The quantitative asset management firm WorldQuant is hosting a quant finance competition called Alphathon at Cornell through October 22, 2023.
The competition is a chance for students who are interested in exploring a career in quant—which is the design and implementation of complex models that allow financial firms to price and trade securities—to compete against others and showcase their skills.
Students who register for the competition will be given access to WorldQuant’s web-based simulation platform called BRAIN, which holds more than 50,000 data points competitors can access to build their models. You can register for the Cornell Alphathon competition here.
Cornell was asked to host this Alphathon competition based in part on the previous success of four Cornell students. Kelvin Jiang, Yuanzhi Ma, Elina Zhuang, and Sammi Zhang are all part of Cornell’s M.Eng. in Financial Engineering program, which includes study in Ithaca as well as at Cornell Financial Engineering Manhattan (CFEM).
The four competed as a team in the spring of 2023 in WorldQuant’s national Alphathon and came in first place. Kelvin Jiang says some of the skills necessary for the competition include “quantitative analysis, economics(micro/macro), basic mathematics and statistics, the ability and learn and adapt.” Yuanzhi Ma agrees, adding, “These skills are vital in the real-world quant finance industry as well.”
Elina Zhuang felt great about the team’s performance, saying “Winning felt dreamlike. Our team was the last to receive an invitation to the national finals, and yet we clinched first place! I'm proud of the effort we put into the competition and our success.” Sammi Zhang was also proud of the team’s efforts and the results, but says the competition is not for everyone. “It will not be the best choice for you if you aim for a career in market-making or high-frequency trading. But if you would like to explore the quantitative aspect of the market and experience the construction of Alphas from sketches, WorldQuant provides the best platform, resources, and mentorship for you!”
You must register by 11 a.m. October 14 to compete in the Cornell 2023 WorldQuant Alphathon.
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