How can I improve my profile for a MFE/PHD in Fin. Math?

[tkfriend89]

Hello,

I left the labor force a year and a half ago as I was facing depression. I worked as a Market Analyst for a pharmaceutical branding company for 2 months before being let go as I wasn't a "good fit". Before that I worked as a Marketing Analyst for a rather large Insurance broker quoting High Net Worth PnC accounts and handling said accounts for 2 years.

I am a Hispanic- Male, 3.66 GPA. I got my Bachelors of Science in Economics from a State School. These were my grades:

Relevant Math/Stat/CS:
Calc 1: A-
Calc 2: A
Calc 3: C+
Linear Algebra: A-
Discrete Math 1: B+
Calculus-Based Probability: B+
Time Series Analysis: B
Design of Experiments/ Analysis of Variance: A-
Programming 1 (C++): A

Relevant Econ Classes:
Intermediate Micro: A
Intermediate Macro: A
Econometrics: A
Analysis of Economic Data: B+
Financial Markets and Monetary Policy: A
Game Theory: B+
Business Organization and Market Structure: A-

Relevant Insurance:
Risk Management and Insurance: C ( ouch, I took my lest semester and got lazy)

I have decided to go back to school this spring and take:
Programming 2 (C++)
Computer Organization 1 ( needed for Data Structures class in summer)
Discrete Math 2
Numerical Analysis

And this in the Summer:
Data Structures and Algorithms 1
Computer Organization 2
Diff Eqs.
Study for and take the GRE


Assuming I ace the classes I plan on taking, and get 3 solid letters of rec. Would this be enough to get into a mid tier/low tier program with funding?

[lemma]

No one can know if your coursework is sufficient for each program. As someone also in the field, I will say your grades in quantitative classes are quite low (especially calculus probability, economic data and time series, which are critical in financial mathematics and econometrics). Finance is a game of probabilities (expected value and tails) and risk (in which you have a C). 

What could be a good idea is speaking to your rec writers, and asking if they have any connections at potential schools who could give you a quick comment on whether you would be competitive for their programs, or pass your CV to the program director for such an assessment. That way, you're going from the inside, and you might have a higher chance - or at least someone will look beyond your transcript. 

What do you want to get out of the MFE/PhD? Finance is a very prestige focused discipline, even for quants. When I was an intern at an investment bank, maybe 2/3 of the cohort attended ivies+MIT+NYU+uchicago in my division. A low tier school without brand name could make it difficult to be considered at major asset managers and investment banks. 

Also, if you're considering industry rather than academia long term, have you thought about doing the CFA program? It's hard and the pass rate is low, but you don't need to be accepted by anyone. You "just" need to study very diligently and fork out a few thousand dollars over several years. 

Edited December 31, 2017 by lemma