QuoteOriginally posted by: krystle920Btw, what do you mean by not getting priority in other things? What are these other things?One example: let's review past topics regarding career centers at Columbia MFE as well as other FE/FinMath programs and try to assess whether their approach has been as comprehensive (inward towards students and outward towards employers) as those at MBA programs.The bottom line, Engineering and Mathematics departments are traditionally organization geared towards research. Their indicators for being a successful organization are certainly different than those of MBA schools. Consequently, differences in management are very much expected.Now, let’s do some basic math. MFE/FinMath and MBA programs command the same tuition. Let’s apply an assumption that monetary contribution from MFE/FinMath students is allocated strictly to the MFE/FinMath program. If some aspects are comparatively less funded in MFE/FinMath program then there must be some other aspects that comparatively getting more funding. They are … (that’s for each of us to analyze).

> I was informed that housing decisions would be made in mid-June. By then, would it be too late to look for housing? What happens if by > the start of class I don't have housing yet?Then, like attentive said, you're screwed. But since this isn't undergrad, there is less hand-holding and you're expected to be able to find housing on your own. You could also do what some of my classmates did, ie live in temporary housing somewhere, wait til class starts, and then look together with people in the class who still hasn't found a place. > I'm trying to look for housing via craigslist. However, most places require people to be in New York so they can look at the apartment. > Considering I will only arrive in NY on July 1, is there any way I can get housing through the internet?Very difficult and I won't recommend it. Is it possible for you to come earlier? Are you in a quarter system school where graduation takes place very late? > Re the recommended books, what are the books that I should definitely purchase? We've been given a list of textbooks but I'm not sure > which ones are really useful.Just get latest edition of John Hull. The rest you can pick them up here.

QuoteYour suspicions are correct. Actually, it's not even SEAS, it's IEOR. UAH assigns limited housing to each division of every school, IEOR included. So if IEOR only gets X number of spots on campus and has to face demand from Y students (undergrad + grad + phd), guess who gets to be the bottom feeders?In that case, would you know who at the IEOR decides how the slots would be allocated?

Ah...good question. Unfortunately, I have no idea who that person is. In fact, there might not be a person, just an algorithm. Sorry, if there was a shortcut to this, I would of told you long time ago.

QuoteAh...good question. Unfortunately, I have no idea who that person is. In fact, there might not be a person, just an algorithm. Sorry, if there was a shortcut to this, I would of told you long time ago. Has anyone complained/lobbied and then was assigned housing? I think you can see that I'm getting desperate here.

Yes, people complain every year, but eventually they find something and stop complaining. The school really can't do anything about it. It's not like they are singling us out. Facilities are a huge problem and every school encounters it. That's why the school has plans to expand all the way into Washington Heights, but zoning laws and area-residents have been blocking the initiative for various reasons.All in all, there just isn't enough space at Columbia. If they gave us housing priority, they'll have to bump undergrads or PhDs. Undergrads are even less capable of handling things themselves and PhDs live on the little money they get from the school. The people in the middle are masters students who could afford to pay tuition (as demonstrated through your application) without help from the school and who are bit a more independent than undergrads. Thus we are the ones who are on our own. Though it sucks, the arrangement does make sense to me. Putting it in another way, we are paying the school for the education, the diploma, and the opportunities upon graduation, not for babysitting us, making sure all our needs are taken care of, and making us really happy. If we wanted all that, we'd have to pay bschool tuition.

QuotePutting it in another way, we are paying the school for the education, the diploma, and the opportunities upon graduation, not for babysitting us, making sure all our needs are taken care of, and making us really happy. If we wanted all that, we'd have to pay bschool tuition.Aren't we paying the same as b-school people? I think both our tuitions are around $ 35,000. Their program is longer though but then it is more prestigious. They also get better career services as mentioned earlier.Btw, do you know if the IEOR department only approves housing per student like all master students are automatically not given housing or some other rule? or is it done like the SEAS tells IEOR that they have a certain number of slots and they have to allocate them among their students? If ever they have extra slots not given to PhDs and undergrads, shouldn't they give them to Masters students?

> Aren't we paying the same as b-school people? I think both our tuitions are around $ 35,000. Their program is longer though but then it is > more prestigious. They also get better career services as mentioned earlier.bschool tuition comes to 100K for 4 semesters.> Btw, do you know if the IEOR department only approves housing per student like all master students are automatically not given housing > or some other rule? or is it done like the SEAS tells IEOR that they have a certain number of slots and they have to allocate them among > their students? If ever they have extra slots not given to PhDs and undergrads, shouldn't they give them to Masters students? I'm quite sure they don't have a rule such as 'all masters students' are not giving housing. It believe it is more like a certain amount of slots are assigned and then the department assigns them. I'm not sure about exact details but if there are extra slots left (there aren't), they will eventually trickle down to tuition paying masters students. That here, the operative word is 'extra' and there's slim chance of that happening.

QuoteOriginally posted by: Cellbschool tuition comes to 100K for 4 semesters.I am not sure your calculation method is but you seemed to imply that their tuition is around $25K/semester.If understand correctly, the right number is $16K/semester (http://www-1.gsb.columbia.edu/students/tuition/). Did $16K become $25K in one year?I am sure what krystle920 was trying to address is the tuition only, excluding the living expenses and health insurance. Tuition is the part that goes directly to the school. We all love to assume that our monetary contribution is effectively, efficiently, and exclusively utilized for our own MFE program as the way it is in MBA schools. Let's all put on our Science/Engineering/Math hat and guesstimate the realization of that hope.

Your figures are probably right, my 100K number is what MBAs have repeatedly quoted me. I think another difference is most of the MFE tuition doesn't stay in the IEOR department, instead, it goes to the university, that's not the case for the bschool.

Does anyone know the registration procedures/schedule for this summer? I emailed Jenny and she said that they'll take care of it. Does this mean they'll be the ones to register for me?