<p>I think that I'd like to study Actuarial science and then continue on to be an actuary. I was wondering what school would be the best match for me? I'm looking at U Penn Wharton, Columbia, NYU Stern, the buisness school at U Chicago. I'm not really sure which one would best prepare me. So far, I'm really looking into Columbia vs NYU Stern. Anyone know which one is better? I'm thinking of early decisioning Columbia but I've heard that NYU Stern is prestigious in the buisness area. Any ideas?</p>
<p>All of the universities you mention are excellent and any of them will prepare you. The actuarial field is not one in which prestige is a concern. More important than the name on your diploma is any actuarial exams already passed and being able to show you are capable of passing more in the future. You don’t even need to find a school with an actuarial science program to pursue the field. You can simply study and pass exams privately. Many in the field have done so. </p>
<p>That being said, many students end up changing majors and/or career paths along the way. If you end up being one of those, then the prestige of a university may come into play.</p>
<p>sorry if i sound arrogant, but who in the world would become an actuary? it’s a lonely 9 to 5 in a cubicle with 100’s of math problems to solve in a week</p>
<p>Actually, siglio, some of my best friends are actuaries. And I am farrrrr from a shrinking violet myself. It’s a job that uses your brain, challenges you endlessly, presents new and difference problems every day. You get to sit down while you do your job – clearly an advantage! – and you earn excellent moeny. You will never be without a job; the world desperately needs more actuaries. There are a variety of types of work you can get – you can work all by yourself and solve problems, or become a consulting actuary and help clients understand in simple terms what’s behind your solution. You might wind up testifying in court when there is a controversial legal issue to settle.</p>
<p>I didn’t even know that the profession existed when I went to college, but if I had, I might have considered it.</p>
<p>The Wall Street Journal deemed it one of the top three careers in a survey done a few years ago.</p>
<p>Fiyero is correct in observing that the actuarial field is one where the prestige of the school attended carries very little weight; what counts is the individual’s performance on the actuarial exams.</p>
<p>Any of the schools you have mentioned will give you a strong foundation in business and math to prepare you for the actuarial field, but so will hundreds of other schools. I wouldn’t worry about the prestige factor (which is subjective anyway) and instead focus on finding the school that provides the best “fit” for you.</p>
<p>Siglio21, you clearly don’t understand what actuaries do. Being an actuary is a highly desirable job. Just look……</p>
<p>Earlier this year, “actuary” was ranked as the #2 best job (out of 200 professions) based on five criteria: environment, income, employment outlook, physical demands, and stress:</p>
<p>[The</a> Best and Worst Jobs in the U.S. - WSJ.com](<a href=“http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123119236117055127.html]The”>http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123119236117055127.html)</p>
<p>Jobs Rated Almanac has consistently ranked “Actuary” as one of the top four best jobs in the U.S. in each of its six editions; in the current edition, it’s #2.</p>
<p>[Jobs</a> Rated Almanac](<a href=“http://www.egguevara.com/shopping/articles/jobsrated.html]Jobs”>http://www.egguevara.com/shopping/articles/jobsrated.html)</p>
<p>Money Magazine had “actuary” at #24 on its “Best Jobs” list.</p>
<p>[MONEY</a> Magazine’s Best Jobs: The Top 50](<a href=“http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bestjobs/2006/top50/index.html]MONEY”>MONEY Magazine's Best Jobs: The Top 50)</p>
<p>My DH is an actuary; I had never heard of that field when we first met. He always has tons of jokes about being an actuary (can’t think of them now, but it’s always poking fun of their reputation.) He graduated in 1976 from a small LAC with a math major. These days, I think the biggest factor in selecting a college is the opportunities for an internship. The first job after college is always important, and then you find mentors to guide you for those lovely exams.</p>
<p>I saw somewhere years ago that actuaries have the best employment lives on any college-educated people in the world. That’s high praise.</p>