<p>How plausible is it for a History and Government major from a non-HYP Ivy to get offers in finance, s&t, etc... at major investment banks and boutiques. I just internally transferred from business-type major at an Ivy to a more liberal arts type program within the university and will probably double major in history and gov.
Furthermore, how much does a minor matter. I was considering minoring in more directly business-related fields like Real Estate Finance and perhaps Policy Analysis & Management. Would that make up, in employers eyes, for me not majoring in Business Administration, Finance, or Economics?
I keep on hearing repeatedly that the most important thing is which classes you take. By the end of my time in school I will have taken Micro and Macro Econ, Statistics, Finance, Accounting, Business Management, and Portfolio Management at the very, very least. Will this help?</p>
<p>A minor helps a little and relevant coursework, especially in a non-finance/accounting major helps as well. That said, you are not being completely clear with your school description. I understand the need to keep your school confidential, but if you are talking about Stanford, then your major is fine. If, however, you are talking about U Penn, or NYU, for example, you really want to be in the business school, as the business school is the target for IB. </p>
<p>Since you mentioned you previously majored in finance/accounting, I am thinking you might be in the 2nd category. If that is the case, you are definitely better off majoring in business (or doubling) for 2 reasons: 1) your school could very well be a target for the B school and not necessarily a strong target for the univ as a whole, and 2) since you already majored in the business discipline, the question will come up as to why you dropped the major even though you want to break into IB (additionally, you will really need a good answer as to why you chose your major(s)).</p>
<p>PM me if you have any other questions.</p>
<p>IBanker</p>
<p>It seems pretty clear to me that the student is from Cornell.</p>
<p>If that is the case, you won’t be able to minor in any of the AEM disciples (business management, accounting, finance, etc), and to be frank the minors you’ve listed will not differentiate you in the slightest. </p>
<p>Your best goals will be to take the core of finance related classes (Econs, Finance, Financial Accounting), do at least one business related extracurricular, do some meaningful summer internships early, and network like hell. You will most certainly not be the first History/Government major from Cornell to go to IB, and there are plenty before you who would love to help you out. </p>
<p>Hope this all helps.</p>
<p>Okay, I’ll divulge I go to Cornell haha. I was trying to keep this thread unbiased. Thanks for the advice. The real estate minor does, I think, differentiate me. The requirements for the minor are finance, financial accounting, real estate investments, etc…</p>
<p>I personally dont even think an accounting or finance minor would make a huge difference, much less a real estate minor. The small exception here is reaching out to an alumni working in either real estate IBD or research, and using that as a conversation starter/selling point. However I think it would do little to none in an interview, as you will only apply for the overall IBD/Research position and be placed into a department if you get the job (when I say little to none I mean the title of the minor won’t mean anything more than taking the actual classes). </p>
<p>Like I said earlier, rather than worrying about minors and all that, you would be much better served simply taking the core classes and studying the market. In my opinion a student who is well-versed on the economy and the market and can read, evaluate, and comment insightfully on any article in the WSJ is far more impressive that one with a real estate minor.</p>