Profile evaluation for MsF

Question

hello. Here is my brief profile and i would like to get some evaluations for my prospective school. Age: 25 Nationality: Korea. Male. I was studying abroad since junior high in US. Also i was graduated from UC school in march 2013. No TOFLE score is needed. I was majoring in business economics and minoring in business admin. GPA : 3.64/4 and major gpa : 3.89/4. GMAT : 640 (probably lower than the average score of any school i will be applying for. Unfortunately no work experience except for Army service in Korea for 21 months (mandatory for all KOrean male) But I served my duty as KATUSA working with US army stationed in KOrea and so my direct supervisor was a US commander. Since then i can assumably get a recommendation from him, considering a plus for US schools what not. I am planning to apply for the following b-schools for master of science in finance: USC, UIUC, UCI, Duke, Pepperdine Univ. , UoM, venderbilt, boston college. I know my gmat score doesnt meet these school's avg gmat score so i will be taking one more in December, hoping to reach 700. (Honestly i would even take 670-680 as a satisfactory, considering my current ability in this test. Please give me your thoughts or any comments on my plan. PS. USC is the school i would like to get in the most!

MSFHQ · Answer

UC school is good. GPA is fine. Rec from your commander is very good. I've seen a number of Korean student profiles with the military service. IMO, it is high quality experience to have. I think with a 640 you be competitive at Duke and BC. Maybe Vanderbilt. I think USC is going to want to see a higher GMAT. The other schools you'll get into (UoM - Michigan? Is so exclude this), but you probably don't want to go. Poor placements (or none at all). Why not look at SMU or UTA? Claremont would consider you (great placements). OSU has better placements and is cheaper than Pepperdine. If location is what you are looking for then look at UCSD. Miami has an MSF.

IMO, I'd focus on programs with placements and that are cost effective. I think you have a pretty good profile. Really no sense in going to a lot of the program you mentioned.

Traxiv · Answer

Thank you so much. I really appreciate your comment! Other than above-mentioned programs, what programs should I consider giving a shot? Honestly, I've been staying in California over 10 years so I'm not really familiar with schools in other states. Location is, in fact, an important factor to consider. I prefer schools in urban areas. Also, I'm only looking at master of science in finance. The reason I did not mention UCSD is that USCD offers MS in financial engineering, which requires applicants to be expert at programming. Specifically, I prefer the program that offers curriculum with CFA related subjects.

Expecting to finish all the applications (mostly writing essays) by mid-Jan. 2016 (deadline for the most programs), I'm stressing out how many schools should I apply. Could you please give me some advice regarding this issue? Again, thank you so much your time!

MSFHQ · Answer

https://rady.ucsd.edu/finance/

San Diego University as well as UCSD have an MSF degree. Just an FYI.

With your profile I would look at SMU (Dallas Metro), Boston College (near Boston Metro), Villanova (near Philadelphia Metro) and maybe UT Austin. You'd get into Ohio State (Columbus Metro) as well, but not sure if it's what you are looking for.

parantap · Answer

Hi All,

I am looking to pursue MSF (STEM) degree from USA. I am a data scientist with 3 years of experience. Skilled in machine learning, NLP and other advanced statistical techniques. I have proficiency in technical tools such as Excel, Python, R, SQL, MATLAB, C. Passionate about working in investment management industry and want to use MSF degree to develop my financial knowledge ( Worked on the basics of accounting, financial markets, financial modeling through online courses)

Undergrad: B.Tech from top 15 college in India. CGPA (9/10). 
GMAT: 710 (Q50)
TOEFL:110

Current Target Schools : Bentley, Vanderbilt, UCLA Anderson, Texas McCombs, University of Illinois.

Would like to know any other schools that have a good program and my chances at the above mentioned.

MSFHQ · Answer

Honestly, with your background, I would suggest a MFE. For non-domestic students looking for a job in the US, the MFE tends to be the easier path. Assuming you don't want this, your background and scores should get you into most schools. I'd say definitely in at U of I, Bentley. Vanderbilt, I think so, but they might pass because you have almost enough work experience for an MBA. Should still get in though. UCLA, high probability and that would be a financial engineering degree. UT, depends. They like liberal arts students and they might think you have too much experience to get value from the program.

Either way, strong GPA, strong GMAT and good, relevant work experience.

parantap · Answer

Hi. Thanks for the detailed insights. And yes, I also feel MFE could be a better degree wrt. my experience. Which universities would you recommend for MFE given my scores and experience ? Really appreciate the help!!

MiMEssay · Answer

Hey  parantap !

On the surface, your profile seems to have quite a few uplifting factors, for example, your academic background is quite strong coupled with your GPA of 9 showcases your academic prowess. As for your GMAT, a score of 710 opens the doors for you to target most of the top business schools. Since you are applying for an MSF(STEM) program, 50 in the Quant section highlights your excellent analytical aptitude. Also, you have mentioned that you graduated from the top 15 colleges in India, which is surely a plus point as the admission committee tends to pick students from the top colleges of each country.

Coming on to your professional front, you have a very extensive work experience as a data scientist. You haven’t mentioned the company name, but in case it’s not a global brand, you would be required to focus on the kind of roles you have undertaken, the projects you undertook, and the positive impact you were able to create during your stint. Thus, effectively showcasing your work ex can help you establish in the minds of the admission committee that you are no less than your competition who would most likely be Big 4 candidates.

Extracurricular activities are a way to showcase your proactive attitude and how you have emulated the theoretical knowledge you gained in classes and created a positive impact by utilizing them in real-life situations. Hence, the initiatives you have taken up should highlight your holistic development on all fronts. A major factor missing in your profile here is the lack of extracurricular activities that align with your interest in getting into a MFA program. To remedy this problem, you should look into pursuing a finance certification such as FRM or CFA.

Given your school choices, Vanderbilt and UCLA Anderso come under the dream category which means you have around 40-50% of acceptance in this school. Meanwhile, Texas McCombs, University of Illinois, and Bentley fall under the competitive category, which means they have an acceptance rate of 70%.

In addition to this, you can target the following schools in the US:-

Dream: Duke, Michigan
Competitive: Mc Combs, Illinois, Fordham University

Lastly, it is important to be mindful of the fact that you’d be competing with similar competitive profiles such as yours. This is why I’d suggest you lay emphasis on your admission application as a strong application holds 30% of weightage in the entire admission process and is also the way through which you can highlight your strengths and give apt justifications for your weaknesses to smooth over any flaws in your profile. Moreover, a strong application sets you apart from the rest of the competition and hence it is imperative that you use this tool in your arsenal to the best of your advantage.

Since the major chances of your admission depend on the quality of your application, you might want to seek professional help to secure your spot in your target schools. You can check our comprehensive All-in-One Solution, to gain insights into how we can assist in creating a strong application for bagging an admit and scholarships into your dream schools.

Link for the ALL-IN-ONE solutions-

https://www.mim-essay.com/mim-all-in-one

Hope this helped!

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