<p>I have read most of the posts in this thread. I find this a fascinating subject and will share our experience with our three kids:</p>
<h1>1 S - I would say an 8 -9 on a scale of a - 10. He knew before going to college that he wanted a career in finance and to make lots of money (please don't be judgmental - he is not the greedy type. He likes to travel). He attended UChicago where the motto is "life of the mind" so he spent four years in a very intellectual atmosphere, being exposed to a variety of humanities/social sciences courses, coming out with a BS in Math and a concentration in Statistics. He originally wanted to double major in Econ/Math and headed that way but couldn't get into certain courses for that Econ major. He did take lots of Econ classes but his math major is great. He was advised by an administrator at UChicago to get that math degree which is (according to her) a very useful degree. He always has had an affinity for math so this seemed natural for him. I think this made him extremely marketable. He is working for a hedge fund making very good money and may end up in Singapore within the next few months. He is living his dream really. UChicago, although it has a reputation for being very theoretical, ended up being terrific in its career placement /advisement. He may or may not pursue an MBA. He is doing the route of CFA exams which is a good idea and good value.</h1>
<h1>2 S - I would put him at a 9 -10 out of a 1 - 10 scale. He has just completed his first year at NYU/Stern, probably will major in Finance with a minor in Math (ours sons don't fall too far from their father). I sort of wish that he would (I guess this is still not too late) have pursued a degree in Physics or something science related b/c he is very comfortable with these subjects (He got 5's on science AP subjects - Physics, Chem, Bio, Calc AB, BC). He did get into UChicago where he could have pursued a great science subject (he can minor in a subject like this at NYU in the CAS) but chose the school with what he perceived as a more proven career path. He thinks that there are more intership possibilities/job opportunities at NYU than at UChicago or other schools that he got into. Also he could play a sport at NYU that doesn't exist at Uchicago so that was a plus for him. Should I discourage his career focus to head more for an intellectual pursuit? I have said to him "you are really good at physics and math - maybe you should follow that pursuit" but he doesn't think he would make as much money. I have no doubt that my sons will be able to earn money and take care of themselves. This is a relief after we have spent $160,000 on #1 S's education and we will spend $200,000 on our #2 S's education. No fin/aid here!</h1>
<p>Now for our D who is a Junior in HS. She really doesn't know what she wants to do except that she loves international travel and would like to do something with an international business, I guess. She is not as strong a student - a solid B student, but not an intellectual. Math is probably her strongest subject (I guess it's in the genes!). Should we encourage her to major in Math or Marketing/ International Business? We are looking at a variety of schools - mostly comprehensive universities (University of Vermont/match, McGill University/reach, Lehigh/reach, Marist/safety, Arcadia/safety, Lafayette/reach. We haven't looked at Boston area schools yet, will do soon. Northeastern seems like a good fit but she doesn't want to go there since that is her best friend's #1 school) with Business schools but we have looked at LAC's also. I think she would benefit from attending a match LAC that is not competetive where she can be exposed to many subjects and might find a passion there. She could major in Math if she wants. She is not a big reader and could improve in this area. Any suggestions? </p>
<p>I think whether your S/D takes a career oriented path or pursues an intellectual route, studying his/her passion for four years can work well either way.</p>