<p>Hi all,</p>
<p>So this past Fall semester as a Freshman, I got 3 A's, 1 A- (sadly in UGBA10), and 1 Pass on a DeCal. I have a few questions:</p>
<p>I see many Pre-Haas people taking Breadth classes and "for fun" classes for P/NP. I realize that they might not need the grade booster, but I also read that non-pre-req class grades don't count as compared to pre-req (e.g. UGBA 10, STATS, etc). Can someone clarify this?</p>
<p>This coming Spring semester, I plan on taking STATS 20 (req), NST 10 (breadth), and one Discovery (breadth). With one more class slot to fill, I'm torn between taking an upper-div Econ major requirement and another breadth/AC course (I have met all other Haas requirements). I am not confident that I will get an A in either one of the two upper division Econ classes (ECON 105/113), but I love Econ and I love to learn more. How will it affect my chances into Haas if I do not receive an A (I can't take it P/NP because it's an Econ major req)?</p>
<p>If upper-div Econ courses are not recommended, which classes should I take this semester? Also, some info on my EC's: I obtained a high-paying work-study tutoring job over the Spring semester with flexible hours and I plan on doing some work for a VC firm on the side (via my Dad, so it won't be TOO consuming).</p>
<p>Also, I haven't touched a single script of Computer Science, but I was told that picking up Python or C++ would be invaluable for financial modeling and such. Any tips/courses you guys would recommend?</p>
<p>Please and thank you!</p>
<p>You have a whole handful of questions here and I don’t have a ton of time so I’ll try to quickly answer them. (for reference, I’m an econ/haas double major)</p>
<p>You’re right that the pre-req classes are most important and you should focus on getting A’s in those, but your grades in other classes matter as well. Overall GPA is pretty significant to Haas, which means two things: try to take easy breadth classes if you can, and if you realize that you’re going to get a bad grade in one of those classes (B+ and in most cases an A- would count as a bad grade since the average GPA of Haas admits is around 3.65-3.7).</p>
<p>Generally it’s discouraged to take upper div classes as a freshman (econ is no joke, to be completely honest, econ classes are actually typically harder than Haas classes). It can be risky in that it might lower your GPA which is important for Haas admissions. But if you’re the type of person who cares more about learning than getting good grades then go for it. I personally wouldn’t recommend it, just take easy breadth classes instead. It’s honestly the safest route, which is why most pre-business kids do it (which can be annoying as you gradually realize that school becomes less about learning and more about competition, but that’s the way the Haas environment is. some people hate that, some people thrive in it).</p>
<p>and LOL to your last question, comp sci is not useful for financial modeling (in the sense of investment banking, private equity, venture capital, etc). It would only be useful for VBA, which finance people don’t really use unless it’s very complicated excel. UNLESS you’re talking about becoming an actuary or a quant analyst, it’s not worth the time investment (and yes, I’ve programmed before).</p>
<p>One last note is try to join a business club, the Haas community is very segmented into clubs and it can get lonely if you’re left out. Unless you’re the type of person who is independent enough to just rely on internships</p>
<p>Haas admissions are weighted towards your pre-req courses, so those do matter more. </p>
<p>In the grand scheme of things, if your true intent is to get into Haas, then don’t take the upper division Economics courses that you can’t P/NP because you’ll need it later on. It may look nice to have some upper division courses on your application, especially if it’s an A (or A- at the least), but it wouldn’t work for you if you were to get a B+ or lower. </p>
<p>Just do what the typical pre-Haas does and take the easiest classes that YOU can handle. If you know you can handle upper division courses and do well in them, take them, because they do give you a slight advantage with the “course load” portion of the application. But make the decision carefully, you don’t want to end up doing bad in them and either lowering your GPA or having to P/NP the class which basically eliminates Economics as a potential major. </p>
<p>Breadth Classes don’t really mean that much in the grand scheme of things, their just “GPA Boosters” you take to raise your cumulative GPA or classes you “have to take” to get in the 7 requirements. </p>
<p>My personal order of importance for Haas
- Pre-Req GPA
- Essays
- Cumulative GPA
- Extracurricular stuff </p>
<p>That said, you need to be solid in all aspects, but that’s how I would rank it.</p>