<p>Hey All,</p>
<p>I'm interested in pursuing the corporate finance or trading route at an investment bank out of college - still unsure of which (ideal would probably be proprietary trading at GS). Anyway, I'm having a difficult time deciding between the two combinations of majors I listed above. I know McIntire has the reputation and is the major draw for the ibanks at UVa, but frankly I'm not interested in the required ICE curriculum. It just seems like some fluffy material that is not far beyond common sense and easily attainable through on-the-job training. I would prefer to spend the remainder of my undergraduate years "cultivating my mind" and challenging myself intellectually. Though it takes persistence and some maneuvering, I could still enroll in the upper level finance courses in the Comm school that I'm interested in without taking ICE (I have friends who have done this). However, at the same time I don't want to jeopardize my career prospects as I do have the ambitions of working at a top BB bank. I have heard the argument that most of the top schools who place kids on Wall Street don't even have business programs... but the fact is I'm not at those schools. I'm at UVa, and the undergraduate business program seems to be more reputable than the undergraduate econ program.
I guess this all boils down to a personal dilemma in which I'm torn between my academic interests and my career prospects (or at least it seems that way). Any thoughts on this issue would be appreciated (especially from UVa students who know more about the recruiting scene).</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>