<p>Right now, my schedule is tailored to a Computer Science and Pre-Haas double major. Ideally, I would want to get a software engineering job at a Big Tech company like Google or join/start a startup after graduation. I also have a slight interest in iBanking. But would a business degree really help me in these pursuits, especially if I plan to pursue an MBA later on? Is HAAS worth the extra time and stress, especially if I could be doubling in something more mentally challenging like Applied Math or MCB?</p>
<p>For your interest in a software engineering job, CS or EECS would be best. For your interest in iBanking, Haas would definitely be good, as would anything quantitative (Applied Math, Stats, perhaps CS). If you can, I’d try to get an idea of what you want to do professionally sooner rather than later so you can plan your undergraduate major(s)/minor(s) accordingly rather than using the MBA route as a fallback. In contrast, I wouldn’t focus in an area purely because it’d be more “mentally challenging,” especially MCB (which you mentioned), as this is the unrelated to your listed interests.</p>
<p>For iBanking, Haas is particularly good because of the resources at the school as well as the access to finance and accounting classes. You can get into some of these classes as non-Haas, but it’s significantly harder. That being said, you don’t need to be in Haas to get into iBanking.</p>
<p>^Agreed.</p>
<p>A business degree is marginally useful for startup work. You’re better off taking a few interesting and relevant classes (marketing, maybe finance) in business.</p>
<p>I would not double in MCB, especially since you would be competing with pre-meds. Applied Math is possible, but the best use of your time is working on extracurriulars (side projects, maybe even working on your own startup idea during school).</p>
<p>I’d like to add that a Haas single major would not be able to get a software engineering job. However, IB firms recruit EECS/CS majors all the time.</p>
<p>
yup. IB recruits hardcore for EECS/CS
definitely go for it!
i hear back office IB jobs is where it’s at…</p>
<p>^Are you being sarcastic?</p>
<p>IB is one of those “prestigious” fields where there is no required major (the other is consulting). As a first year analyst, IB firms train you on the job. Saying that IB firms recruit EECS/CS majors “all the time” might have been an overstatement, but EECS/CS has a top reputation at Berkley, and those grads have equal, if not better chances to get into IB (if that is their goal) compared to Haas grads. The reason that not as many EECS grads end up going into IB versus Haas grads is because those EECS grads would rather work at Google/Facebook/hot startup.</p>
<p>The average EECS/CS grad will have a lower chance at IB compared to the average Haas grad simply because of:</p>
<ol>
<li>lower average GPA of EECS/CS grads. </li>
<li>The average EECS/CS will have less knowledge related to IB</li>
<li>The average EECS/CS major will have less interest in IB</li>
<li>The average EECS/CS major will have less relevant experience/ECs to IB</li>
</ol>
<p>Why would IBanks recruit EECS/CS majors more heavily than Haas grads?</p>
<p>IB doesn’t have major requirements, however, they do expect applicants to have some form of business and finance aptitude. They follow religiously by high GPAs. </p>
<p>However if you have two people person A with a Haas degree and B with a EECS/CS degree given that they have the same grades, ECs, interview skills, related knowledge then definitely the EECS/CS grad will be thought of to have a higher intellectual capability.</p>
<p>Firstly, point #3 is irrelevant because the relevant question is of those EECS/CS majors who are interested in IB, what are their chances? That’s the relevant question for the OP.
Point #3 would be relevant if we were discussing whether more Haas majors go into IB versus. how many EECS/CS majors go to IB.
I did not claim that EECS grads get recruited more highly than Haas grads. My point is that they have an equal chance.</p>
<p>I mean, the points you mentioned are certainly valid, but there are other advantages for EECS:
- Average EECS/CS major has significantly stronger quantitative skills.
- Average EECS/CS major is qualified for a quantitative finance role.</p>
<p>It is true, however, that IB firms care a lot about GPA, and while they do give engineering majors a little more leeway in terms of the GPA required to get an interview, if majoring in Haas means getting a 3.8 vs. majoring in EECS and getting a 3.3, then of course majoring in Haas may be the better option if you want to get into IB.</p>
<p>I’m not sure if “strong quantitative skills” are really valued for IB positions given that I hear that you just work on Excel models and pitchbooks all the time.</p>
<p>“strong quantitative skills” are valued at IB. very valued.</p>
<p>at their back office.</p>
<p>this isn’t a conversation. since when can EECS kids outclass Haas kids in interviews? c’mon now. IB only hires off of how much they like you. And if you take a sample size of EECS majors, I’d be willing to bet they’re not very good at making friends outside of their major. Look at all the threads on that exact issue on CC. Can’t imagine what their image of “networking” is aside from shaking hands and hoping for the best.</p>
<p>
It is certainly true that IB (non-quant) doesn’t really require any heavy math, and most math is done through Excel models like you said. In fact, it’s well-known that as an IB analyst, you’ll be doing a lot of gruntwork for associates.
Yet then why do IB firms prefer Ivy League grads / grads from top schools, when such qualifications are hardly necessary to do the work? The fact is that IB firms simply want “the best and the brightest” (no irony intended) for the sheer sake of having the “best and the brightest”, and one of those qualities is strong quantitative skills.</p>
<p>As for this whole back office idea, that is simply false. Engineering majors are given a little leeway with GPA. Interviews do not solely consist of a test of how good you are at “socializing” - there are technical questions, and it is not like programmers do not work together on projects (in fact, it is quite the opposite: EE/CS classes routinely have programmers working together on long group projects). I stand by my opinion.</p>
<p>I’ve never heard of EECS students ‘out classing’ or having even ‘equal or better’ chance at being hired in IB over Haas graduates. This sounds like a lot of anecdotal b.s. because I don’t see any evidence of this whatsoever.</p>
<p>how about u do eecs and go straight to an mba program? Or work for 2 years and go straight to MBA?</p>
<p>U can then apply for an associate position.</p>
<p>I have a feeling everyone replying to this thread have exactly 0 experience recruiting for IB.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>All else being equal, analysts looking at resumes would know that EECS is a “hard” and a “quantitative” major, whereas Haas is not a “hard” major (but not necessarily an “easy” major either), thus why EECS might have better chances. ([Investment</a> Banking Major | Mergers & Inquisitions](<a href=“http://www.mergersandinquisitions.com/investment-banking-major/]Investment”>Investment Banking Major: How to Pick the Best One)). And anecdotally speaking, engineering majors are typically looked upon very favorably by IB firms. </p>
<p>However, this is (and this is only a conjecture, but it’s a pretty reasonable one) offset by EECS majors’ overall lower GPAs, which is why I would say their chances are the same.</p>
<p>There are two concepts here: 1) whether your average EECS grad is more likely to go to IB vs. your average Haas grad and 2) given Jane/Joe Shmoe who is interested in finance and wants to do IB, assuming s/he would be accepted into Haas, would choosing EECS vs. Haas offer him/her better chances of getting into IB?</p>
<p>These two concepts are not the same</p>
<p>In the first case, for example, we would have to examine various irrelevant factors, like interest, social skills, etc. In the latter case, the case that is most relevant to the OP’s original query, social skills, interest, extracurriculars (nothing precludes an EECS major from joining the investment club, the consulting club), etc.), and other factors are held constant.</p>
<p>As for the comment about how this is all “anecdotal b.s,” I would like to remind you that we are on an anonymous online forum… not much you can do about that.
Furthermore, all career surveys deal with concept #1, not the more relevant concept #2.</p>