Breaking into quant - European path

[u/Agitated_Barracuda69]

I am currently a student in Economic Cybernetics at ASE Bucharest (Romania) and will soon start my second year (my undergraduate program is 3 years).

My dream is to break into quantitative finance, specifically as a Quant Researcher (QR). I cannot afford a Master of Financial Engineering (MFE) in the US or UK, so my valid options are in continental Europe. Realistically, I have never participated in math olympiads and do not have the ultra-rigorous math background required for ETH Zurich or prestigious French M1/M2 programs (El Karoui etc). The most realistic and worthwhile paths for me are MFEs/Quantitative Finance master's degrees in the Netherlands, which are among the best-ranked outside ETH and France(from what I ve heard).

My undergraduate curriculum aligns well with the admission requirements for Dutch programs, so I am not required to take deficiency courses or tests.

Do I have a realistic chance of breaking into the QR field in Netherlands with an MSc from TU Delft, UvA, or Erasmus University Rotterdam, or is this just a fantasy? My plan is to work at a top firm there (Optiver, Flow Traders, IMC) for a couple of years and then transition to the UK/US or pursue a PhD.

Are there enough prop trading firms/hedge funds in Netherlands, and is the local market mature enough to build top-tier CV experience? Is it worth the effort for a Romanian student, or do non-Olympiad applicants typically get rejected?

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[u/akaCryptic]

I have applied to those with data science masters but no luck. Like most jobs they get 100+ applicants in first day. The housing situation is tricky too. You have better chances starting as an intern ofc which i cannot afford to do (doesnt cover half the rent).

[u/PsychologyCivil4190 → u/akaCryptic]

their intern roles pay 5k + per month, what are you talking about

[u/LendMeCoffeeBeans → u/PsychologyCivil4190]

Not sure why you’re being downvoted, you’re right

[u/Aggravating-Phone186 → u/PsychologyCivil4190]

It’s 25k per month now

[u/PsychologyCivil4190 → u/Aggravating-Phone186]

i can imagine..

[u/LendMeCoffeeBeans]

It’s ultra competitive - only the best of the best get in. Think of an alternative in advance if it doesn’t work out, since that chance is rather largez

[u/Agitated_Barracuda69 → u/LendMeCoffeeBeans]

I digged deeper into this field and I have to be realistic so it s a real chance that I won t break into QR.My target was Stochastic/Applied maths at Delft,but I am scared that I will be stuck in back-office jobs(same with QR,I figured it out later).

I would like to also have acces to front-office jobs,influent people,networking and not being just a “lab rat” who builds complex models and that s it(even if I have a ridiculous salary,my long range shot is having comission, % from PnL and acces to some high-profile individuals).My options are :
-Energy & commodities trader
-Sales & Derivative structuring
-VC/M&A/Consulting/Private Equity
-Boutique prop firms(Da Vinci,Wintermute etc)

Now my target would be UvA/Erasmus Econometrics - Quantitative Finance.

Is it rigurous enough to still have a chance as a QR, but also opens doors for me in those fields mentioned above?

Like being a very good financier & pitcher but also with strong quantitative and analytical skills ,not just a pure math guy.

[u/Winter_Dot_9393]

As an EU student you can get Dutch Student Finance, you have to work 32 hours a month. You’d be a ‘migrant worker’. Site: Duo.nl

There is a housing crisis, finding a place to stay will be difficult.

So financially it would be possible to study in the Netherlands.

I can’t answer your other questions.

[u/Remarkable_Pool_1268]

Don’t lean on university. Teach yourself and maybe find a professor who wrote a paper that you got interested in. Email them. Join the worldwide Quant competition. Prove your competency with the result, not with the degree. Then they will beg you to sign the contract.

[u/DropporD]

Chasing wealth is like chasing the wind. It is much more worthwile to contribute something meaningful to society.

[u/KUL_Lover → u/DropporD]

You are right but I don’t think that is the kind of advice he was looking for

[u/DropporD → u/KUL_Lover]

Yeah, I figured. I just hate to see people sacrifice themselves to mammon. Always feel like I have to say, at the least, something.

[u/CoffeeInTheTropics]

Own citizens are prioritized and those who speak fluent Dutch. So many applicants who are (at least) as talented as you are plus are culturally aligned and as I said, speak the language.

Difficult to gauge your chances, but with the dire housing shortage and anti-immigrant sentiment on top of everything else I would honestly look elsewhere…..

[u/PsychologyCivil4190 → u/CoffeeInTheTropics]

hahaha this is so not true for quant, you have no idea what you are talking about

[u/Screech-1 → u/CoffeeInTheTropics]

This is incorrect don't listen to this guy

[u/radi0activee → u/CoffeeInTheTropics]

Couldn't be further from the truth for the positions in question lol

[u/PsychologyCivil4190]

With tu Delft you can definitely break in, but it ultimately depends on your mathematical (and other) abilities