What You Need to Be Doing NOW to Be Competitive for MFE & Master's Programs
Thursday, August 27, 2026 at 6:00 AM PDT. Hosted by Fiona Taft.
Fiona Taft walked through upcoming fall application deadlines for MFE, MFIN and related quant master's programs, from Baruch's first round on November 1st…
What this session covered
Fiona Taft walked through upcoming fall application deadlines for MFE, MFIN and related quant master's programs, from Baruch's first round on November 1st through Columbia in January and UC Berkeley's first round, usually in January. She covered how to choose a program, the seven pieces of a competitive application, and what applicants should be doing right now.
Key takeaways
- Choosing a program starts with your career goals, including whether the program has career outcomes and alumni at the buy side, sell side or prop trading firms you are targeting.
- Programs post career outcomes reports, and checking internship rates and the percentage of students landing jobs within 30, 60 and 90 days of graduation helps you understand your return on investment.
- In your statement of purpose you need to answer every question asked, because many applicants write an eloquent story that answers only one of five questions, and this goes to attention to detail.
- Stronger applications include an academic recommendation from a professor or postdoc who knows you, and now, within the next 2 to 4 weeks, is the time to reach out to recommenders.
- Even when the GRE or GMAT is listed as optional, programs want to see quantitative scores in the 80th to 90th percentile, so give yourself a couple of months to prep, knowing you can retake the GRE every 30 days.
- If there is one prerequisite course you don't have and should take, it is calculus-based probability and statistics.
- Fiona recommends applying at least two, if not four, weeks before a deadline, giving yourself a week at minimum and never applying the night before, to avoid technical snags.
Questions covered
Answers are edited for clarity.
Who makes the best recommender?
Really, it's someone you have a good relationship with. That could be a mentor from an internship or full-time role you've had, or a faculty member or postdoc you worked closely with. These are all great recommenders.
Does authorship of research papers or conference workshop papers in high-performance computing or AI/ML make an applicant stand out, and how much weight does the admissions committee give it?
Yes, publications are important, especially if you're targeting quantitative research or more academically rigorous institutions such as Princeton, MIT and Baruch. It depends on whether you're targeting quantitative trading, research or development, but it can make you stand out. If you don't have publications, that's okay too; I don't want that to stop anyone from applying. Co-writing papers can also help you stand out.
Would an admissions committee give more weight to quant research at a Tier 2 firm or to experience at big tech companies like Google and Microsoft?
It depends on the program, but most programs take a holistic approach and look for people from a variety of backgrounds. I'm not sure what you mean by a Tier 2 firm, but it also depends on your experience and how you tell that story in your resume and essays. Google or Microsoft experience is relevant, especially in data science, computer science, AI, machine learning or large data sets. In quant, you can come from a variety of backgrounds.
Is there anywhere to take an additional course outside of undergrad to improve on grades in certain undergrad courses?
Absolutely. You can take courses at a local community college, and many MFE programs offer pre-programs, including Baruch, which typically runs fall through winter, Berkeley's pre-MFE courses, and now UChicago; QuantNet also offers courses. For math-heavy courses, a letter grade is better than a certificate. I recommend addressing this in your essays, showing you've since taken those courses and earned high marks.
Does applying in different rounds affect the chances of getting in?
Yes. If you wait until the last round of a program that has three or four rounds, you run the risk of there not being as many spots available.