Primer". If you want take a look on financial applications, get a book by Mark Joshi "C++ Design Pattern and Derivatives Pricing".

[emerson]

Hi,
My name is Emerson Chang, and I am from Taiwan. I got a MBA degree from National Chaio Tung University in Taiwan. Right now I act as a treasury analyst in Sino Pac Financial Holdings in Taipei, Taiwan. I am applying for Fall 2007 semester admission. And I wish I could be admitted to join this program and take courses with you guys. I hope I can see you all next year.

Best regards,

Emerson Chang

[Andy]

Emerson,
Goodluck with the application. The first round of evaluation will be some time in Jan 2007. There are quite a few students from Taiwan applying for 2007. Feel free to ask question about the Baruch Financial Engineering MS program.
We look forward to your application and you joining us.

[nz1234]

Hi Andy ,Hi All, My name is Niloo and I received my master in math finance from USC(university of southern Cali) ,I live in NY now and happy to join your forum

[Yan He]

Welcome aboard Niloo, you will find out this is a really close and warming community.

[maxrum]

Come to Baruch one day to have a coffee with us, or may be a cigarette with Bob, Mike, and myself ;)

[nz1234]

WoW !!!! you guys are really welcoming :)) I do want to come and chat with you guys and I'll keep in touch :)

[Andy]

Hi Andy ,Hi All, My name is Niloo and I received my master in math finance from USC(university of southern Cali) ,I live in NY now and happy to join your forum
Hi Niloofar,
Welcome to the big family. Do you still teach at QC?
Come to Baruch one day to have a coffee with us, or may be a cigarette with Bob, Mike, and myself ;)
Coffee, yes. Cigarette ? She doesn't smoke anyway.
Max, you told me you would quit smoking before joining the program. What ever happened to that swear under oath? :D
WoW !!!! you guys are really welcoming. I do want to come and chat with you guys and I'll keep in touch
I'll see you in next Friday talk. :)

[nz1234]

Hi Andy, No I teach at city now! Taught at hunter last semester :D !! How do you know?? Excuse my early Alzheimer!!!! :smt017 And yes see you next Friday at the talk and No I don’t smoke :D

[maxrum]

Max, you told me you would quit smoking before joining the program. What ever happened to that swear under oath? :D

I did quit for a week ;) Then I started again. My Oath was obeyed :)

[RussianMike]

I didnt make such oath so I'm happily puffing away :)

Niloo I look forward to meeting you.

--Mike

[rajagopalp]

Hi Every body,
Here is Raja pasupuleti
Working in a Finance Firm in Jersey City in the area of Global Finance.
I am exploring the options of studying MFE Part time.
Is GRE and TOEFL compulsory for for this Part time program.

[maciek]

Hi Every body,
Here is Raja pasupuleti
Working in a Finance Firm in Jersey City in the area of Global Finance.
I am exploring the options of studying MFE Part time.
Is GRE and TOEFL compulsory for for this Part time program.

Hi Raja. Of course you will need to take GRE and get a good score. If you made your undergrad outside USA you will need to take TOEFL as well. You will find more information here http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/math/masters_application.html
Welcome and good luck!

[Peik Looi]

Hi Andy ,Hi All, My name is Niloo and I received my master in math finance from USC(university of southern Cali) ,I live in NY now and happy to join your forum

Hello,

Could you give a brief description of the USC coverage and emphasis?

[sdyoung]

I am new to the forum and not a student but a working practitioner. Great site...

[Yan He]

I am new to the forum and not a student but a working practitioner. Great site...

Welcome onboard! Why not sign up for one of the event to join us, or simply come for a coffee or smoke with some of our smokers...

[RussianMike]

Welcome aboard sdyoung,

definitely come by and visit us, either here or in real space.

Regards,
Mike

[Tony]

Hi everyone:D , I am planning to appy this program for Fall 2007.

Here is my background:

I hold bachelor and master degrees in engineering, worked 3 years for IBM as a software programer(including 2 years banking project experience), and with decent GPA and TOEFL score, GRE score has not been reported though.

I am very interested in Baruch's program. Any suggestions you guys can give me before I summit the application? ;)

[Yan He]

Hi everyone:D , I am planning to appy this program for Fall 2007.

Here is my background:

I hold bachelor and master degrees in engineering, worked 3 years for IBM as a software programer(including 2 years banking project experience), and with decent GPA and TOEFL score, GRE score has not been reported though.

I am very interested in Baruch's program. Any suggestions you guys can give me before I summit the application? ;)

I assume you should have taken those required courses: calculus, linear algebra, probability and programming. If you are interested in applying Baruch, be ready for, first, the interview with Prof. Dan Stefanica, in which he would ask some "basic" quantitative or financial questions. I would suggest you to read Hull's book. Second, prepare for the stressful and the overloaded daily life....

Good luck.

[Tony]

Thanks for your reply, yes i did take all the math prerequisite courses during my undergraduate study.

Do you mean Hull's book "Options, Futures and Other Derivatives"?

[Andy]

Do you mean Hull's book "Options, Futures and Other Derivatives"?
Yes, when people refer to Hull's book, they mean "Options, Future and Other Derivatives" because it's the Book. Hull has other books as well but they are less mentioned.

[kuchcha]

hello brothers & sisters

Im may be applying for MFE for fall 2007 and hope to join you all...

gr8 work

[civic98]

Hi,
I am currently in my third year at Rutgers in New Brunswick, NJ. I am a finance major/math minor very interested in math finance related fields. Have taken linear algebra, calc III, calc IV, and computer science (C++) and did well. Currently in theory of probability and advanced calculus for engineering (PDEs). Trying to get an early start looking at programs. Would be applying to start in Fall 08. Planning on taking the GRE in the spring. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks

[civic98]

I was reading the Baruch FE course descriptions on the website to try to get a better understand of the program and what the classes are like. I was wondering, how theoretical are these classes? I appreciate any help. Thanks

[Andy]

I was reading the Baruch FE course descriptions on the website to try to get a better understand of the program and what the classes are like. I was wondering, how theoretical are these classes? I appreciate any help. Thanks
This question should be asked under the appropriate forum which is "Question about Baruch's MFE program" http://www.quantnet.org/forum/viewforum.php?f=61

[civic98]

Arent we only supposed to post in this forum if we are new?

[Andy]

Arent we only supposed to post in this forum if we are new?
:) Yes, this forum is to introduce yourself. After that, you can post questions on other forums. That way, it's easier for our members to answer questions on one central place. Hope it helps.

[anupam_tyagi]

Hi Everybody,
I am Anupam, a prospective student from India.I am a 2004 passout from the Pune University in the Electronics and Telecommunication stream.Currently working as a software engineer in HSBC in the Foreign Exchange Options dept.

I must say i have found this forum very informative and guiding.


Thanks To all the members who have posted their helpful replies.


Regards

Anupam

[SteveTownsend]

Hi, my name is Steve and I work (conveniently) at Credit Suisse in Fixed Income Derivatives IT. I am planning to apply for entry as a part-time student in Fall 2007 after attending the info session on Monday. My background is undergrad mathematics, then 22 years in the software industry (comms software, then at Microsoft).

I have been in NYC nearly two years, and at CS for most of this year. The move from Seattle to NYC was intended to make it possible for me to combine the math aptitude with the software experience in a quant-related role, so the Baruch program looks ideal.

Thanks for this site, a great resource, not least to stop me asking dumb FAQ last night.

[Johnny5]

Hi. I'm John. I am also interested in applying for the Fall 2007 MSFE. I earned a BS in Biology 10 years ago and have been working in the IT operations/support field since then. I was recently accepted into Baruch's MBA program, but deferred for employment reasons.

I took the GRE about 9 years ago (570 V/730 Q). From reading the other posts by future applicants, I should be taking it again. If I do, may I only take the Quantitative section? My GPA is....well, let's uh, move on.

As for prerequisites, I took Calculus I & II (4 cr. each). I am taking Linear Algebra in a few weeks (4 cr. vs. 3 cr.). I took C++ a while ago, so I am brushing up with the books referenced in the refresher course syllabus. I used LotusScript in various projects 5 years ago. I took Elementary Statistical Analysis, since there was no course called Probability, so I hope that is acceptable. I have just ordered Hull's book on options, so I know what I am reading during my 6 hour commute each day. I don't have any finance courses under my belt, but I have worked for a Fortune 100 financial services firm and was exposed to that side of the business and would love to cross-over.

Is there a disadvantage for a career-changer like myself? Thanks!

[Andy]

Thanks for this site, a great resource, not least to stop me asking dumb FAQ last night.
Hi Steve,
Many of our alumni work at CS. In fact, the person who created Quantnet works there as well.

[Andy]

Hi. I'm John. I am also interested in applying for the Fall 2007 MSFE. I earned a BS in Biology 10 years ago and have been working in the IT operations/support field since then. I was recently accepted into Baruch's MBA program, but deferred for employment reasons.
MBA is a road well travelled and it will lead to a totally different career path than what our MFE program will give you. It depends on what you plan to do in the future.
I took the GRE about 9 years ago (570 V/730 Q). From reading the other posts by future applicants, I should be taking it again. If I do, may I only take the Quantitative section? My GPA is....well, let's uh, move on.
Ok, moving on. :)
You definitely have to retake the GRE. They are expired. You don't have a choice of what section you want to take. It comes with Quant, Verbal and Writing. If what I read is correct, they may change the GRE format very soon to give the exam more quant question and less of verbal. Not sure when it will go into effect. You may look into it.
Is there a disadvantage for a career-changer like myself? Thanks!
None, whatsoever. In fact, many of our students are from IT sector. Having dealt with Fortune 100 and being exposed to finance is a good thing. It seems you are not so sure of what career track you want. You should decide carefully whether you want MBA or MFE. The MBA door is already open for you. Apply when you're absolutely sure MFE is for you. It's a much tougher road to take.

[DavidKDeutsch]

My name is David; I am a 36-year-old software engineer, currently working for Thomson Financial. I have a BS in Computer Science, with a minor in Mathematics. I'm considering applying for '07, but I am going to research the program (as well as potential career paths) before going for it. As I approach 40, the only way to move up seems to be management, which I tried and hated; I am a geek at heart. So, I am thinking of going the quant route.

I took a look at the refresher courses; it has been over 10 years since my undergrad work so I would have to take all of them (except for C++, which I have a very solid background in, though I will probably give myself a refresher). In college, I breezed through Calc I with no problem, but really struggled with Calc II. Finding derivatives is easy; going the other way took a lot of memorization which I found difficult. As far as linear algebra goes, I took one semester of it, but the refresher course says that a prerequisite is to know it "very well". This confuses me a bit, since if I knew it very well, I would not need a refresher course.

I actually got into math because I enjoy (ahem) wagering occasionally. So probability should be no problem :)
I am also really into game theory, though I am not sure how much that plays in an MFE.

It is actually too bad that one cannot take the refresher courses before applying; that would give me a good idea if I am cut out for it or not (boy, I sure do sell myself well, don't I?)


BTW, is anyone here trying for the Netflix prize?

[bkampsch]

Hello everyone,

First off, nice job Andy...this is a great forum, especially considering how small the program at Baruch is. It really demonstrates how involved and passionate all the future quants at Baruch are.

Anyways, I'm a 22 year old who graduated last June from the University of California, San Diego with a BS in Computer Science with a minor in Management Science. I developed an interest finance from three things: 1) My dad runs his small own CTA and brokerage firm 2) I participated in the Interactive Brokers Olympiad and came in 4th, winning $10,000 (a Baruch student came in 2nd, by the way) and 3) I took an undergraduate course in mathematical finance and became very interested in financial mathematics and derivatives pricing.

Since I graduated I've been working at Genesis Financial Technologies, a company that makes charting/trading software similar to TradeStation and J-Trader. I am responsible for the creation of an option pricing in C++ that will be the core of a retail option analytics and trading program they will release in a year or so. I've really been enjoying my job and the R & D, which has thus far included programming Black-Scholes, the binomial method, finite differences schemes, portfolio analytics and interpolation of volatility smiles and surfaces. Very interesting stuff!

I was thinking about applying to Baruch, but it seems like those who are accepted have much more experience either in the work place or in academia than I have. My gpa was 3.78 and I have good GRE scores (800Q, 620V), but still I just don't think I'd make it (that's not to say I don't think I could be successful in the program, though). Please let me know if you think otherwise...

So I guess I'm a potential candidate for 2008 or 2009, after I've gained some more experience, preferably working for some kind of bank after I finish up at Genesis.

I am interested in financial engineering because I want to learn all there is about finance, trading, financial modeling and such. I hope to one day work at a hedge fund or as a trader.

-Brandon

[maxrum]

Brandon,

You have a very strong profile and should not hesitate to apply.

Best of luck to you ;)

[Andy]

Hi David,
Welcome to Quantnet, home of future quants :)
This confuses me a bit, since if I knew it very well, I would not need a refresher course.
This is what i thought before taking the courses. Looking back, i believe it's the one of the best steps I took preparing for the program. The basic knowledge is the same as everyone took during undergrad but the refresher courses use that in financial context. There are just many problems you solve during refreshers that you will do again during the real courses. It in itself is a big time saver.
It is actually too bad that one cannot take the refresher courses before applying; that would give me a good idea if I am cut out for it or not (boy, I sure do sell myself well, don't I?)
Refreshers are only for admitted students only. There will be tests to see if one needs to take refresher or not. To give yourself a quick check, use the materials in Prerequisite forums. That's all the materials we did during this summer.
BTW, is anyone here trying for the Netflix prize?
I read about that a quite ago. It's one of those algorithms that will have significant impact on Ebusiness. For 1 mil you make solving the problem, the companies will benefit in the areas of billions :D
So no, we are trying the IB Trading Olympiad which involves trading algorithms.

[Andy]

Hi Brandon,
Very nice to meet you here.
2) I participated in the Interactive Brokers Olympiad and came in 4th, winning $10,000 (a Baruch student came in 2nd, by the way)
That student is Bharath, you can read about him and the second prize on Quantnet frontpage :) http://www.quantnet.org/forum/showthread.php?t=768 (http://www.quantnet.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=7)
I've really been enjoying my job and the R & D, which has thus far included programming Black-Scholes, the binomial method, finite differences schemes, portfolio analytics and interpolation of volatility smiles and surfaces. Very interesting stuff!
I have to agree that those are very interesting. Incidentally, this is exactly what we are studying in Prof. Stefanica's class tonight. In the first semester, we learn about finite difference, BS model, implied volatility and many others things. We do couple thousand lines of C++ code already for these problems. For the HW this week, we will build a model to price options using finite difference methods.
but still I just don't think I'd make it (that's not to say I don't think I could be successful in the program, though). Please let me know if you think otherwise...
Yes, I think otherwise :D I believe you can utilize what you already do at work and learn more interesting stuff in our program.
Just apply for 2007. I love to meet you before I graduate :)

[DavidKDeutsch]

To give yourself a quick check, use the materials in Prerequisite forums. That's all the materials we did during this summer.

I'm sorry, but I cannot find those forums. I see the ones for the regular classes, but nothing for the prerequisites. Where can I find them?

Thanks

[Yan He]

Hi, David, check this out.

http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/math/masters_refresher_courses06.html

They are called "REFRESHER" on the department website....actually prerequisites. I think you can find some lecture notes and discussion of homeworks on Quantnet.org ;)

[Jeffrey]

sorry for the errant posting on New Topic....
still getting used to this TERRIFIC forum....
feel free to delete my new topic to keep this thing clean
anyhow... here is my intro... thanks again and sorry for the mess....

Currently, and for past 2 years have been working as a portfolio analyst at T. Rowe Price in Baltimore. Prior to that, spent 3 years with institutional investment consulting firm in Phila. Focused on fixed income.
Prior to that, recd MBA in Finance from Univ of Maryland.
Very interested in the MFE progam and have been pulling together application materials, and trying to get my ducks in order so to speak.
This quantnet forum really offers an amazing insight into the program. Appreciate the privilege of getting this access to class materials and other students and to the instructors of the program. Really get a sense for the 'cadence' of the program.
Hoping I get the chance to begin working with you all in June for the Fall 2007 refresher coursework! Thanks

[ranga27]

Hi all,
I'm Sarang from Mumbai, India; working as an systems engg. with TATA Consultancy Services. My inclination towards Finance and Programming has urged me to apply for the Fall 07 program of Baruch in FE.

[Christian]

My name is Christian Lemp, and I'm currently a student at Baruch College. I'm interested in quantitative finance and have been studying several books on my own along with attending one of Professor Stefanica's classes this past Fall semester.

Outside of finance, I'm interested in travelling and languages (I've been to three countries in Southeast Asia, I want to visit all of them), eating and cooking different foods, electronic music and nightlife.

Nice to meet you all!

[Andy]

Hi Christian,
Glad to see you join us. Just wonder which southeast countries you visited. I was in SE Asian for a month this time last year and it was one of the best vacations I had for years. The food was outstanding :prayer:

Maybe you can post some of the pics so I can relive the memories :partyman:

[Andy]

Very interested in the MFE progam and have been pulling together application materials, and trying to get my ducks in order so to speak.
This quantnet forum really offers an amazing insight into the program. Appreciate the privilege of getting this access to class materials and other students and to the instructors of the program. Really get a sense for the 'cadence' of the program.
Hoping I get the chance to begin working with you all in June for the Fall 2007 refresher coursework! Thanks
Hi Jeffrey,
How are the ducks coming along ? i haven't seen you for a while. This is a good time to post admission questions since the students are in a break so we have some time to spare.
Probably it's a good thing to change your username to Jeffrey. I would highly recommend every new member to use their first name as username. It's easier for the members here and it's easier for the admission committee as well ;)
Any bit helps.

[Michelle]

Hi everyone,

My name is Michelle and I'm a prospective student in Baruch MFE program. I have been reading the info here as well as on GD forum and Baruch website. I'm very impressed with the level of friendliness and helpfulness of everyone in the Baruch MFE program. That's one of reasons I decide to join this forum and become an active member, no longer a lurker ;)

So a bit about myself. I received BS in CS and then MBA last year. I've been working for a boutique investment firm downtown since.graduation. I'd love to combine my quant skills and finance knowledge to become one who can make decision for the firm.

Aside from Baruch, I'm targetting Columbia and CMU. I look forward to becoming a part of the NYC financial engineering community.

Best,
Michelle

[maxrum]

Hi everyone,

My name is Michelle and I'm a prospective student in Baruch MFE program.

Hi Michelle, it's always good to see talented and energetic people applying to our program. Good luck with your application!

You can take an advantage of your location and come to visit our School, talk to current students. ;)

Yes, and usual question, how is your C++ doing? :)

Good luck one more time!

[Michelle]

Thanks for the quick response, maxrum.

It's great to see you and other current students respond in a very friendly manner to prospective students. It's quite a unique thing about Baruch from other programs I've talked to.

I've been reading your responses to other members and I'm sure you will bring C++ up first and foremost :)

As part of my job, I'm very involved with our modelling team, our structured product team. Since our firm is a small one, I need to do bit of everything. So yes, I do write part of C++ pricing, risk evaluation models and work with the deal team to make sure the numbers make sense. If they do not, I'm the one who takes that model and corrects if needed. Our quants do most of the coding, I'm just a bridge to make sure that the technical and business sides of our firm work in harmony :)

In short, i spend 20% of my time on the coding part and the rest on structuring deals and meeting clients. So do my C++ skills seem up to standard, maxrum ? ;)

[maxrum]

This is a good part about working for a small shop - you have to do a little bit of everything ;) Good experience =D>

If you use C++ on a daily basis, you are more then fine dealing with it on the program. C++ is not that hard, just it takes a lot of practice to master it. That's why we stress importance of understanding it before coming to the program.

You should visit an Open House hosted by our program. It will give you a better picture.

[Zeynep]

Hi! This is Zeynep.
I've taken a course w/MFE students this fall, but I haven't discovered this forum till now. Now, I should take one more! :)
I am doing PhD in economics at Grad Center CUNY, teaching at Queens College and working at a litigation consulting company. :smt024
Good luck to everybody! =D>

[Andy]

Hi! This is Zeynep.
I've taken a course w/MFE students this fall, but I haven't discovered this forum till now. Now, I should take one more! :)
I am doing PhD in economics at Grad Center CUNY, teaching at Queens College and working at a litigation consulting company. :smt024
Hi Zeynep,
Welcome to QN. It's never too late to discover a good thing ;)
Which class did you take ? And which do you plan to take in the Spring ?
I was at Graduate Center from 04-06 before I met Prof. Stefanica so I kinda miss the place ;)
Hope to see you around.
Andy

[Zeynep]

Hi Zeynep,
Which class did you take ? And which do you plan to take in the Spring ?
I was at Graduate Center from 04-06 before I met Prof. Stefanica so I kinda miss the place ;)
Hope to see you around.
Andy

I took Neftci's class. I am not quite sure which class to take! I was wondering at the MFE website, at that point I've found out this website;) .

[Andy]

Ah, Prof. Neftci's Calibration. I heard that he is also teaching at the Graduate Center. I won't be able to take his class till next Fall.
Too bad he is not using QN forum. I hope you have good notes from his class ;);)
Not sure why you took Calibration but for next semester, you can take either 9848 Structured Finance by Dr. Raynes or 9845 Risk Management. I heard they are awesome courses.

[Zeynep]

Ah, Prof. Neftci's Calibration. I heard that he is also teaching at the Graduate Center. I won't be able to take his class till next Fall.
Too bad he is not using QN forum. I hope you have good notes from his class ;);)
Not sure why you took Calibration but for next semester, you can take either 9848 Structured Finance by Dr. Raynes or 9845 Risk Management. I heard they are awesome courses.

Hmmm, thank you, let me check out those courses, may be I can take structured finance.. and don't worry about the notes:-$

[Christian]

Andy,

I was in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia. I was an exchange student for one year in Thailand in 2003-'04, and actually at this time last year I traveled back to visit my friends in Thailand. I took a trip the day after Christmas to Cambodia by myself for four days as well, what a wild place. Where did you go?

Here are some of my favorite pictures that I took..

[Andy]

Wow, those are awesome pics, Christian

Now, I want to see more :)

Incidentally, we went out of the country at the same time. I left NYC the 26 of Dec in 2005. While you visited 3 SE countries, I visited the SE country you missed , Vietnam :)
Spent a month there, travelled the whole country, took lot of pictures but mostly are of food since I'm a foodie nut.
http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/8945/luongsoncce2080qm6.th.jpg (http://img443.imageshack.us/my.php?image=luongsoncce2080qm6.jpg)http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/6552/caobang3cce1f76uz8.th.jpg (http://img443.imageshack.us/my.php?image=caobang3cce1f76uz8.jpg)

[Christian]

Is that first picture yours? It's incredible.

The food looks good too. I have a friend from Vietnam whose entire family lives in their house (uncles, cousins, nieces, etc) and there is always a feast prepared and ready to eat. So delicious.

I'd like to see more of your photos. I have many more, tell me if you're interested in seeing them.

[Andy]

Is that first picture yours? It's incredible.
No, it's from a friend of mine. They are really incredible. I have lot of his pics and couldn't have enough of it.

The food looks good too. I have a friend from Vietnam whose entire family lives in their house (uncles, cousins, nieces, etc) and there is always a feast prepared and ready to eat. So delicious.
So typical of us. ;)
Since this summer, the Baruch MFE students went out many times to various Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese restaurants. You are welcome to join us the next time. Look under the Quantnet lounge forum for many of the pics I took of the outtings.

I'd like to see more of your photos. I have many more, tell me if you're interested in seeing them.
Of course, please post more. I'm a big fan of Thai food. Thailand will be my next vacation destination. I'll post some of my friend incredible pics, my pics of the trip and my food pics. Instead of upload to QN server, we should load them to imageshack.us and link the thumbnails here. \\:D/

http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/5767/phatamgiang2cce210cmy7.th.jpg (http://img443.imageshack.us/my.php?image=phatamgiang2cce210cmy7.jpg)http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/9371/chaudoc4cce22d1qi0.th.jpg (http://img443.imageshack.us/my.php?image=chaudoc4cce22d1qi0.jpg)http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/9602/uromsoibongcce2b4dhc0.th.jpg (http://img299.imageshack.us/my.php?image=uromsoibongcce2b4dhc0.jpg)http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/3044/nhatrang3cce23dbpf1.th.jpg (http://img443.imageshack.us/my.php?image=nhatrang3cce23dbpf1.jpg)
http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/9049/quynhoncce25bfen4.th.jpg (http://img443.imageshack.us/my.php?image=quynhoncce25bfen4.jpg)http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/9350/tuyhoacce25dfwj7.th.jpg (http://img443.imageshack.us/my.php?image=tuyhoacce25dfwj7.jpg)http://img443.imageshack.us/img443/7695/ninhbinh10cce260eet2.th.jpg (http://img443.imageshack.us/my.php?image=ninhbinh10cce260eet2.jpg)http://img299.imageshack.us/img299/729/langco4cce265cqg9.th.jpg (http://img299.imageshack.us/my.php?image=langco4cce265cqg9.jpg)

[Andy]

A friend of mine, Donny Truong of visualgui.com, after seeing these pics was so impressed that he put those pics with the song "Bonjour Vietnam" and created a slideshow on his site at
http://www.visualgui.com/motion/BonjourVietnam.html
It went viral and the site traffic is 160GB/month :D

[Hien]

A friend of mine, Donny Truong of visualgui.com, after seeing these pics was so impressed that he put those pics with the song "Bonjour Vietnam" and created a slideshow on his site at
http://www.visualgui.com/motion/BonjourVietnam.html
It went viral and the site traffic is 160GB/month :D

This web site is cool man! Thanks.

[shimba]

hi, all.
I'm Kyung Won Seo. (Kyung Won is my first name :) )
Now, I'm studying at Univ. of Delaware. Upon graduation, I'll receive two bachelor degrees from UD and Hankuk Univ. of Foreign Studies in South Korea.

Major: Finance
Minor: Math
GPA: 3.92 (Overall ), 4.0 (Finance), around 4.0(Math)

Courses completed: Calculus 1,2,3, ODE, Linear Algebra, Prob. theory and simulation, Advanced calculus with application (calculus of variation, lilear/non-linear dynamics, etc), C++ ; got all A's except Advanced Cal.(A-)

Course next semester: PDE, numerical PDE, data structure.

GRE: will be taken at Jan. 30. Now I'm working on it.:smt024

No direct work experience: 2 yrs in the Korean Army, inturn in marketing team, assistant manager in a start-up restaurant.

Update:
GRE: verbal 650 / Quant 800 / Writing pending

[Andy]

Hi Kyung Won,
It seems you got everything in place. Get 800/550+/4.5+ in the GRE and you will have a very good profile.

Good luck with the GRE, update your profile with GRE scores when you are done. Look forward to your application to our program.

By the way, if you join our program, you will have lot of chances to go out with us to KTown and IBop (a Korean Karaoke parlor in KTown we frequent) :smt034

[shimba]

Sure, I really miss Korean food. There is nothing like KTown here, not even a similar one. I hope I can get the "magic" verbal/writing score: 550/4.5.

[Andy]

Sure, I really miss Korean food. There is nothing like KTown here, not even a similar one.
If you drink, then there is always Grand Saloon bar every Thurs after class that our students hang out and destress. :partyman:
I hope I can get the "magic" verbal/writing score: 550/4.5.
The magic score would be 800/800/6 which belongs to one of our 2006 students. 550/4.5 is just about average verbal/writing score for admitted 2006 class. From our website, (http://math.baruch.cuny.edu/masters_admission_stats_new.html) the average is 768/538/4.38. So I'd say, aim higher :smt024

[shimba]

Yes, Andy. You are right. "magic" is not supposed to mean an "average".;)
I'm just kinda nervous. Thanks for your advice.

[Erica]

Hello Quantnet members,

My name is Erica and I am currently pursuing a Math undergrad/ Baruch MFE pre-requisites here at Baruch. Next semester will be Calc 2, Regression and Forecasting and Algorithms. I am looking to apply to the MFE program for a Fall of '08 admission.

I am also studying for CFA Level Two, but only a little bit as I am also strenuously enjoying my winter break.

Previously I worked as an ETF/equity options market maker on the AMEX. Great experience, learned a lot, hit the wall WRT my abilities as well as the technological capabilities of the exchange. Right now I am loving school and taking great pleasure in finding pratical applications of my studies.

Besides that, for anyone out there who hasn't taken advantage of the Baruch MFE information sessions, I would highly recommend taking advantage. Also, in addition to Professor Stefanica and Nelisa Roach, I would like to thank the students who where highly candid and incredibly gracious with their time.

Thanks Andy for doing such a great job with this site.

[michaelk]

Hello,

I am introducing myself again because I was told my initial intro was lost due to technical problems.

I hold a BE in electrical engineering from City College. I have been in the workforce for almost 11 years now. Currently, I work for Thomson Financial as an IT professional, specializing in networking. I am a seasoned professional, who is looking to go back to school and make a mid-life career change.

I am planning to apply for Fall 2008 admissions. Between now and next spring, I will be working on the admissions process as a long term project. I look forward to participating in this forum in the meantime. I hope to learn from others and to contribute as well. Thank you.

[Andy]

Hello,

I am introducing myself again because I was told my initial intro was lost due to technical problems.

Welcome to QN and thanks for posting this again, Michael.
In your original post, you mentioned that you would take C++ cert at NYU. I wonder why you would have to do since you are a professional programmer at Thompson Financial.

Until you apply, you would have plenty of time to gather the necessary information here. And we look forward to your contribution as well ;)

[michaelk]

Welcome to QN and thanks for posting this again, Michael.
In your original post, you mentioned that you would take C++ cert at NYU. I wonder why you would have to do since you are a professional programmer at Thompson Financial.

Until you apply, you would have plenty of time to gather the necessary information here. And we look forward to your contribution as well ;)

That is because I am not a professional programmer. I work mainly with UNIX servers and Cisco networking gear; building / configuring / troubleshooting WAN networks. While I do have to understand shell scripts for my job, I don't have any active programming responsibilities.

Outside of work, my coding experience ranges from C programming done during my undergraduate years to Perl and bash script training undertaken in continuing ed course in more recent times. I have no direct experience in C++, hence the need to take it at NYU.

[maxrum]

Besides that, for anyone out there who hasn't taken advantage of the Baruch MFE information sessions, I would highly recommend taking advantage.

Totally agree. Every session is different, and you will learn something new about the program. Personally, I attended all info sessions last Spring ;)

[Andy]

Hello Quantnet members,

My name is Erica and I am currently pursuing a Math undergrad/ Baruch MFE pre-requisites here at Baruch.
Besides that, for anyone out there who hasn't taken advantage of the Baruch MFE information sessions, I would highly recommend taking advantage. Also, in addition to Professor Stefanica and Nelisa Roach, I would like to thank the students who where highly candid and incredibly gracious with their time.
Hi Erica,
I think we met in the Quantnet lounge during one of those following up meetings you guys had with Prof. Stefanica ;)

We're glad to have you join us. Welcome to Quantnet.

Totally agree. Every session is different, and you will learn something new about the program. Personally, I attended all info sessions last Spring ;)
Funny I met Max in the only info session I went to. I heard that Max attended every monthly info sessions at Baruch and Polytech. :prayer:

I wish I knew about the Baruch MFE program earlier so I could attend many of them (I applied in late March and attended the April session). Q/A session with the current students is really helpful. Pretty informative and there is always new info from Director Stefanica.

If Prof. Stefanica allows, I would try to attend some upcoming info sessions to meet the new students and give back what I know.

[maxrum]

I heard that Max attended every monthly info sessions at Baruch and Polytech. :prayer:

That is not true ;) I attended the only one of Poly's info sessions, it was enough to get the idea.

[Michelle]

Anyone knows the schedule for Baruch MFE upcoming info sessions ? I plan to attend one in the Spring.
Thanks,
Michelle

[maxrum]

Anyone knows the schedule for Baruch MFE upcoming info sessions ? I plan to attend one in the Spring.
Thanks,
Michelle

I'm not sure if the schedule ready for the Spring. But once it's done, you will see it on http://math.baruch.cuny.edu/masters.html

[dstefan]

Anyone knows the schedule for Baruch MFE upcoming info sessions ? I plan to attend one in the Spring.
Thanks,
Michelle

Monday - February 5
Tuesday - March 6
Tuesday - March 27
Monday - April 16

Of course, you should aim for the earliest info session.

[QUANTster]

Greetings:

My name is Jim Varriale and I am the publisher of
QUANTster: The Quantitative Finance Job Market Daily.

In addition to our specialized job board, we offer a free
newsletter (the QUANTster monthly) to those interested.

All are invited!

Cheers,
Jim

[Andy]

Anyone knows the schedule for Baruch MFE upcoming info sessions ? I plan to attend one in the Spring.
Thanks,
Michelle

Update: the website has been updated http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/math/masters.html
Here are the detailed info for upcoming info session. Please note that on the RSVP page, the old name of our program (Applied Math for Finance) was shown instead of the new name (Financial Engineering)
Upcoming Information Sessions for Fall 2007 Admission:
Monday - February 5
Tuesday - March 6
Tuesday - March 27
Monday - April 16

The Director of the Financial Engineering MS Program and current students in the program will be available to present the program and answer your questions.Time: 6pm
Location: Room 8-210, Vertical Campus (Lexington Avenue at 24th Street)
Please RSVP at http://events.embark.com/event/baruch/weissman (http://events.embark.com/event/baruch/weissman)
Contact Information: Ms. Cathy Levkulic
Phone: (646) 312-4493 Email: Cathy_Levkulic@baruch.cuny.edu (Cathy_Levkulic@baruch.cuny.edu)

[tom&jerry]

Hi All,
This is tom from Bangalore, India and working as analyst in Quant division.
Nice to see u all :smt023

[vineet]

hello everyone,
a very happpy new year to all
Myself Vineet Bansal, presently studying at the indian institute of techonology, mumbai.
Nice to see all u ppl here

Regards
Vineet

[michaelk]

Hi. I'm John. I am also interested in applying for the Fall 2007 MSFE. I earned a BS in Biology 10 years ago and have been working in the IT operations/support field since then. I was recently accepted into Baruch's MBA program, but deferred for employment reasons.

I took the GRE about 9 years ago (570 V/730 Q). From reading the other posts by future applicants, I should be taking it again. If I do, may I only take the Quantitative section? My GPA is....well, let's uh, move on.



I can relate to this. My own undergraduate transcript is...to put it euphemistically...rather schizophrenic. By that I mean it looks like it belongs to someone who performed both brilliantly and miserably at different intervals. This is something I'd have to explain in my personal statement when the time comes.

While the admissions committee may differ, I'd like to think that, as they say on the prospectuses of mutual funds, that past (poor) performance is not an indication of future results. :)

[maxrum]

While the admissions committee may differ, I'd like to think that, as they say on the prospectuses of mutual funds, that past (poor) performance is not an indication of future results. :)

Indeed, admissions committee looks at your application as a whole package. Make sure to explain everything what needs explanation, show them why you are interested in the field, and why you choose this program. After that - The sky is the limit ;) :)

[orlandod]

Hi all,

My name is Orlando. I am currently a Senior Developer and IT Manager for a US Equity Market Neutral Hedge Fund in Jersey City. I have been working there for three years, it has been an amazing experience. The main programming language we use is called APL(A Programming Language), an array base language.
I am passionate about programming and finance. I am applying for the Fall 2007 MFE program. I really like this program and have read and heard great things about it.
If anyone has any suggestions before I submit my application, It will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Orlando

[Andy]

:welcome: to Quantnet, Orlando,
Tell us a bit about your undergrad background. What are your plans with regard to C++ requirement ?

Feel fee to post questions under Questions forum if you need some feedback on your application process.
Goodluck with your 2007 application.

[orlandod]

I have BS in Computer Science from The City College of New York. I have all the prerequisites to enter the program.
I have been working for a hedge fund since I graduated college in 2004.
I am proficient in C++, APL, VBA, and SQL. I wrote an order management in C++ for our office supporting fix 4.0-4.4. My main weakness which I don't see here from many students is that I performed poorly as an undergrad. I graduated with a GPA of 2.7.

[Andy]

I believe you would benefit by going to our open house on Feb 5 to iron out the last concerns. You can emphasize the working experience to balance out the low GPA. Just a note from my experience: our program is extremely heavy in term of time commitment. It's also very stressful given the heavy load of assigments we have to do every week. So make sure you dedicate enough time for this.

[mj23]

Dear Quantnet family, I have started to apply to Baruch loh!! :tiphat: Hopefully I have what Baruch is looking for and can join this lovely family later this year!!

Below is my background:
B. Eng. (Computer Eng.), GPA: 3.38/4.0
M.Sc. (Bioinformatics), GPA: 3.78/4.0
GRE: V650, Q800, AWA4.0
Working experience: 1.5 years as a researcher in computational biology
Publications: 3 journals papers, 1 conference paper, 4 others submitted to journals for reviewing
;)

[Kanub83]

Hi All,

I am Kanu and applying to Baruch for Fall'2007. First of all a big thanks to everyone associated with Baruch Family,for maintaining these forums.

Few Queries :)
1) The courses that are listed on to website are not detailed. I want to know the in depth details that are covered in courses.
2) I am very much inclined towards learning mechanics of derivatives markets. I am reading Hull book right nw.Can you please suggest any book that have case studies or the important events that has happend in Derivative markets?
3) Can i do internship in middle of Baruch Programme? Also I want to know more about the Quant Lab session.What all tools are used,how data analysis is done etc etc.

Thanks in advance

Kanu

[aashish]

hey guys... i just joined this forum... I am also from Baruch but doing my MBA here. I would like to know more about the MFE program.

[tom&jerry]

Hi All,
this is keshav very much interested to know information related to Quant programs which are having Financial assistance. About me 2+ years of experiance in quant services, done MSc in Statistics in India. (http://www.uohyd.ernet.in).

thanks in advance

[Kanub83]

I belong to India. My grades are defined in percentages.How to calculate the GPA for same?

PLease reply... I have to submit my application

[Andy]

I belong to India. My grades are defined in percentages.How to calculate the GPA for same?

PLease reply... I have to submit my application
This should help http://www.quantnet.org/forum/showthread.php?t=628
By the way, you can do a search and chances are you will find whatever you are looking for.

[maxrum]

I belong to India. My grades are defined in percentages.How to calculate the GPA for same?

PLease reply... I have to submit my application


If you just google something like "india grades gpa" you will find a lot of links. Like this one for example:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPA_in_India

[James]

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to introduce myself to the community.

I've been out of college for 8 years now. Spent the first 4 years at various companies doing web development and the last 4 years doing Compliance/IT work.

I'm basically starting from scratch and hopefully will have the prereq's completed for Fall '08 application.

Like MichaelK, I'm planning to take the C++ courses at NYU. Then, I'll work on the math prereqs at Hunter. (Can anyone suggest which courses specifically I should sign up for?)

I haven't taken the GRE yet either. So I have a long way to go.

Undergraduate degree from NYU in Finance/IS with a 3.4 GPA.

Good at math. Can be better. 760math for my SAT.

That's about it for now.

[Andy]

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to introduce myself to the community.
Hi James,
:welcome:. Hope to see you often.


Like MichaelK, I'm planning to take the C++ courses at NYU. Then, I'll work on the math prereqs at Hunter. (Can anyone suggest which courses specifically I should sign up for?)
Here are some info that you may find helpful
For Undergrads interested in a career in quant:

To prepare for these careers, the Mathematics Department is offering a new concentration within the mathematics major, the mathematics of finance. This concentration is the best way for undergraduates to get a head start on their careers in quant, as this major "will prepare you above and beyond what the MS program requires for admission" said Dan Stefanica, director of the MS in applied mathematics for finance. The mathematics of finance concentration has a different set of electives than the other mathematics concentrations. Students should take the following five electives:

MTH 4110 Ordinary Differential Equations
MTH 4120 Introduction to Probability
MTH 4125 Stochastic Process
MTH 4135 Methods of Monte Carlo Simulation
MTH 4500 Introduction to Financial Mathematics

A mathematics minor will allow you to take some of these classes, but the major will fully prepare you for the MS program, and ultimately a career in quant.
Read the original article here (http://www.theticker.org/media/storage/paper909/news/2006/10/16/Business/Baruch.Prepares.Graduate.Students.For.Careers.In.Quant-2350258.shtml?norewrite200610161832&sourcedomain=www.theticker.org)

[VladimirBunicu]

Without posting, we will assume you are spammer and delete your account accordingly.
Thanks for threatening, Andy :) Otherwise I would keep silence for another half a year on this forum....
Hi all, my name is Vladimir, and I hope to join MFE program in Fall 2008.
Currently I am an undergrad at Baruch, majoring in Finance and minoring in Math. I had transfered here from Moscow Aviation Institute (say top-10 technical university in Russia), where I had been studying for two years towards my MS in Applied Mathematics and Physics.
It was a tremendous luck for me to meet Prof. Radoicic here, at Baruch. He brought back my interest in math, and helped me to make this discovery - the MFE program! And when I found Quantnet, Andy (thanks Andy!) welcomed me in a "welcome-to-the-family" manner :)
I used to study advanced theoretical math, and I knew how to apply it in physics and computer science, both theoretical too. So actually up till now I had "raw materials" in term of knowledge. Briefly it is 2 semesters of linear algebra, 4 semesters of calculus and advanced calculus with theory (we used to prove lots of theorems, now I need a refresher even to remember them :( ), functional analysis, theory of complex variables functions, 2 semesters of discrete math (including graph theory), ODE, probability... and then 2 semesters of physics, theoretical mechanics... OOP with C++; unix-shell; algorithms... and with transferring to Baruch i became interested in finance - hence the major.
With the discovery of MFE all my interests got assembled as a mosaic. :smt115 It is like math, programming and recent interest in finance now have meaning as three orthogonal vectors to create the R-3 of my future :))))))

This is a great forum with loads of information and very helpful community. The help from members comes in many ways. For example, now I am reading Hull's derivatives book shipped to me from India for $26! Isn't it great? :thumbsup: Thank you guys!
Best regards, I will try to be helpful to Quantnet family.

[rake]

Hi, this is my first time at this site :) Hope I can visit it often

[Andy]

Without posting, we will assume you are spammer and delete your account accordingly.
Thanks for threatening, Andy :) Otherwise I would keep silence for another half a year on this forum....
:wasntme: I don't know how you found that old quote of mine. It appears to work right ? ;)
Glad that you decide to come out half a year earlier. \\:D/ Since you are Baruch student, come join us every Friday evenings for talks, movies, social events, etc
Hi, this is my first time at this site :) Hope I can visit it often
I hope to see you often here as well :)

[hongzhong]

hi all, this is Hongzhong, the TA for MTH 9862. I am from the graduate center and new to baruch. Thanks Andy for creating the account!!!

[SteveTownsend]

I completed the application process yesterday, for fall 2007 entry as a part-time student.

Thanks again for all the useful info here.

[Andy]

I completed the application process yesterday, for fall 2007 entry as a part-time student.
Goodluck and hope to hear good news from you, Steve.

[Christian]

Hey Vladmir. Funny to see you on this messageboard since I always see you at the gym. I had no idea you were interested in this program as well.

We should get together and talk some math. I'm taking Intro to Probability this semester, what are you taking?

[bkampsch]

Hey all Baruch Students, I'm going to be in town for an interview with Dan and the Open House this Monday, February 5th. If anyone wants to get lunch or a coffee before about 3pm, I'd be happy to meet you! I'll also be sitting in on a class after the Open House, so I know I'll see some of you there. I'm excited to be in NYC...it will be my first time.

[cvua]

Hi from Ukraine :tiphat:,
Finally, I have submitted the application to MSF #-o
Now just waiting..

A few words about myself
Graduate in Finance
TOEFL: 108
GRE: V490, Q770, AWA4.0

:smt102

This web-site is great, and improves exponentially :smt024
Thank you all who contribute

[shimba]

Update:

GRE: verbal 650 / Quant 800 / Writing pending
I took it on Tuesday, and will complete the application soon.

hi, all.
I'm Kyung Won Seo. (Kyung Won is my first name :) )
Now, I'm studying at Univ. of Delaware. Upon graduation, I'll receive two bachelor degrees from UD and Hankuk Univ. of Foreign Studies in South Korea.

Major: Finance
Minor: Math
GPA: 3.92 (Overall ), 4.0 (Finance), around 4.0(Math)

Courses completed: Calculus 1,2,3, ODE, Linear Algebra, Prob. theory and simulation, Advanced calculus with application (calculus of variation, lilear/non-linear dynamics, etc), C++ ; got all A's except Advanced Cal.(A-)

Course next semester: PDE, numerical PDE, data structure.

GRE: will be taken at Jan. 30. Now I'm working on it.:smt024

No direct work experience: 2 yrs in the Korean Army, inturn in marketing team, assistant manager in a start-up restaurant.

[Andy]

Update:
GRE: verbal 650 / Quant 800 / Writing pending
I took it on Tuesday, and will complete the application soon.
Great job =D>
I don't think your writing would be low since you got 650 verbal.
You seem to get everything in order. Send the app in and goodluck :thumbsup:

[RussianMike]

Great job =D>
I don't think your writing would be low since you got 650 verbal.
You seem to get everything in order. Send the app in and goodluck :thumbsup:

You'll only have to write code in this program so dont worry about writing (I'm gonna assume you'll do well just like Andy did because of the verbal score)

[shimba]

Thank you, Andy and RussianMike.
Writing was the most difficult part for me.
I hope it will be just as good as verbal.

Now, I can try the quatitative problems Andy posted.\\:D/

[Kanub83]

Yippy!!! I submitted my application yesterday.So I am now one step closer to my goal.

Thanks everyone for ur support!!

Kanu

[LT21]

howdy from Texas. I'm currently only from the outside looking in, but very much interested in FE in general and the program at Baruch in particular. I really appreciate the faculty, the alumni, and you all current students for being so welcoming and informative.

[btakavingofa]

Hi everyone I am glad to be a part of this family. I am from Zimbabwe with an Msc in Mathematical modelling.

[Andy]

LT21, btakavingofa

Welcome to Quantnet. We hope that you find this forum's info helpful and hope to see your contributions to this forum as well.

[CheeBoon]

Hello from singapore. Had a BSc computer science from Nottingham Trent Uni,uk. Jus got enrolled into Baruch's Exec. MSc in Finance via it's international centre in s'pore and am interested to know more abt MFE too. Side track, is the Exec. MSc held in high regards? Nice to be introduced to this great community.

[ansh]

Hi everyone,

I'm a recent college grad with a major in math. I'm working in NY and have been taking courses in structured finance. I met a few of you at the info session a few days ago. Cheers.

[Andy]

Hello from singapore. Had a BSc computer science from Nottingham Trent Uni,uk. Jus got enrolled into Baruch's Exec. MSc in Finance via it's international centre in s'pore and am interested to know more abt MFE too. Side track, is the Exec. MSc held in high regards? Nice to be introduced to this great community.

Hi CheeBoon,
Welcome to Quantnet. Are you the one that asked about Baruch Executive program on GD ? I think i saw the question a while ago.
Glad that you discover the website for our MFE program - the best Master program at Baruch :smt023

[Andy]

Hi everyone,

I'm a recent college grad with a major in math. I'm working in NY and have been taking courses in structured finance. I met a few of you at the info session a few days ago. Cheers.

Hi ansh,
Which structured finance courses you took ? Are they with Prof. Raynes ? I probably remember you from the open house. ;)

[ansh]

Hi Andy,
I took Intro and Intermediate with Prof. Rutledge, and just began Advanced with Prof. Raynes.
Quick question about C++: I was a TA for Programming II: C++ in college (did C++ in high school), so does that count? Also, took a Java course, know VBA and HTML, some PHP, SQL etc.

[Andy]

Hi ansh,

Are you taking 9848 this semester on Weds ? I'm taking the same course.
As for your C++, unless you have working experience or took it for college credits, I do not think you can use TA as replacement. Also, the level of C++ taught undergrad is not enough to prepare for our program.

If you believe you are efficient enough, you should ask Prof. Stefanica next month during the open house. I believe it's March 6th.

[ansh]

Sorry didn't mean to hijack the introductions thread.
It's not 9848 - I believe that's open only to people in the program, and intro/intermediate covered that material. These courses are offered outside of Baruch.
For C++, the pre-reqs says prog knowledge as demonstrated by 1 undergrad class - as a TA I'd (I hope) know more than the student taking the course - I'll check with Dan. The refresher courses should help. Anyway, the more you know, the better. Thanks.

[BadMrFrosty]

Hi. I'd like to get into trading and figure an MFE is better than a CFA. I have a CS degree and background, but am more intrested in the Trading aspect than the development.

I feel like the industry is moving to more automated stuff. I would like the freedom of gaining experience in NYC and then moving elsewhere but still work in trading. It seems like an MFE is the way to go.

Let me know if I'm wrong.

[Yan He]

CFA, especially level I can give you the basic knowlege of finance...but to understand how product priced or structured, it's better to take MFE. For trading, it's big plus you know the prudocts well, but not necessary to go through MFE to be a trader......I MAY BE WRONG :)

[RussianMike]

If I'm not mistaken a CFA is a 2+ yr investment whereas MFE is 1.5 yrs(full-time).

[Yan He]

come on, Mike, CFA is about exams, MFE is a program.

[BadMrFrosty]

CFA, especially level I can give you the basic knowlege of finance...but to understand how product priced or structured, it's better to take MFE. For trading, it's big plus you know the prudocts well, but not necessary to go through MFE to be a trader......I MAY BE WRONG :)

Not necessary but wouldn't it help a lot of have a MFE when applying for a trading position. Maybe I'm into the wrong thing. The pits are drying up and i just want to find out where the pit traders are evolving to. I was assuming MFE. Could be completely off.

[Andy]

If you are into automated trading, then MFE is the way to go. There is no way CFA will give you the technical training required to do the job. With MFE, you at least have the background to build/test pricing models.

If you just want to know the product without the technical details, maybe CFA is enough but trading has evolved to be more technical than ever. Knowing the math, the programming, the risk aspect of each model is what required of future traders.

[Li]

Hi all,

My name is Li, and this is my fourth semester in the MFE program. A CFA level III candidate, I am preparing for a career in equity research and portfolio management.

[hafeezs]

Hi All,
Specially a big hello to Yan He.
I have sent my application to Baruch for the MFE, but my profile is not as strong as some of you.
I have graduated from Bachelors in Engineering from Mumbai University in Automobile in June 2006.
Currently I am working with BNP Paribas in setting up operations for a company they own in Mumbai, INDIA.
Finished Engineering with a First Class.
My GRE is not so impressive Q690 V560 and A3.5. Was too petrified of the GRE and then realised I just made a big deal of it.
I have done some courses in C,C++, Visual Basic and well versed with MS Excel. Since I have graduated from a pure science field, computer programming had not been emphasised as much. Played more with forces :)
I intend to take on learning Matlab, and Java. Is there anything else I can do to strengthen my application to Baruch.

I am really keen on getting an admit from Baruch. I am looking forward to all the support in terms of queries about MFE.
Thanks in advance :)

[jason korpics]

Hello all ;-)

My name is Jason and I have an application into Baruch for the MFE program. Hopefully will see you in the Summer. Good luck to everyone else applying!

-JK

[Andy]

Hi all,

My name is Li, and this is my fourth semester in the MFE program. A CFA level III candidate, I am preparing for a career in equity research and portfolio management.
Are you taking any course this semester ?

@ hafeezs, jkorpics

Goodluck with your applications. Feel free to ask questions. We have very supportive group here.

[pardasani]

I intend to take on learning Matlab, and Java. Is there anything else I can do to strengthen my application to Baruch.

Well I would suggest to work more on C++ : for the program specially we use ONLY C++.... personally I dont know any JAVA, andi think if you know one oop language you can easily migrate to any other oop.....
I would suggest to have a deeper understanding about C++ ( for instance a second course in c++ based out of meyers book) than learning a new language....

Although as has been repeatedly said on this forum, none of us are involved in admissions so can't really help with application specific question.... Having said that, its always nice if you have relevant work experience....


I am really keen on getting an admit from Baruch. I am looking forward to all the support in terms of queries about MFE.

You are at the right place ... just post your queries on Quantnet....

[fauxjohn]

Hello to everybody. I am John and I am in the process of finishing my PhD in structural dynamics of offshore wind turbines. My PhD is in Trinity College, Dublin and also Technical university of Berlin. I am Irish. All of my programming is done through Matlab.
I have an upcoming phone interview for a quant position in fixed income next week. I am not sure as to what level my C++ must be as I havent programmed with it since 4 years ago. I would also be interested in taking a course in quant finance.
I'm very pleased to meet you all and hope life is good to you!

[kean]

This is by far the best student forum that I have ever encountered.

Thank you Mr. Andy. You did a great job.

[kean]

I think Andy is right. Trading is getting too complicated nowadays...CFA is not enough anymore unless you are a vanilla trader...no funs though.

MFE is the way to go. I heard that Phd is the status quo though.

[martin weiss]

Hey,

I'm currently an Undergrad Math Major on the Actuarial track. What's the main difference between an Investment/ Corporate Actuary and a Financial Engineer? Both price securities, hedge risk, and program.

[Andy]

This is by far the best student forum that I have ever encountered.

Thank you Mr. Andy. You did a great job.

Thank you for the kind words, Calvin. The credits should go to all the members of our community who make Quantnet what it is today.

By the way, are you anyway related to one of our members kelvinkean ? If so, I can merge both account for you.

[kean]

Thank you for the kind words, Calvin. The credits should go to all the members of our community who make Quantnet what it is today.

By the way, are you anyway related to one of our member kelvinkean ? If so, I can merge both account for you.


Yes. Andy. I couldn't log into my previous user name. So, I created a new one.

My apology. Please merge the old one to the new id. Thanks.:thumbsup:

[Andy]

Yes. Andy. I couldn't log into my previous user name. So, I created a new one.
My apology. Please merge the old one to the new id. Thanks.:thumbsup:

No problem, I merged the accounts for you. Posts under the old account now belongs to CalvinKean. If you like to get your username changed, let me know. I can do it as well.

[Silverpike]

Hi Quantnet members. I am an independent quant trader, and I found this forum during a search. I have been trading Forex for about 2.5 years, and I am looking for people to bounce ideas off of. I am hoping I can get some useful feedback regarding some statistical and physics-based trading simulations, because there is almost nowhere else online to discuss these theories.

I have a B.S. from Virginia Tech, and I will be finishing my Masters at the University of Southern California in August. My degrees are in Computer Engineering, and I was a Staff Engineer at IBM before returning to get my Masters degree. I currently specialize in Asynchronous Logic Design, and will am working on my thesis now.

I started trading for myself because I knew it was a challenging activity. I believe that the best traders can use information theory to gain a large edge over other traders, including institutional houses (when done correctly). I hope to use the forums to refine my ideas, providing anyone else is capable of understanding them. ;)

[Andy]

Hi there,

Glad to see a new member join us, specially a trader who we can get some real-world feedback ;)

Ex-IBMer ? Which location ? I was at Watson Research Lab for a year and half. Awesome place to work. World class researchers in a world class environment.

Did you know/participate in the Interactive Broker Trading olympiad ? The results are coming out today. We have a few students took part in it...will be interesting to see :)

Can you explain the platform you trade Forex on ? Which software you trade on ? Do you trade manually or write some trading algo yourself ? Some of us use Ami Broker through InteractiveBroker's API to trade. Probably will look at TradeStation next.

You can trade here as well. You have 100K to start with. ;)

[SteveTownsend]

I just got promoted from Junior Quant Analyst to MFE Student (hmm, shouldn't that career path progress in the other direction?).

Found out last week that I have been admitted for part-time study, starting with the math refresher courses this summer. Look forward to meeting some of you in July and the following weeks and months.
Normally I :smt017 on emoticons, but in this case I cannot sum up better than :D

[alain]

I just got promoted from Junior Quant Analyst to MFE Student (hmm, shouldn't that career path progress in the other direction?).

Found out last week that I have been admitted for part-time study, starting with the math refresher courses this summer. Look forward to meeting some of you in July and the following weeks and months.
Normally I :smt017 on emoticons, but in this case I cannot sum up better than :D
Congratulations and Good Luck!!! We'll see you in the summer.

[Silverpike]

Hi there,

Glad to see a new member join us, specially a trader who we can get some real-world feedback ;)

Ex-IBMer ? Which location ? I was at Watson Research Lab for a year and half. Awesome place to work. World class researchers in a world class environment.

Did you know/participate in the Interactive Broker Trading olympiad ? The results are coming out today. We have a few students took part in it...will be interesting to see :)

Can you explain the platform you trade Forex on ? Which software you trade on ? Do you trade manually or write some trading algo yourself ? Some of us use Ami Broker through InteractiveBroker's API to trade. Probably will look at TradeStation next.

You can trade here as well. You have 100K to start with. ;)
Thanks Andy, I was hoping you would reply. :)

You are indeed fortunate if you worked at Watson research center. That is a hard place to get into lately. IBM is spending less and less on research on the whole, and there are fewer opportunities to work there. I worked in the Microelectronics division, at a office in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. I did embedded processor design work for them for a few years.

Regarding trading competitions, I am lukewarm about them. They are nice, but they often don't resemble real trading at all. I notice that the winners often make ridiculous trades that no sane person would make with real money. Similarly, there is often nothing to learn by watching the traders trade. These contests end up nothing more than entertainment to me, which is a shame. I don't know of a way to improve this, other than place limits on the amount of leverage traders use.

Regarding Forex, I trade with Oanda. From an end user point of view, there are 2 major choices: spot market or CME futures. The spot market is highly unregulated, and is something of a dangerous environment for traders. The spot market is also divided into 2 groups, ECNs and "bucket shops" (retail brokers). Oanda is a retail broker. My style of trading can be somewhat long term, so I don't use futures (requires quarterly rollover). Oanda has their own API for automated trading which I have licensed, but I have not yet implemented a solid automated system yet. I still do discretional trading for now.

InteractiveBrokers is an excellent platform. They are an ECN, so in theory the pricing is more stable. However, I know that in the Forex market it can be hard to get filled properly with IB (a platform quirk I believe). I tend to shy away from full retail software like Tradestation and eSignal, because in Forex I believe the benefits are much less than securities.

Anyways, I have a lot to say on the subject. Perhaps if you are still curious, you can make a post in one of the financial forums.

[Andy]

I just got promoted from Junior Quant Analyst to MFE Student (hmm, shouldn't that career path progress in the other direction?).

Found out last week that I have been admitted for part-time study, starting with the math refresher courses this summer. Look forward to meeting some of you in July and the following weeks and months.
Normally I :smt017 on emoticons, but in this case I cannot sum up better than :D

Steve,

This is awesome news. A big hearty congratulations from all of us !!! :thumbsup:

You should be proud to get into the program this year (going on reverse from VP to Quantnet Junior Quant Analyst to MFE student and all that ;)). This year, it's too tough to get a seat in our program.

I'm, for one, very excited about you joining our program. I think this is wonderful to have your experience added to our students. I'm sure each of us can learn much from you.

Be prepared to put in sleepless nights, countless hours doing very hard homeworks. Finally, make sure you have fun in our program. Nothing is worth doing without some fun.

[Andy]

Thanks Andy, I was hoping you would reply. :)
Anyways, I have a lot to say on the subject. Perhaps if you are still curious, you can make a post in one of the financial forums.
I love to get to know our new members. I hope that we can offer something to interest our new members.

As you mention, it would be so awesome if you can start a thread on the Forex topic. I hope you can touch on the following topics.
Your system setup (hardware/software). A pic of your trading station would be niceeee
Your take on the forex market: where you think potential upwinds are
Common pitfall faced by new comers to the Forex market.We are discussing about doing a project in Forex algo trading during summer. Hopefully we can apply what we learn to the future trading contests.

What do you say ? ;)

[Silverpike]

I love to get to know our new members. I hope that we can offer something to interest our new members.

As you mention, it would be so awesome if you can start a thread on the Forex topic. I hope you can touch on the following topics.
Your system setup (hardware/software). A pic of your trading station would be niceeee
Your take on the forex market: where you think potential upwinds are
Common pitfall faced by new comers to the Forex market.We are discussing about doing a project in Forex algo trading during summer. Hopefully we can apply what we learn to the future trading contests.

What do you say ? ;)
I will be happy to. I am under some tight constraints this week with my thesis, so it will have to get put off until the weekend, or after. I will get around to it for sure.

Forex is a complicated subject, mostly because the market dynamics are little different from stocks and derivatives. There is definitely some background education required in order to trade it successfully.

[Erica]

Congratulations to you on your demotion. :) I'd wish you luck, but I don't think you need it.

[ckwright]

Hi everybody,

I'm only a trader at a proprietary group.

I learned of the board from FENews. I read the sight looking for topics to study during work. I wou