Baruch MFE FAQ

[Andy]

Frequently Asked Questions

* Q: What is the acceptance rate for this program?
* A: The admission rate for Fall 2006 admission was 23%. For more information, see the Admission Stats page.

* Q: How many students do you admit in your program?
* A: We do not have a quota for admission, and we do not have a quota for enrolled students. We admit as many students as we believe have a good chance of being successful in the program, meaning that they will graduate from the program and find a job in the financial industry. The enrollment numbers might vary from year to year; see the Admission Stats page for more details.

* Q: I would like to know what GRE or GMAT scores are you requiring or looking for?
* A: The the test scores and GPAs of the students admitted into the program in previous years can be found on the Admission Stats page. Note that we look at every application as a complete package, which includes not only the quantifiable parts, such as the GPA and the test scores, but also the Personal Essay, the letters of recommendation, and other general considerations, such as relevant work experience and the strength of the mathematical and C++ programming background of the applicant.

* Q: What GPA is considered competitive for admission?
* A: See the answer to the question above.

* Q: Do you accept both GRE and GMAT scores?
* A: Yes, we do. However, we prefer you take the GRE, if you did not take the GMAT just yet.

* Q: I am a full-time employee in a big New York investment bank, how long would I have to complete the program or is there no time limit?
* A: We encourage our students to graduate as fast as possible. Usually, part-time students graduate in five semesters. The time limit within CUNY is five academic years since the semester you started the program.

* Q: What prerequisites do you require for admission into your program?
* A: Two semesters of Calculus, one semester of Probability, one semester of Linear Algebra, programming knowledge (preferably C++), as demonstrated by one undergraduate class, having a certificate degree, or work experience, and knowledge of Finance, as demonstrated by one undergraduate class or work experience.

* Q: Can I still apply for admission, even if I do not fulfill all the prerequisites?
* A: Yes. When evaluating the applications, we look for candidates who are able to successfully complete the program. If you lack in any of the prerequisite areas, but we believe that you are otherwise a good candidate for admission, several options are available to you before starting the program in September: you can take undergraduate level courses in these areas (either at Baruch, or at other schools) during the academic year before the target enrollment date, or you can take some of the refresher courses offered by our department during summer. For more details, see the Refresher Courses page.

* Q: What are the refresher courses?
* A: Some applicants may be admitted even though their background is not as strong as needed in certain areas, as long as they are deemed to have the potential of being successful in the program. To bring them up to speed in all areas, they will be required to take some refresher courses before the start of the program. This year, we will offer refresher courses in C++, Advanced Calculus, Probability, and Linear Algebra. These courses will focus on topics to be examined in greater detail in the program, and will cover a number of challenging financial applications. The refresher courses are taught by faculty who teach the graduate courses in our program. For more details, see the Refresher Courses page.

* Q: Do you have Spring admission into your program?
* A: No, for the following reason: any incoming student takes at least one of the following two core math courses in the first semester of study: either MTH 9821 Numerical Linear Algebra or MTH 9831 Real Analysis and Probability. But these two courses are only offered in the Fall.

* Q: Where can I find more information about your program?
* A: You should visit QuantNetwork Website at www.quantnet.org (http://www.quantnet.org). It is the official website for students in our program. We strongly encourage you to ask questions on the forum

* Q: Is there someone that I may speak to regarding this program?
* A: Your first point contact is Ms. Cathy Levkulic, from the Graduate Admissions Office; phone: (646) 312-4493; email: Cathy_Levkulic@baruch.cuny.edu

If need be, Ms. Levkulic will refer you to a faculty member to answer your questions. This is the current state of our FAQ, as you can see , there are many important info that is missing. As a result, we saw many prospective students ask the same kind of questions over and over again. Once this FAQ is done, we will be able to point them to it and it should answer almost if not all.

Please take a look here http://mfe.haas.berkeley.edu/faqs.html and see if you can answer any of them from your experience. Post the questions and your answers, we will compile them into a master list.

[Yusheng]

* Q: What is the acceptance rate for this program?
* A: The admission rate for Fall 2006 admission was 23%. For more information, see the Admission Stats page.
What is the dropping off rate? Under what circumstances one cannot continue the study in this program?

How about the financial aid opportunity? (Some applicants may ask this)

[Andy]

Q: When will I get notified after my application is complete ?
A : 2 weeks after the decision is made by email.

Q: Does Baruch provide on-campus housing ?
A: No, you can apply to various CUNY dorms throughout the city. One is The Towers at City College which is open to all CUNY student.
You can find apt ads via Baruch classified ads on http://theticker.campusave.com/
You can also find various shared housing through www.craigslist.org (http://www.craigslist.org)

[Yusheng]

Q: Does Baruch provide on-campus housing ?
A: No, you can apply to various CUNY dorms throughout the city. One is The Towers at City College which is open to all CUNY student.
You can find apt ads via Baruch classified ads on http://theticker.campusave.com/
You can also find various shared housing through www.craigslist.orgFor Chinese-speaking student, there are some ads for housing information.
http://classifieds.worldjournal.com/homeindex_2.3.php?at_ban%5B%5D=NYQ&lc_code_seq=4&mct_desc=%A9%D0%AB%CE%AF%B2%B8%EE&lc_code_desc=%A6%ED%AEa&search=GO

[Andy]

Q. What are the tuition and fee for domestic and international students ?
A. Baruch College, as any other public college in the CUNY system, determines one's tuition based on a residency system. A resident is a person who has resided in New York City 1 full year prior to the first day of the semester to which he is applying. International students (those with F-1 visas) will be charged non-resident tuition regardless of how long that student has lived in NYC. Any US citizen or permanent resident will also be charged non-resident rate as long as s/he does not meet 1-year residency rule.

Full Time
New York State Residents $3,200 per semester $270 per credit
Out-of-State Residents and Foreign Students on Temporary Visas $500 per credit $500 per credit
Part-Time
New York State Residents $270 per credit
Out-of-State Residents and Foreign Students on Temporary Visas $500 per credit

Maintenance of Matriculation (Graduate Students)
New York State Residents Students $750 per Semester
Non-Resident Students $1,250 per Semester

Technology Fee
Full-Time Part-Time
$75.00 per semester
Part-Time
$37.50 per semester
The Technology Fee is non-refundable

Student Activity Fees
Fall and Spring (Graduate) $29.00
Summer (Per Summer Session) (Graduate) $13.85
Consolidated Service Fee (All Students) $15.00
All Student Activity Fees and Consolidated Service Fees are non-refundable.

[Andy]

* Q : Do you accept transfer courses from other program ?
* A :Yes, up to 4 courses are transferable provided that they are relevant/similar to our cirriculum and you received good grade in those courses.

* Q : What is the academic calendar for the Baruch MFE program ?
* A : Refresher courses start in early Jun until middle of August
First semester : From late August until third week of December
Second semester : From late January until third week of May
Third semester : from late August until third week of December

[Andy]

Q: What are Baruch College's code for GRE and TOEFL exam
A: For GRE/GMAT, the code is 2012
For TOEFL, the code is 8272

Q: The Baruch MFE website at http://math.baruch.cuny.edu/masters.html is not accessible, what do I do ?
A: Please access it from the main url at http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/math/masters.html

[Andy]

Q: How do I convert my average from Indian system to GPA ?
A: Please use this as a guideline http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GPA_in_India
Credit: found by Maxrum

[Andy]

* Q: I am an international student. Under which circumstances is the TOEFL requirement waived?
* A: If you hold either an undergraduate or a graduate degree from a US or Canadian institution, the TOEFL requirement is waived.

Please disregard anything about TOEFL requirement being waived for international students. They are required for all international students regardless of where they obtained their degree. This is confirmed by Cathy.

[Claudia]

Hi, Andy, I didn't send my TOEFL and got a confirmation letter of materials complete. Does this affect my application?Thanks!

[Andy]

Hi, Andy, I didn't send my TOEFL and got a confirmation letter of materials complete. Does this affect my application?Thanks!
No, you are set. They evaluate case-by-case. The general rule applies still.
Goodluck with your applications.

[Claudia]

No, you are set. They evaluate case-by-case. The general rule applies still.
Goodluck with your applications.

Thanks a lot! :):):):):):)

[phani]

Hi,

I am right now registering for TOEFL IBT, i have used the code: 8272, for selecting Baruch College, but it was asking for selecting department code (options available are undergraduate, Graduate Schools, Graduate Schhols for Mgmt, Law Schools), I think it should be among "Graduate schools" or "Graduate schools for Mgmt", again if i select "graduate schools" option it is asking for sub categories like "social sciences","Physical sciences","humanities","biological sciences","any dept not listed", once you select one of the sub categories few more department names options are thrown up,

Hope, some one can help me in this matter as soon as possible,

Thanks in advance,
Phani

[Andy]

Sorry couldn't get to this earlier.
Cathy only gave me 8272 as the TOEFL code without dept code so from what you said, I would select Graduate Schools -> Dept not listed.
Unless there is something coming up under Dept not listed, it's equivalent to putting 0000 as dept code.
I've never taken TOEFL so this is my assumption based on the GRE system.

Please contact Cathy to verify.
Phone: (646) 312-4493 Email: Cathy_Levkulic@baruch.cuny.edu (Cathy_Levkulic@baruch.cuny.edu)

[kean]

* Q : Do you accept transfer courses from other program ?
* A :Yes, up to 4 courses are transferable provided that they are relevant/similar to our cirriculum and you received good grade in those courses.

* Q : What is the academic calendar for the Baruch MFE program ?
* A : Refresher courses start in early Jun until middle of August
First semester : From late August until third week of December
Second semester : From late January until third week of May
Third semester : from late August until third week of December

Hi Andy,

Can you provide more information about the exemption issues?
I am hoping to get some exemptions. By the way, I will contact Dan tomorrow.

Cheers,
CK

[eyesy]

Hi, Andy,

I'm a student in MS. Computer Info System in Zicklin. I'd like to register for MTH 9815 OOP for Financial Application in Fall 2007.

Do you know who I should contact for info on my eligibility for the course?

Thanks!

eyesy

[Andy]

Hi Andy,

Can you provide more information about the exemption issues?
I am hoping to get some exemptions. By the way, I will contact Dan tomorrow.
Prof. Stefanica would be the one to talk to regarding the exemptions.

Hi, Andy,
I'm a student in MS. Computer Info System in Zicklin. I'd like to register for MTH 9815 OOP for Financial Application in Fall 2007.
Do you know who I should contact for info on my eligibility for the course?
I'm afraid the 9815 is open for students in the MFE program only. There were couple of outside students registered for the course last semester and they all dropped out after first lecture once they heard the scope and depth of the class.
I personally discourage anyone outside of our program to take any course with 98xx prefix. Those are designed specifically for MFE students.

You may want to take a look into other alternative courses offered by the Zicklin or Weissman school.

[Yiping_Wan]

* Q : What is the academic calendar for the Baruch MFE program ?
* A : Refresher courses start in early Jun until middle of August
First semester : From late August until third week of December
Second semester : From late January until third week of May
Third semester : from late August until third week of December

Hi all,

heard that international student can't land US until one month ahead of First semester? Then refresher courses will be missed. Where can I find a detailed calendar for international students?

Thx
Yiping

[Yan He]

Yes, as far as I know, there's time constrait for landing of int'l students. Say if your I-20 says that school begins at Sept. the earliest date for landing is lie 30 or 60 days in advance. You'd better double check. As to Sylabus, we used to have it on Quantnet...

[Andy]

Q: What is the amount needed by Baruch International Student Service Center before they can issue I-20 for international students that apply to the MFE program ?
A: The amount is $ 57,800 as required by Baruch under an established federal immigration guideline.

For more information, please see http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/studentaffairs/issc/SEVIS_I-20_Freshman.htm

[Andy]

LOANS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

With co-signer:

Astrive (http://www.astrivestudentloans.com/caq.html)
Bank of America Student Loan (http://www.bankofamerica.com/studentbanking/index.cfm?template=stb_applications_and_forms)
Citibank- CitiAssist Student Loan (http://studentloan.citibank.com/slcsite/fr_apnow.htm)
College Loan Site (http://www.collegeloansite.com/Home.htm)
Collegiate Funding Services (http://www.ed-loans.com/index.cfm?action=profile&profile=CS&bhcp=1)
International Eduaction Finance Corporation (http://www.iefc.com/)
International Student Loan (http://www.internationalstudentloan.com/international_student/index.html)
Sallie Mae (https://secure.tuitionpay.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/TuitionPay)
TERI (http://www.teri.org/) Without co-signer:

Global Student Loan Corporation (http://www.globalslc.com/)
Access Group (http://www.accessgroup.org/)

[Andy]

This FAQ is being depreciated and replaced by the one Chris put up on our Wiki page at Baruch FAQ - Quantnet Wiki (www.quantnet.org/wiki/Baruch_FAQ)

[Anshul]

hi Andy,

A doubt...
What all options are available for us to deposit our semester fee.. can u please put some light on this....
Is there any ACH option or any kind of electronic tranfer facility available ?
What about Cheques ??

Thanks..

Anshul.
MFE-2007 entrant.

[Andy]

I got this question couple days ago so I'll copy my answer. This will be added to the Baruch FAQ wiki

You can pay online by credit card, you can pay by cash, check, money order.

When you come here, I assume you will have cash or open a bank account.
If you have cash, you can pay by cash, or buy a money order from the post office.
Or you can get a cashier check from your bank and bring it with you. Get like $6000 check and pay the rest in cash…etc

Payment - Bursar - Baruch College (http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/bursar/payment.htm)

[Anshul]

thanks Andy... :)

see you soon....

[mohiuddin]

Hi all...
I've joined the community just now n ma main intention is to discuss regarding MFE.....its actually that since my childhood i hav developed this immense interest in maths n throughout ma schooling n ma graduation hav been thoroughly njoyyying solving more n more problems....after 2 to 3yrs i want to do a job which involves maths n a bit of finance tht is why interest in MFE.....i hav a decent GRE score n a not so gud graduation %though ma grades in maths r all A's n B's....im interested in applying 2 Baruch coll but cudnt find information regarding app process thr...for example aaplicaton checlist,app fees,no option to register online as normally univeristies have......i wud b grateful if sum1 cud guide me in this aspect

[Andy]

I have serious headache trying to read your question. It must be some kind of new English that old folks like me isn't hip enough to catch up.

Check the following links and ask again if you still don't find the info you need
1) The online application form is here Welcome To Embark Apply Online - Baruch College Weissman School of Arts and Sciences (https://apply.embark.com/grad/baruch/weissman/14/)
2) The Baruch wiki is here Baruch - Quantnet Wiki (http://www.quantnet.org/wiki/Baruch)
3) Most of what you need to know is Baruch FAQ - Quantnet Wiki (http://www.quantnet.org/wiki/Baruch_FAQ)
4) Go through the question/answer given during the chats Chat with Director of Baruch MFE program - Quantnet.org - Financial Engineering Forum (http://www.quantnet.org/forum/showthread.php?t=770)

I would be very surprised if you don't get the info you need from those links

[imfe]

Hi Everyone,

While selecting the school to send the GMAT - MBA.COM doesn't give option to put the school code. Instead it asks to select the college/university and choose the department.

Can anyone tell me what should I select for my GMAT scores to be sent for the Financial Engineering program at Baruch? I only see the following for Baruch on MBA.COM:


City University of New York - Baruch College - School of Public Affairs - Advanced Certificate in Education Administration & Supervision (javascript:submitATWCSearchSelect120186190482DefaultOrderItemQuestionFieldx2621('XW0-2R-96')) New York, NY, USA City University of New York - Baruch College - School of Public Affairs - Executive Masters in Public Administration (javascript:submitATWCSearchSelect120186190482DefaultOrderItemQuestionFieldx2621('XW0-2R-34')) New York, NY, USA City University of New York - Baruch College - School of Public Affairs - Masters in Public Administration (javascript:submitATWCSearchSelect120186190482DefaultOrderItemQuestionFieldx2621('XW0-2R-84')) New York, NY, USA City University of New York - Baruch College - School of Public Affairs - MSEd in Education Administration & Supervision (javascript:submitATWCSearchSelect120186190482DefaultOrderItemQuestionFieldx2621('XW0-2R-61')) New York, NY, USA City University of New York - Baruch College - School of Public Affairs - MSEd in Higher Education Administration (javascript:submitATWCSearchSelect120186190482DefaultOrderItemQuestionFieldx2621('XW0-2R-24')) New York, NY, USA City University of New York - Baruch College - Weissman School of Arts & Sciences - MA in Corporate Communication (javascript:submitATWCSearchSelect120186190482DefaultOrderItemQuestionFieldx2621('XW0-WB-86')) New York, NY, USA City University of New York - Baruch College - Weissman School of Arts & Sciences - MS in Applied Mathematics for Finance (javascript:submitATWCSearchSelect120186190482DefaultOrderItemQuestionFieldx2621('XW0-WB-45')) New York, NY, USA City University of New York - Baruch College - Weissman School of Arts & Sciences - MS in Industrial/Organizational Psychology (javascript:submitATWCSearchSelect120186190482DefaultOrderItemQuestionFieldx2621('XW0-WB-31')) New York, NY, USA City University of New York - Baruch College - Zicklin School of Business - Executive MBA (javascript:submitATWCSearchSelect120186190482DefaultOrderItemQuestionFieldx2621('XW0-C7-93')) New York, NY, USA City University of New York - Baruch College - Zicklin School of Business - Executive MS in Finance (javascript:submitATWCSearchSelect120186190482DefaultOrderItemQuestionFieldx2621('XW0-C7-95')) New York, NY, USA City University of New York - Baruch College - Zicklin School of Business - Executive MS in Industrial and Labor Relations (javascript:submitATWCSearchSelect120186190482DefaultOrderItemQuestionFieldx2621('XW0-C7-14')) New York, NY, USA City University of New York - Baruch College - Zicklin School of Business - MBA, Accelerated Part Time (javascript:submitATWCSearchSelect120186190482DefaultOrderItemQuestionFieldx2621('XW0-C7-48')) New York, NY, USA City University of New York - Baruch College - Zicklin School of Business - MBA, Full Flex Time (javascript:submitATWCSearchSelect120186190482DefaultOrderItemQuestionFieldx2621('XW0-C7-79')) New York, NY, USA City University of New York - Baruch College - Zicklin School of Business - MBA, Health Care Administration Baruch/Mt. Sinai (javascript:submitATWCSearchSelect120186190482DefaultOrderItemQuestionFieldx2621('XW0-C7-17')) New York, NY, USA City University of New York - Baruch College - Zicklin School of Business - MBA, Honors Full Time (javascript:submitATWCSearchSelect120186190482DefaultOrderItemQuestionFieldx2621('XW0-C7-50')) New York, NY, USA City University of New York - Baruch College - Zicklin School of Business - MBA, Part Flex Time (javascript:submitATWCSearchSelect120186190482DefaultOrderItemQuestionFieldx2621('XW0-C7-34')) New York, NY, USA City University of New York - Baruch College - Zicklin School of Business - MS in Accountancy, Full Flex Time (javascript:submitATWCSearchSelect120186190482DefaultOrderItemQuestionFieldx2621('XW0-C7-22')) New York, NY, USA City University of New York - Baruch College - Zicklin School of Business - MS in Accountancy, Part Flex Time (javascript:submitATWCSearchSelect120186190482DefaultOrderItemQuestionFieldx2621('XW0-C7-36')) New York, NY, USA City University of New York - Baruch College - Zicklin School of Business - MS in Business Computer Information Systems, Full Flex Time (javascript:submitATWCSearchSelect120186190482DefaultOrderItemQuestionFieldx2621('XW0-C7-90')) New York, NY, USA City University of New York - Baruch College - Zicklin School of Business - MS in Business Computer Information Systems, Part Flex Time (javascript:submitATWCSearchSelect120186190482DefaultOrderItemQuestionFieldx2621('XW0-C7-12')) New York, NY, USA City University of New York - Baruch College - Zicklin School of Business - MS in Marketing, Full Flex Time (javascript:submitATWCSearchSelect120186190482DefaultOrderItemQuestionFieldx2621('XW0-C7-01')) New York, NY, USA City University of New York - Baruch College - Zicklin School of Business - MS in Marketing, Part Flex Time (javascript:submitATWCSearchSelect120186190482DefaultOrderItemQuestionFieldx2621('XW0-C7-19')) New York, NY, USA City University of New York - Baruch College - Zicklin School of Business - MS in Quantitative Methods & Modeling, Full Flex Time (javascript:submitATWCSearchSelect120186190482DefaultOrderItemQuestionFieldx2621('XW0-C7-37')) New York, NY, USA City University of New York - Baruch College - Zicklin School of Business - MS in Quantitative Methods & Modeling, Part Flex Time (javascript:submitATWCSearchSelect120186190482DefaultOrderItemQuestionFieldx2621('XW0-C7-18')) New York, NY, USA City University of New York - Baruch College - Zicklin School of Business - MS in Statistics, Full Flex Time (javascript:submitATWCSearchSelect120186190482DefaultOrderItemQuestionFieldx2621('XW0-C7-73')) New York, NY, USA City University of New York - Baruch College - Zicklin School of Business - MS in Statistics, Part Flex Time (javascript:submitATWCSearchSelect120186190482DefaultOrderItemQuestionFieldx2621('XW0-C7-99')) New York, NY, USA City University of New York - Baruch College - Zicklin School of Business - MS in Taxation, Full Flex Time (javascript:submitATWCSearchSelect120186190482DefaultOrderItemQuestionFieldx2621('XW0-C7-06')) New York, NY, USA City University of New York - Baruch College - Zicklin School of Business - MS in Taxation, Part Flex Time (javascript:submitATWCSearchSelect120186190482DefaultOrderItemQuestionFieldx2621('XW0-C7-61')) New York, NY, USA


Thanks.

[Andy]

City University of New York - Baruch College - Weissman School of Arts & Sciences - MS in Applied Mathematics for Finance (http://javascript%3cb%3e%3c/b%3E:submitATWCSearchSelect120186190482DefaultOrderItemQuestionFieldx2621%28%27XW0-WB-45%27%29) New York, NY, USA

[imfe]

Thanks Andy.

I thought that the MFE program is run through school of Business. MBA.COM has one option that says following:

City University of New York - Baruch College - Zicklin School of Business - MS in Quantitative Methods & Modeling, Full Flex Time (http://javascript%3cb%3e%3c/b%3E:submitATWCSearchSelect120186190482DefaultOrderItemQuestionFieldx2621%28%27XW0-C7-37%27%29) New York, NY, USA

Can you please confirm if I should send the score to the above option or the option you suggested - City University of New York - Baruch College - Weissman School of Arts & Sciences - MS in Applied Mathematics for Finance (http://javascript%3cb%3e%3c/b%3E:submitATWCSearchSelect120186190482DefaultOrderItemQuestionFieldx2621%28%27XW0-WB-45%27%29) New York, NY, USA

Thanks.

[dstefan]

You should apply in Weissman, for the MFE Program. Applied Math for Finance is the old name of the program.

[mferh]

Hi,

Not sure if this is the right thread to post a question like this.

I am interested in the Baruch MS/Statistics program. Is a GRE quant score of 770 enough for the purpose Or, do I need to reappear for the GRE to enhance my quant score ?

Thanks

[Eugene Krel]

Try this - http://inquiry.embark.com/baruch/grad/