Indian HFTs filter by JEE rank/branch. Should I blow 5 years of job (sde) savings on a foreign Master's just to break into quant.
Hey everyone, I could really use some perspective on my situation.
I'm currently at top 5 IIT in a non-circuital branch (8.5 CGPA, ~3k JEE Adv rank). Next July, I'll be starting as sde-1 at a popular MNC, but my absolute interest has always been quant.
I have decent math projects, I'm pretty solid with modern C++ and probability, and I managed to land a quant internship at a small startup. But honestly, none of that seems to matter here. Indian HFTs and quant firms are obsessed with pedigree.
My initial thought is to save around 50L through my current SDE job over 4-5 years, utilize all of it to pursue a Master's abroad (to kinda rebrand myself), grind there, and then hopefully land my dream job.
Here's why I'm hesitating: I come from a middle-class family. Burning five straight years of life savings on a degree abroad feels like a terrifying financial risk.
Is this a stupid, desperate gamble? or there exist a better path actually ,a realistic way to bypass the Indian gatekeeping and break into the industry?
I would love to hear your pov.