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How to write the personal essay???

FEnzo

C++ Certificate with Distinction
Joined
10/17/10
Messages
74
Points
268
Hey guys. So I decided to start working on my application but got stuck at the very first step....
I am having a hard time figuring out what I should put into the essay.
The questions are:
1. What are your reasons for undertaking graduate study in the field of computational finance?
2. Please describe your future career plans and how they relate to your experience, your education and your proposed training at Carnegie Mellon University.
3. Describe your short-term and long-term objectives and how you plan to achieve them.
I am not sure how to start the essay and do not want to risk writing about stuffs that dont matter. Are there any good reading materials that can help me jump starting the writing process?
Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much!
 
FEnzo said:
Hey guys. So I decided to start working on my application but got stuck at the very first step....
I am having a hard time figuring out what I should put into the essay.
The questions are:
1. What are your reasons for undertaking graduate study in the field of computational finance?
2. Please describe your future career plans and how they relate to your experience, your education and your proposed training at Carnegie Mellon University.
3. Describe your short-term and long-term objectives and how you plan to achieve them.
I am not sure how to start the essay and do not want to risk writing about stuffs that dont matter. Are there any good reading materials that can help me jump starting the writing process?
Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated! Thanks so much!
Click to expand...

Why don't you post your answers to Q1, 2 and 3 informally? This way, we can give you better suggestions on what to do (besides general research) and possibly help you figure yourself out.

When I wrote my essay earlier this year, I thought a lot about my own background and why I want to get my MFE. Quantnet helped a lot in terms of answering #2 and #3.
 
SYau said:
Why don't you post your answers to Q1, 2 and 3 informally? This way, we can give you better suggestions on what to do (besides general research) and possibly help you figure yourself out.

When I wrote my essay earlier this year, I thought a lot about my own background and why I want to get my MFE. Quantnet helped a lot in terms of answering #2 and #3.
Click to expand...
Great.
1. A MFE degree from a prestigious institution generally means a good job. I want to a career in finance, and MFE would be a good place to start.
2. Work for IB, funds? Anything FE related, asset pricing, risk evaluation, etc? Havent really figured it out yet.
3. Short term: familiarize with C++, currently studying "Problem solving with C++", 70% finished, will move on to another C++ book afterwards, Long term: a career in financial engineering through obtaining a MFE degree, will consider CFA
All comments are welcomed!! Thanks!
 
FEnzo said:
Great.
1. A MFE degree from a prestigious institution generally means a good job. I want to a career in finance, and MFE would be a good place to start.
2. Work for IB, funds? Anything FE related, asset pricing, risk evaluation, etc? Havent really figured it out yet.
3. Short term: familiarize with C++, currently studying "Problem solving with C++", 70% finished, will move on to another C++ book afterwards, Long term: a career in financial engineering through obtaining a MFE degree, will consider CFA
All comments are welcomed!! Thanks!
Click to expand...
Whatever vuze said. avoid generalizations.
When you say "career in financial engineering", it seems like you say a lot but actually you say nothing.
1) Lose the first sentence. You want a career in finance? why?
Don't throw a sentence and leave it. Elaborate on it, provide examples.
2) Try to figure it out.
3) By short term I think they mean right after you graduate.
Also, CFA is a totally different career path. If you say that you want to obtain a CFA, you are actually implying that you are not sure about what you want to do with your life. Be a career centered, know what you want to do in FE, don't just say that you want to do FE. There are many different jobs related to quant finance.
 
roni said:
Whatever vuze said. avoid generalizations.
When you say "career in financial engineering", it seems like you say a lot but actually you say nothing.
1) Lose the first sentence. You want a career in finance? why?
Don't throw a sentence and leave it. Elaborate on it, provide examples.
Click to expand...
I do quite finance enjoyable. Having taken an investment course taught by one of our school's B-school professor who is working on asset pricing.
But what other reasons can be convincing. To me, I like programming and finance, I dont have much love for math but I can deal with it alright. How do I convey this in a positive way to the admission office?
Thanks so much!
 
FEnzo said:
I do quite finance enjoyable. Having taken an investment course taught by one of our school's B-school professor who is working on asset pricing.
But what other reasons can be convincing. To me, I like programming and finance, I dont have much love for math but I can deal with it alright. How do I convey this in a positive way to the admission office?
Thanks so much!
Click to expand...
Don't know if you know, but MFE is lots of math.
Try reading financial news, perhaps you can talk about some article related to quants. Look for quant blogs, I think there are a few members here who have interesting blogs.
I would use words like, "like"/"enjoy"/"love", but wouldn't use them a lot.
If there is something negative, don't mention it... why bring it up?
What is your background?
My background wasn't technical, but I was able to obtain the technical skills needed (that was a big plus for me), look for a similar connection and try to write about it.
Ask yourself, why do you want to do FE? why not CS? or perhaps applied math? these degrees give you more flexibility and they are as technical.
 
Math is the foundation (programming is more of the tool). You need to be (very) good at math and enjoy it, imho. If you don't like math, you might want to reconsider another degree in other finance.
 
@FEnzo - It probably wouldn't be of much help to you but you relly have to figure it out for yourself. You shouldn't take much more external input than the tips that roni gives above or than what you can find in old threads. Otherwise you would standardize your essay and this is probably the one thing you don't want. After all I believe that it is important (for you) that your essay is different from mine or from roni's or from someone else's. And it is also important that you find your reason for joining an MFE program so that the person who reads it would know that you are clear with yourself and your goals - you generalizing on that or being vague about it would be an indication that you are struggling to find a reason i.e. avoid.
 
I second what some people said about the maths. My advice before anything would be to see the courses you will be taking in this MSCF program just to see what kind of maths you will be dealing with. You don't want to be caught up doing something you don't love.
 
Anbu said:
I second what some people said about the maths. My advice before anything would be to see the courses you will be taking in this MSCF program just to see what kind of maths you will be dealing with. You don't want to be caught up doing something you don't love.
Click to expand...
It's actually a pretty straightforward thing to do. The most common math course in these MFE programs are Stochastic Calculus and the popular textbook is Shreve. Shreve teaches at CMU so there is no excuse not to check out his books and see what level of math you will be dealing with.
http://www.quantnet.com/master-reading-list-for-quants/
 
I believe in China there are "consultants" who actually write the sop for you, and even fill other technical details of your application.
 
Mostly grad level. I learned about the practice from a Chinese friend of mine who just graduated with me here in Dubai. He explained that to apply for an MBA in the US, he will use a consulting office in China. They have experience helping others like him. Just like FEnzo said, they do charge a high price since families who want to send their children to study abroad are usually well-off (Or have saved hard-earned money their entire life)
 
Damn, no wonder companies complain about the writing skills of some MBA students... I think I read this article here...
 
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