Harvard or Princeton for Finance/IB Career

College Search & Selection
1

<p>(I also posted this thread in the Investment Banking subforum...if anyone wants to check those responses out)</p>

<p>Hey all!</p>

<p>I'm a high school senior deciding between Harvard, Princeton, and Yale for college. In high school, I'm one of the top students in math in the country, but I don't think I can tackle a research career in pure math. After reading some material in economics, I think finance is a more suitable career option. Since Yale is relatively weak in math comparing to H and P, my choice will be between H and P, unless something really changes my mind during my visit next week.</p>

<p>I was doing some research these days, and found out that the degrees offered by Harvard do not suit my needs. For example, there is no joint concentration (double major) in Econ, Math, Applied Math, or Stats. My intended major, Applied Math, does not even allow a secondary concentration (minor). So essentially, I will choose between taking a large number of pure math courses to get a (pure) math major, or get the not-so-quantitative Econ major, forgoing my strength in math. Since I heard Harvard has the best placement record on the IB recruit market, I'm wondering if anyone can recommend a common degree option for a Harvard ==> IBanker==>quant trading/hedge fund career. On the other hand, the Princeton ORFE degree, with a certificate in Finance, sounds like a perfect match. Any input on that program, positive or negative, would be great, too.</p>

<p>That being said, there are other factors in this decision. I drool after the prestige of the Harvard name and love the Boston and Cambridge community, but also want a quality undergrad education which Harvard lacks. I also want to be in a well-rounded student body, with a slight tilt to the sciences (I know..I'm picky).</p>

<p>Thanks a ton! Be biased and offer your opinion!</p>

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<p>sounds like to connect with the Harvard scene better… trust your insticts. </p>

<p>btw, I don’t think it true that H has an edge over P in IB placement, or that P is better than H at serving the needs of undergrads.</p>

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<p>both Harvard and Wharton have an edge over Princeton in finance recruiting (as in the number of students firms hire and the number of finance firms that recruit there)</p>

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<p>Econ is pretty math heavy (altho of course not as much as an actual degree in math). Don’t consider quant trading at this point, you usually need a more advanced degree. I’d go with econ and past that it depends where you fit in better. Seems you like Princeton’s ORFE so go with that, the recruiting differences aren’t too big. For more technical fields, its more about skill than school. Differences are magnified more for relationship heavy industries (like if you want to be an md in ibd etc).</p>