Hi,First of all, thanks all for giving me advice last time when I posted here. I think you guys are really awesome. I applied for part-time study in Mathematics of Finance in Columbia, MSCF in CMU and Financial Math in NYU. Fortunately, I got admissions from all of them. Just trying to decide which one to go. I understand there are a few posts discussing about this already. Just would like to throw in my background and listen from you based on it.I have a master in applied math, but not major in stats. And I've been doing quant developer for ~4.5 years with an algo trading team. I would like to move more towards trading and business side after the study. I've talked with different people already and did some my own homework and found the following.CMU:good: * in business school. * broad coverage * seems it's better recognized than NYU?bad: * 4 programming courses. * not much exposure to algo trading and optimization theory * too expensive * curriculum is not flexible (i.e. must take 2 and only 2 courses in each mini-semester)NYU:good: * curriculum is flexible (can take at own pace) * cheaper than CMU * more exposures to algo trading and optimization theorybad: * not in business school * seems it has smaller graduate base and less recognized than CMU? * quite heavy math (which may be good).Like I said, I'm thinking about moving more towards trading/business side. This seems justifies CMU.Given my experience in algo trading, I don't want to throw it away. This seems justifies NYU.I'm kind of more inclined to NYU partly due to its cheaper tuition fee since I have to pay out of my own pocket. Is it possible to get a desk strats position after studying NYU and then move to a trading position later? Or, you guys think taking CMU directly will be worth of it?Thanks again for your inputs.

go to ivy school, your children will be proud of you

I'd cross CMU off the list since you will be out of NYC. The NYU mathematical finance people are not in the business school, but I do get the sense that they work with Stern more than Columbia works with it's business school.

cmu = rotten apple in pittsburghnyu = good school, campuses in 5 continents, you can take a class in dubaiivy league = true and tried

QuoteOriginally posted by: twofishI'd cross CMU off the list since you will be out of NYC. The NYU mathematical finance people are not in the business school, but I do get the sense that they work with Stern more than Columbia works with it's business school.CMU has a satelite program in NY TF.

QuoteOriginally posted by: EscapeArtist999CMU has a satelite program in NY TF.In that case, put them back on the list

Thanks all for your thoughts. Pardon me if I sound like an idiot... I think both NYU FinMath and CMU MSCF are tier 1 programs, aren't they?EscapeArtist999 is right. I applied for CMU's part-time in NYC and part of the courses will be remote teaching. I was a bit worried about it but all CMU graduates I talked to assured me that's not going to be an issue.Do you guys think the alumni base and business school setting in CMU is particularly important? These two aspects are basically the center of debating in my head for CMU for the extra $30k more than NYU. Do you guys think the math-centric courses in NYU will exclude the possibility in the future to move to trading/business side? With my technical background, I think your suggestions last time make sense. I may have better chance landing on a quant/strats position than directly a trading position. With my biased background in math, I have biased opinion that learning math (i.e. NYU) is harder than learning broader aspects of finance (CMU). So, it may make more sense to study Math in a school but study finance on my own (i.e. such as CFA...) Again, it's really biased opinion.

Also pardon me if I'm kind of stupid here...In terms of brand name, I think CMU has a bigger brand name than NYU? Or, they are pretty much the same?

QuoteOriginally posted by: ooffPardon me if I sound like an idiot... I think both NYU FinMath and CMU MSCF are tier 1 programs, aren't they?NYU, CMU, and Columbia have strong brand value, but since you already have a job, brand value is a lot, lot less important than if you were a newbie hire. Brand value can be a little tricky because you could have a big name school with a department that doesn't have a huge brand value. QuoteI was a bit worried about it but all CMU graduates I talked to assured me that's not going to be an issue.Talking to satisfied graduates is really important. Sure the school will trot out people that will say good things about the program, but the fact that there are people that will say good things about the program means something.QuoteDo you guys think the math-centric courses in NYU will exclude the possibility in the future to move to trading/business side?Whether you move to business depends more on your ability to sell yourself than what school you went to. Since all of the degrees you are talking about are "techie" degrees, I don't see that one or the other would help you move over.

My $0.02=======CMU: Very strong brand name. Very strong alumni network on Wall Street. 100% placement and will definitely help you move to the business side. Probably the only better school would be UC-Berkeley.NYU: Very strong Math program and brand name. Unfortunately haven't linked up with the exceptionally strong Stern Finance department and alumni network. Brand may get seriously diluted this year when 350 Poly students go on the job market and say that they got their MFE degrees from NYU. The employers may get confused who are the 350 Poly students and who are the 30 Courant students. Everyone says they got the MFE from NYU but big difference in the quality of the students.Columbia: Ivy. Too many similar programs churning out 300 students a year with very similar coursework and competing for similar jobs. Only about 60% are successful in getting jobs.If job and alumni network is most important => go with CMUIf you want superb training in advanced Math => go with NYUIf you want Ivy => go with Columbia.

QuoteOriginally posted by: traderjoe1976Columbia: Ivy. Too many similar programs churning out 300 students a year with very similar coursework and competing for similar jobs. this reminds me of the 1980s when electrical engineering was the big thing. next thing you know, cmu, mit, berkeley, michigan, etc etc were cranking out thousands of new grads/year. 10 years later, all the engineers had their salaries diluted to $75K/year.

I hear that energy is the new fad from some younger colleagues. QuoteOriginally posted by: KackToodlesQuoteOriginally posted by: traderjoe1976Columbia: Ivy. Too many similar programs churning out 300 students a year with very similar coursework and competing for similar jobs. this reminds me of the 1980s when electrical engineering was the big thing. next thing you know, cmu, mit, berkeley, michigan, etc etc were cranking out thousands of new grads/year. 10 years later, all the engineers had their salaries diluted to $75K/year.

QuoteOriginally posted by: traderjoe1976My $0.02=======CMU: Very strong brand name. Very strong alumni network on Wall Street. 100% placement and will definitely help you move to the business side. Probably the only better school would be UC-Berkeley.NYU: Very strong Math program and brand name. Unfortunately haven't linked up with the exceptionally strong Stern Finance department and alumni network. Brand may get seriously diluted this year when 350 Poly students go on the job market and say that they got their MFE degrees from NYU. The employers may get confused who are the 350 Poly students and who are the 30 Courant students. Everyone says they got the MFE from NYU but big difference in the quality of the students.Columbia: Ivy. Too many similar programs churning out 300 students a year with very similar coursework and competing for similar jobs. Only about 60% are successful in getting jobs.If job and alumni network is most important => go with CMUIf you want superb training in advanced Math => go with NYUIf you want Ivy => go with Columbia.Columbia 60% of 300 i.e 180 students with a job , not that bad.

Here is the career info from Columbia's MFE program: http://www.ieor.columbia.edu/pages/grad ... 08_09.html. This basically shows aboput 92% employed. I could not find information more current than this. I think many of the previous responses were spot-on. NYU & CMU have stronger departments for FE, however, a weaker brand name. Columbia has a weaker department, however, an Ivy League Brand Name. But honestly I dont really think you can go wrong either way.