MS in Financial Engineering

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Recommendations should be provided from employers, supervisors, professors, or others who are able to comment on your professional and educational goals and potential (no friends or relatives, please). Recommendation letters should specifically address your ability to succeed in your proposed academic program and discuss any experience that may have prepared you to succeed in the program.

All applicants are presented with a series of short-answer personal statement essay questions. Each essay has a 250 word maximum. Questions 1-2 are required from all applicants, while questions 3-4 are optional (your response is voluntary and not answering these questions will not affect your admissions decision). Question #1: Please describe pivotal experiences, opportunities, and/or challenges (including any financial or access barriers) that have influenced your educational and professional development. Question #2: At Illinois, we value a student’s ability to contribute to a community of inclusion, belonging, and respect where our graduate students can learn and collaborate productively and positively. Please provide an example of how you contributed to or engaged with a community of students or colleagues with different perspectives, abilities, and experiences to achieve a positive outcome, and reflect on what you learned from this experience. Question #3: If you believe that your academic record does not demonstrate your true capabilities, please explain why. You may also discuss any gaps in your academic and professional experience. Question #4: If there is something that you would like to share with the admissions committee that you have yet to discuss in other areas of the application, please do so here. If needed, you may also use this space to expand upon the topics discussed in the above essays.

Provide your most recent resume with dates of employment (note: work experience in the field is not required to apply).

Provide a purpose statement: In 300 words or less, describe your area of interest and what your goals are upon completion of the MSFE program. **Please note: The online application asks for a personal statement of up to 1000 words. For MSFE applicants, please limit your statement to 300 words.

TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo

Digital Uploads Instructions for MS Financial Engineering Applicants Please upload a video file of no more than 2 minutes in length answering the following questions: Why do you feel you are best suited for the MS Financial Engineering Program? What are your career goals after completing our program?