The Master in Finance program at MIT is arguably one of the best in the country. They are currently preparing for their second round of admissions and I wanted to pass along some information that will be useful for anyone interested in applying.
MFin R2 deadline is almost here!
January 7th Round 2 deadline is fast approaching for the MIT Master of Finance program! Apply here!
Last minute questions please join us for an MFin chat on Dec. 21st at 9pm.
Follow our Admissions Events page for upcoming events!
If you are interested in additional information please visit our website!
Additionally, check out The MIT Sloan Finance Group Blog, “Finance Matters.” “Finance Matters” is the MIT Sloan Finance Group’s platform for sharing the latest on Finance faculty research, perspectives on financial industry news, MIT Sloan finance-related events, and will feature guest posts from our faculty, students, alumni, and affiliates.
Candidacy
We receive a lot of questions regarding the candidate fit for our program and the applications process. Let the Admissions team help break it down for you with great tips and their own vision on the admissions process. Something you cannot find on our website.
The #1 question:
Are you the right Master in Finance candidate?
Candidate Characteristics:
We seek well-rounded individuals with the following characteristics:
- Success in their academic, extracurricular, and professional endeavors
- Ability to collaborate to accomplish a common goal
- Ability to inspire others to achieve success
- Diversity of strengths
- Willingness to seek alternative solutions to existing challenges
- Motivated to pursue their goals
- Recent undergraduates
- 0- 2 years of work/internship experience in the finance industry
- We seek diverse applicants: Undergrad majors, nationality
- Studied a program where English is the medium
Current 2013 class profile.
Remember, we do not have minimums only averages. Our class profile helps show prospective students what they will be up against when applying. Our only requirement to apply is an undergraduate degree.
Tips for the Application
Tip: No single element of the application is more or less important than any other. Each application is evaluated as a whole.
Résumé
Please prepare a business résumé that includes your employment history in reverse chronological order, with titles, dates, and whether you worked part-time or full-time. Your educational record should also be in reverse chronological order and should indicate dates of attendance and degree(s) earned. Other information appropriate to a business résumé is welcomed and encouraged. The résumé should not be more than one page in length (up to 50 lines).
Tip: If you have an unexplained gap in your resume, be prepared to explain why.
Essays
We are interested in learning more about you and how you work, think, and act. For each essay, please provide a brief overview of the situation followed by a detailed description of your response. Please limit the experiences you discuss to those that have occurred in the past three years.
- Essay 1: The mission of the MFin program is to create the next generation of global financial leaders with state-of-the-art training in modern finance theories and methods and an appreciation of the ethical implications of finance. Our program attracts the best and brightest students who go on to advance financial management practice and improve the world. Please tell us about past experiences, accomplishments, and personal qualities that will enable you to contribute to the advancement of this mission. (Up to 500 words)
Essay 2: What type of career are you looking for upon completion of the program? What have you done to prepare, and how will this program help you achieve your career aspirations. (Up to 500 words)
Tip: Try not to use another University’s essay to fit ours. We will be able to tell. Another tip, try writing the second essay first. This will likely help you write the first essay.
Supplemental Information (Optional)
The Admissions Committee invites you to share anything else you would like us or your future classmates to know about you. This may be in written or multimedia format. Please do not use Flash format, and include a URL where it can be accessed online. Written essays should be 300 words or fewer (limit of 2000 characters). If you wish to share a link, please only link to content that is hosted online already. We are not looking for links to download files (e.g. no Dropbox, ftp, etc.).
Tip: Can be on any topic- Personal, professional, talent..anything. If you add media try to keep it to 1 minute.
Recommendations
Please submit three letters of recommendation. One of the recommendations should be from an academic source. One recommendation should be from a supervisor at an internship or job. The third recommendation can be from someone at your discretion.
Recommenders must submit recommendations online. We do not accept mailed recommendations. Each recommendation should not exceed two pages.
Please choose recommenders who are able to provide specific answers to the following questions:
- How long and in what capacity have you known the applicant?
- How does the applicant stand out from others in a similar capacity?
- Please tell us about the applicant’s academic ability and/or problem-solving skills.
- Please give a representative example of how the applicant interacts with other people.
Please tell us anything else you think we should know about this applicant.
Tip: Make sure you sit down and talk to your recommender about your resume, your short term goals- why MIT, why Sloan, why you want an MFin degree from MIT and your future goals. Also we like to see your relationship with your recommender through the letter. We would rather see your manager or supervisor versus the CEO of the company writing the letter.
Academic Records (Transcripts)
Please scan and upload copies of your academic records. Do not mail in your official academic records or transcripts.
Relevant Coursework: If applicable, please include details for economics, finance, math/statistics, or other relevant coursework completed, using short answer fields in the application.
Applicants admitted to the program will be required to provide an official transcript from each school attended. All admitted students will receive further instructions after the decision deadline on where to send the materials. Any discrepancy between the scanned transcripts and official transcripts may result in a rejection in our decision or a withdrawal of our offer of admission.Tip: We only need a scanned unofficial transcript. If we need an official copy, we will contact you.
Additional materials:
