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QuoteJob placement from the FE program at Columbia is quite unique as the student population is mostly (~70%) foreign. Most of these foreign students have no chance at landing wall street jobs in the united states as their english is very poor.Josu,do you think that the main problem of foreign students in finding a job after graduation is 'english level'? They already have to have quite good english before applying and then after spending 1-2 years in the USA I don't think english would be the main problem. When I was in USA as an exchange student, I didn't have problem to communicate effectively after 2-3 months, not mentioning that most of the 'native' speakers weren't able to say two sentences without using "you know", "I mean" ;-)RegardsQuantOption

Quotedo you think that the main problem of foreign students in finding a job after graduation is 'english level'? They already have to have quite good english before applying and then after spending 1-2 years in the USA I don't think english would be the main problem. When I was in USA as an exchange student, I didn't have problem to communicate effectively after 2-3 months, not mentioning that most of the 'native' speakers weren't able to say two sentences without using "you know", "I mean" ;-)Well accent migh be a problem for certain positions, but its a a combination of many other factors as well. Its about shortage of skills, but from my experience in UK graduate market i got the impression that you must be twice as good as a local to get the job. Its something like a tacit lawUnis are just like shops, they may sell education and degrees to foreigners, plus the spending for living expenses of foreigners to the local economy, but that doesnt mean that the foreign students must be a threat to local job seekers

QuoteIts about shortage of skillsShortage of skills? Why would than classes consist of 70% of international students?

I personally think placement after FE or FM programs will depend largely on prior work experience in the financial industry...and will probably be much more difficult without experience especially in this environment for a foreign student. I am assuming that many applicants to these programs do not have substantial prior industry experience? The same is true for MBAs looking to switch to finance from other industries in this environment. As for foreign nationals (I am one myself), I think companies may just be reluctant to go the extra mile with the INS to hire people without experience when the labor market is so slack...there may be other factors but my sense is that this may be the predominant reason.My sense is that since FE/FM programs haven't been around for a long time and there are no official rankings, once should go with a program that fits personally, not one that is perceived to be "more rigorous" mathematically, etc.Personally, I am deciding between Columbia MSFE and NYU MF, I think both programs are good. Both programs have students with similar work experience profile. NYU is supposedly more rigorous mathematically, but I have a BA Econ and BS Eng from a top US school and I strongly suspect NYU will be too theoretical for me so I am leaning towards Columbia...Just my thoughts. I think until formal "objective" rankings that factor in placement come out, choosing among quant programs will be a highly personal decision.......

I decided to go for NYU, because QuoteNYU is supposedly more rigorous mathematically:-)

QuoteOriginally posted by: QuantOption<blockquote>Quote<hr>Its about shortage of skills<hr></blockquote>Shortage of skills? Why would than classes consist of 70% of international students? ;-)I mean that if they really need the skills you possess due to excess demand for them for example, if they can see $$$ in your eyes, then your nationality or language skills doesnt really matter, they can even afford to hire a personal interpreter for you. At the same time i was jobseeking in UK, persons with IT skills even minimal such as HTML programming were wanted dead or alive

QuoteOriginally posted by: QuantOption. . . most of the 'native' speakers weren't able to say two sentences without using "you know", "I mean" to paraphrase Thelonius Monk . . . . . . its not about the "ya knows", it's about the spaces between the "ya knows"

Ty,I have not recieved any replys concerning my post about Claremont. It seems like a good program, but I cannot find anyone that has any inside information. Because of this, I have decided to attend the MBA program at USC this fall. Overall, the tuition is about the same but USC has the status and ranking.--jse

Anyone out there still trying to decide between Columbia FE and another Math Finance program (NYU, Chicago, CMU)? Looks the FE program at Columbia has been restructured with Emanuel Derman to assume chairmanship in July. With proper choice of electives from the math department, one could come out with a great experience. My take is: if you want to be told which courses to take in sequence and at what time, go to Chicago, NYU, or CMU. If your are really excited about program flexibility without sacrificing quality, Columbia FE looks like a great choice. Columbia MAFM students could also take the FE electives and vice versa. So students coming out of the two Columbia programs could have almost identical experiences depending above elective choice. Again, it would boil down to a personal decision. (School's perceived ranking in math finance) != (success on job market). It's about the whole package: background, previous industry experience, overall alumni network of school in the industry, etc, etc. Good luck everyone. I may see you at Columbia!

Have you decided to go for Columbia FE?I chose there partly because of Dr. Derman. Maybe I can see you in July, .Send me a private message if you would like to. q]Originally posted by: futurequantAnyone out there still trying to decide between Columbia FE and another Math Finance program (NYU, Chicago, CMU)? Looks the FE program at Columbia has been restructured with Emanuel Derman to assume chairmanship in July. With proper choice of electives from the math department, one could come out with a great experience. My take is: if you want to be told which courses to take in sequence and at what time, go to Chicago, NYU, or CMU. If your are really excited about program flexibility without sacrificing quality, Columbia FE looks like a great choice. Columbia MAFM students could also take the FE electives and vice versa. So students coming out of the two Columbia programs could have almost identical experiences depending above elective choice. Again, it would boil down to a personal decision. (School's perceived ranking in math finance) != (success on job market). It's about the whole package: background, previous industry experience, overall alumni network of school in the industry, etc, etc. Good luck everyone. I may see you at Columbia!

Hey Ty, jse.....ANy ideas about howz claremont's msfe......i m thinking of applying there.... course looks good...but i want some inside info.....fl

I am probably going to Columbia's FE program too. Although, it's difficult to get a handle on how employers view the programs. All of the students I've spoken with at Columbia feel that the FE and Math Finance are about the same. One student thought the job prospects were better at NYU's program! Although, it's hard to tell if that's just a "grass being greener" attitude. The job market is very very tough this year, hopefully it will be better next year.Any thoughts on how employers view the NY programs???