<p>First post, feel free to move if in the wrong place.
So I'm currently a sophomore at Brandeis, planning on majoring in Math. Now, they only offer a B.A. or a B.A. with Honors here, and recently the question came up between my mom and I, as to whether I should transfer somewhere for a B.S. So the first main question I have, is how does a B.A. from a top ~35 university compare to a B.S. from state school/similar school/Ivy when it comes to careers after undergrad, like actuary/IB/finance?
Another issue I have, is how to better may chances for a lucrative career right out of undergrad. The only subject I actually enjoy is Mathematics, so taking on another major, be it Finance/Business/Accounting/Actuarial Science/Economics, would purely be a career-oriented move (not to mention that Brandeis offers majors in only 2/5 mentioned areas). So how "useful" are the above majors, if any, if I already plan to pursue a major in pure theoretical mathematics?
I feel like the question is a little silly in that one should pursue whatever one is interested in, but on the other hand if I'm already majoring in math, then I wonder if a second major (minor?) would help land me a decent job right off the bat.</p>
<p>Consider this. Every business is going to have to teach its new hires its system at some point. Whether you graduate with a degree in business, mathematics, physics, engineering or philosophy doesn’t really matter. If you are truly interested in math, you will excel in it, and if you are interested in going into business after undergrad, you will find a company to hire you.</p>
<p>People who do undergraduate business majors want a practical education with a focus on management and real world practices. Liberal arts and sciences majors want a more theoretical education. In business, both of these backgrounds play crucial roles, so you are at no disadvantage to do a math major as opposed to a business major. I’ve got friends going into investment banking, some of whom are business majors, but others of whom are political science, physics, philosophy, economics, Spanish, linquistics, chemical engineering and biology. </p>
<p>The point is that companies care about how you think more than anything else. They recognize that you will need to be trained in their system, and so if they can see that you can handle a rigorous education, they are likely to hire you.</p>
<p>Also, from a career perspective, you may be shooting yourself in the foot by transferring as a rising junior. It’d be much more difficult to graduate on time without overloading on courses and causing your GPA to suffer. Since you seem pretty happy with Brandeis, why change course?</p>