（8.17更新）新上任，开一个问答帖，有什么商科问题过来问，我有空尽量回答

IannUID：3675344

恭喜斑竹！
正好想要申请北美的金工和商业分析方向，求问几个问题。

我的背景情况是：
国内211财经类本硕，均分85/100，木海外交流木牛推木论文，相关工作经验三年。
准备混申北美MFE/BA/STAT方向的硕士，读完短期职业目标是在金融机构工作几年，长期职业目标是读博走学术路线，如果读硕期间能直接找到博的机会一步到位就更好。

我的主要问题是：
1）定位问题。因为工作几年，身边也木有一同申请的小伙伴，不知道我的背景主申哪个排名段的学校比较合适？
2）先修课程问题。由于这几个方向都需要较好的数理背景，而我刚进大学的时候作死有两门数学课低空飘过，不知道对申请学校的影响大不大？或者说有哪些死控数学分的我可以不用去奢望的学校？
3）专业方向问题。我知道我的长短期职业目标比较纠结，面向就业的项目和面向读博的项目有着本质的区别，除了MFE算是勉强两相兼顾以外（但排除数学要求高不敢去的和学费特别高不能去的以外就木有几所了），BA基本只能顾前者，STAT又基本只能顾后者。因此想求问一下，LZ有木有见到过反例，也就是BA后读博或是STAT后去金融机构工作的情况？或者有什么别的能兼顾短期就业和长期读博跳板的方向和项目么？
4）就业方向问题。以斑竹所在的加拿大为例，不知道北美金融机构开放给硕士学生的entry-level的职位都有哪些？是主要集中在quant和ib领域，还是也有比较多进入buy side的机会？
5）几个加拿大项目的问题。加拿大的项目里灰常心水多大MMF/MFE和水卢MQF，但听说这几个项目很难申请到，想请问这三个项目特别看重的主要是哪些方面？我目前的背景有木有希望冲一冲？以及还有哪些现在可以提高的地方？最后，有木有什么别的加拿大的好项目求推荐？

灰常感谢斑竹！祝实习顺利升职加薪^ ^

IannUID：3675344

cheesechan 发表于 2016-8-13 16:20
1. please list out the math/stat course (that are taken in the science / engineering faculty) yo ...

Thanks so much for your suggestion, my bg is:
1. Math/stat course: single variable calculus, 80+; multivariable calculus, 65+; probability, 70+; linear algebra, 90+; statistics, 80+; econometrics, 90+. They're all undergraduate level courses.
2. Because of personal interest...well, I know it's not a persuasive answer. Maybe I should take a practical program first, and then do something more acdemical while study?

IannUID：3675344

cheesechan 发表于 2016-8-14 17:28
without any advanced applied math and stat course, I am pretty sure that you don't have any idea a ...

Thank you so much to tell me the tough truth. Yes, I know that I'm not a typical applicant for academic programs because of my grade, my math/CS courses, my paper/research experience and so forth. However, I still wanna know if there is a chance for me to try. I mean, for most of the practical programs have locked curriculums, I have no idea how can I take those advance courses if I cannot come into an academic program? Will it helpful if I take these advance courses on MOOC before apply?
On the other side, I know that I should pay more attention to practical programs. For the practical oriented financial engineering and business analytic programs,  which tier of programs do you think will fit me? Thanks a lot for your time and advice.

IannUID：3675344

cheesechan 发表于 2016-8-15 02:59
1. interested in XYZ =/= interested in researching XYZ

2. 萬物有時. 人生有些時候, 當年沒有做的, ...

谢谢前辈金玉之言，果然现在流下的泪都是当年脑子里进的水，不过总算还可以把握好现在，不让后之视今亦如今之视昔

btw, US top 6 -20 means a general rank in usnews or a mfe rank in quantnet?

IannUID：3675344

cheesechan 发表于 2016-8-15 23:03
who fuxking about a general ranking for a specialized master?
(don't stick 100% to the quantnet ...

Thanks for your advice. I haven't noticed UK programs before. Surely IC and UCL are quite big names, and their curriculums are really useful. However, I still have some questions.
1) I find the program has a huge class size (up to 200), and I'm not sure if I have the chance to impress the professors in such a one-year large class and to get their support in further application?
2) Given the class size and the visa policy in UK, I wonder if I can find a job after graduation. I find the placement in IC RMFE filled with big names, however, I also find 35% of the placement is in Asia. So, what is the real situation for an international student to find a job in this program?
3) I learnt from the forum that UK's student visa policy is really tough for those who already have a master's degree. As I've already have a master of finance degree in a domestic university, will it hard for me to apply for a student visa to study MFE in UK?

IannUID：3675344

cheesechan 发表于 2016-8-18 17:35
1. smaller cohort size is always better, and thus it is also always much more difficult to get int ...

1) Yes, u r right. Given my limit bg, university reputation is more important. Wanna get everything always leads to nothing.
2) Sorry, I forgot to mention it. I just thought that work in the place I study maybe help to keep in touch with my references, considering how hard it is to enter a finance phd program. As for in financial industry, it's only for career continuity. In fact, I planed that if I failed in apply phd in the first year, then work there for three years and apply three more times, if all failed, then back home. Maybe it sounds silly, but I'm really not that confident to success in the first time.
3) Age is not a concern for me, and so is family. However, I don't know if it is a concern for the committee and professors?
And, yes, after talked with you on the forum these days, I began to think back and ask myself what I really want. I didn't take any advanced math/stat courses in my spare time, I know I should, but I delayed. Every time I open the website to enroll some quant courses, it's end up with the enrollment of some design courses... Maybe what I really need to change is not about degree, it's about major and career.
Anyway, Thank you to push me out of the "I thought" zone, I'll think again the way I gonna go.

IannUID：3675344

cheesechan 发表于 2016-8-18 21:02
2. I think you better make up your idea first: either fighting for a finance job in US / oversea ...

4) "If you really like XYZ, you will do that at the first moment possible." I think I know what to study in phd now...and yes, not finance.
3) However, thank you to remind me age and parents' problem, I'll talk to my mom and dad first before make up my mind whether to take a phd or not.
2) And if the answer is yes, then I think I need to change a place to ask further questions; and if the answer is no, then the question changes to: if I wanna find a finance job oversea/ find a job in top financial institutions in china, which kind of programs should I take?

IannUID：3675344

cheesechan 发表于 2016-8-18 22:07
4. the math/stat requirement not only holds for finance, (or financial engineering), but also stuf ...

Sorry to reply late, and thanks for reminding. I'm not gonna take a degree in BA/ DS but something design related, so stat background is not a concern for me now. Thanks for all your advices that help me to look back into myself and find out what I'm really wanna be.