<p>I plan to attend St. John's University in New York in the fall. I'm majoring in Economics, and after my freshmen year I plan to pick up a double in Finance. (St. John's doesn't allow freshmen to double major right away. They base it on your academic performance of freshmen year)</p>
<p>I really want to into investment banking and work on wall street. Whether I start off as a broker or advisor, I will be working on wall street. I've made it a personal aspiration.</p>
<p>My question is, do you think that Econ and Finance is the best combination for this?</p>
<p>I've heard a lot of people going into accounting and finance, or accounting and econ, but I'm not big on accounting. I mean I'm sure I could handle it, but it's almost "too much" math. Econ and finance seem to have much more to it. They just both seem so much more interesting.</p>
<p>Also, are there any other majors that would be more helpful than any of these?</p>
<p>On a more “serious” note, do not anchor your entire education to a career that might not be all you think it is. Allow your classes to mold your mind as opposed to fit a narrow aspiration. After all, you might not like the quant aspect of your studies, and might see your aspirations erode after you find out that there is a darker side to the illusion of dollars and riches that blinds so many 18 years old.</p>
<p>The study of economics is fascinating. However, you brought up a different focus when stating, “I really want to into investment banking and work on wall street. Whether I start off as a broker or advisor, I will be working on wall street. I’ve made it a personal aspiration.” </p>
<p>One might argue that Wall Street and IB serve a vital purpose in our capitalistic system, but reduced to its essence, investment banking and Wall Street are about one thing, and one thing only. And that is money. It is the sole yardstick of success and failure.</p>
<p>I am not pointing a finger of negativity, nor blame you for expressing your view. After all, it is shared by thousands, if not millions.</p>
<p>Does that come from your freshman information package or from drinking the Penn koolaid? The OP will attend a school with a strong reputation in financial circles. </p>
<p>As far as not being on the radar, this will be news to alumnis such as William J. Janetschek or Bill Montgoris. Unless you think that being or having been CFO and COO of KKR and Bear Stearns is too low on the IB totem pole.</p>
<p>I disagree with this. IB Analyst salaries are good, but they aren’t that good and they certainly don’t justify the time required to do the job and the networking required to get the job. Most people go to Investment Banking for the exit opportunities: private equity, hedge fund, top business schools, corporate management, associate at investment bank, venture capital, and more. Investment Banking opens tons of doors in the finance world. </p>
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<p>This is true, but the list of targets is more extensive than that and there are targets that aren’t that selective, such as U Michigan Ross, NYU Stern, Berkeley Haas, UTexas McCombs. </p>
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<p>Yeah but it’s WAY easier if you go to a school with a good finance network. Also you will have more options and less risk of getting stuck in a bad job. If OP goes to a non-target (St. Johns), he will likely need to do lots of cold calling and networking early in his college career and every step of the process will be harder than if he had gone to a school with better recruiting.</p>
<p>"#1 determinant to your chances of getting into IB is how much of a ‘target school’ (Ivies, Stanford, Duke, UChicago, etc.) you attend. St John’s isn’t even close to a target."</p>
<p>-HafsaRox</p>
<p>I can see you know how to google.</p>
<p>I’m thinking that regardless of where you attend, you have a shot at almost any career. Unless of course you major in art history and expect to go to medical school.</p>
<p>Worst comes to worst, I’ll try and transfer to Fordham after two years. I’m thinking I’ll be alright though. But thanks for the input.</p>
<p>My roommate majored in Indian Studies. He is a surgeon now. He went to a top US med school. You only need a few specific classes for med school. Easy in any liberal arts major.</p>
<p>Not true, with the recruiting environment right now it is very hard to get into a bank without being from a “core target”. I go to Johns Hopkins (which is a good school, but generally not a core target) and a lot of people are having trouble landing banking jobs even with previous internships. </p>
<p>Unless you get lots of internships during the school year and the summer, network extensively, and maintain a very high GPA, you will not have “a shot” at getting a bulge bracket investment banking job. On the other hand there are other acceptable places to start in finance. Just preparing you for what you will face.</p>
<p>@al620- I understand completely, but my point was that it is certainly not impossible as he made it out to be. Especially if you are in NYC.</p>
<p>And yes, the actual course work will be very important to me. I plan to attend school year-round in attempt to graduate early. I plan on interning as much as possible, during the summers if needed be. I’m reading all sorts of books on economics and the stock market itself. I really am working hard. Sad thing is, hard work doesn’t always pay off as people say.</p>
<p>NYU Stern and U Michigan Ross are less selective than HYPMS. </p>
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<p>It depends on the bank and the position. It is somewhat idiosyncratic since it is largely derivative of the number of alumni in the office. I know that Harvard and Wharton are pretty much universally core targets. It also changes a little bit from year to year. Sometimes JHU is a core target at certain banks for certain positions, but generally it is not. </p>
<p>A core target school has a certain number of places reserved at the superday, which is the final interview round. I suspect that they still give an advantage to other schools which they consider to be good, but that advantage is less important than being from a core target.</p>
<p>I am afraid you are reading the tea leaves incorrectly. It’s not that I have no idea of what “targets” are or no idea of what people who pretend to know do end up compiling, especially when the lists are the work of high school students!</p>
<p>The only ridicule arises when the so-called lists are a far cry from reality.</p>