Deciding major? Need some parent advice!

Parent Cafe
1

Hi CC parents,

I’m a sophomore in NYU CAS, and I’m hoping to work in the financial services industry after I graduate. I’m not sure what area specifically, but I’m currently looking into investment banking or consulting. I’m having trouble deciding what to major in, as my options are quite limited. I have 5 more classes to complete for my core requirements (texts & ideas, and the 4 language classes). So I’ll just break this down because it can get quite confusing.

For my core classes, I have the following remaining:

  • Texts & Ideas
  • The language requirement that can be fulfilled by taking 4 classes: elementary I & II, intermediate I & II, together all of which is 16 credits
  • Or I can take 2 intensive classes. The first is the elementary intensive that will combine elementary I & II into one class, and then the intermediate intensive which combines intermediate I & II into one class. Each of the intensive classes are worth 6 credits, so 12 credits in total, sparing me 4 credits that I can use towards an elective or anything else

Now as for my major, I’m deciding between either doing economics, theory concentration (it’s more math-based and much more rigorous than the policy concentration) and doing a computer science minor. My other option is to do a joint major in economics and math.

  • For economics major & computer science minor, I have 10 classes remaining to complete for economics, and 5 classes remaining to complete for the CS minor. So total I have 15 classes remaining to complete both the econ major & CS minor
  • For the economics & math joint major, I have 16 classes remaining to complete

So I have 5 semesters remaining, so that’s 4 classes per semester, which means I have 20 classes left over if I want to graduate on time. Now I have two problems: choosing which of the two options would allow me to graduate on time without paying for a summer/winter course, and choosing which of the two would make me more competitive if I want to work in finance.

If I choose the first option, econ major & CS minor, then I can complete the 5 core classes + the 15 remaining classes for my major and minor and still graduate on time. However, I’m not sure if it will give me an advantage since I’d be competing with kids from Stern who have a very finance-heavy background.

If I choose the second option, the econ & math joint major, then I can’t complete everything on time. I would either have to take the two intensive language courses so I can graduate on time, or I would have to pay for a winter/summer term class. However, a Stern student (she’s already signed with one of the big fours for IB) said that I would be more competitive doing the joint major than doing the CS minor. I understand that she’s just one person, and when it comes to a situation like this, I need more than one opinion to go on, however I don’t think she’s entirely wrong either. Please provide me with some advice/direction as to which of the two options might be better for me/will give me more advantage. I would greatly appreciate it!

2

If you are looking to do investment banking or consulting, the bad news is that NYU CAS is not really a target. Stern, yes. CAS, not as much. The good news is that your choice of major doesn’t matter all that much. Your GPA is much more important.

You will actually be more impressive to firms as a straight econ major with a 3.8 than some exotic double major with a 3.5. And if you go below a 3.5 due to the rigor of the courseload you’ve selected, heaven help you.

The programs of study you’ve outlined might make sense if you want a back-office quant position, but for a front office position they’re overkill. Firms like to see you have a head for numbers, but going deep into theoretical math/CS will confer no advantage.

I would recommend straight econ with no minor or dual major. If you want to take some math/CS courses for fun and if you can do so while protecting your GPA, go for it. But protecting your GPA is paramount here.

3

Finish on time. Take math and CS if they interest you, but you don’t need to make them an official minor.

Don’t take an intensive language class unless you are gifted in language learning or already speak one or two languages fluently. Regular college language classes move two to three times faster than high school ones.

4

I also have an option to do an Econ major & a business studies minor at Stern.

5

^ that sounds like a good idea. Since the school you go to is less of a target, firms may be less willing to take a risk on you/invest in training you. Doing some finance courses at Stern to demonstrate interest and knowledge is a good idea, providing you can graduate on time.

6

@mathmom is right about the intensive language classes. Don’t take them unless you are gifted at languages. They really are intense. They’re not designed simply to help you save some space for electives.

And otherwise I agree with the advice here. You don’t need a fancy double major. Major in economics, take some higher math classes to give yourself a strong quantitative background, and take the Stern classes you can take.