Recommended CAS majors and minors for Finance/ Wall Street Job?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
1

<p>Hey I've been accepted into Penn CAS but want to end up working on Wall Street.</p>

<p>From browsing over the career placement reports, it seems like a lot of different majors can end up working as an analyst for a bank. However, what major/minor combination would you think is best?</p>

<p>PROSPECTIVE MAJORS:</p>

<p>Econ - typical major usually for getting into Wall Street. And I like econ anyways</p>

<p>Political Science/History: Have seen a lot of these majors ending up on Wall Street. don't know how. Possibly develops excellent analytical and communication abilities? And just genuine intelligence? (considering how highly regarded these depts are at Penn)</p>

<p>International Relations: Maybe employers like the global focus if you can somehow demonstrate your interest in business?</p>

<p>Mathematics: Good analytical and quantitative skills, but perhaps a little too quantitative and not enough business focus? Maybe just good for sales and trading</p>

<p>PPE: Go to the homepage of this major and they make it look like the best thing in the world. But others say its a triple minor. Maybe employers like the interdisciplinary, intelligent mind that is developed from this major?</p>

<p>PROSPECTIVE MINORS:</p>

<p>Actuarial Mathematics: Interschool minor with the Wharton school, which sounds good considering I want to be as affiliated with Wharton as possible. But I don't want to actually become an actuary...</p>

<p>IR/History/Political Science: Same reasons as above</p>

<p>Mathematics: Same reasons as above, except combined with an Econ major, would provide a more business-y focus</p>

<p>Statistics: Once again, quantitative and not even offered as a major because of its affiliation with Wharton I believe. Then again, I've never taken a stats class in my life...</p>

<p>Engineering: College students can MINOR in 5 different engineering programs. Would this be looked favorably upon?</p>

<p>So what do you guys think is the best combination for getting internships/placement in finance/consulting/etc? I'm leaning toward Econ/Math or Econ/Actuarial Math or even Econ/IR because I like the subject matter</p>

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<p>Well my first question for you is: Why didn’t you directly apply to Wharton?</p>

<p>After that I would suggest that you work to transfer into the business school. It is really hard to do but worth it if you are truly passionate about getting to Wallstreet. Honestly, if you want to get the same job offers as the Wharton kids after graduation then you are going to have to go the extra mile. This isn’t to say that you aren’t as capable or wouldn’t be as qualified but when recruiters come from companies like Goldman Sachs they are going to look at the Wharton students first because they’ve had a broader biz education.</p>

<p>Now if you don’t want to go the Wharton route then I would say that you should work on networking and getting involved with as many finance-related activities as possible. One of the biggest things in business is networking and building connections with others. Remember that it is not so much as WHAT you know but WHO you know. I am quite sure that there are CEOs of Fortune 500 companies who didn’t graduate Magna Cum Laude. They may not have had ivy league degrees but they do have interpersonal skills and they used them to make connections. You can build these contacts through internships and getting involved in activities which leads me to my next point.</p>

<p>Even if you’re not a Wharton student there are still business related clubs you can be involved in. A lot of wharton groups are open to all Penn students regardless of your school affiliation. It would be wise of you to join one or attend their events. Also, you can also get involved with the research centers at Wharton and work on projects. This would be a great opportunity to work with business professors and increase your knowledge. Having research experience on your resume related to business or finance would help you stand out and give you an edge for internships and future jobs.</p>

<p>Now for your question on which major/minor to take:
I would probably go with Economics or PPE. Political Science/History majors is best for law-related careers like public policy or biz law. International Relations if you want to do international business or work overseas, which isn’t exactly necessary for a wallstreet job. Math wouldn’t really give you anything. Same with the minors. For engineering I wouldn’t suggest you choose that unless you A) really like technology or B) want to work for a tech company. Engineering is NO JOKE and you wouldn’t want to minor in something that’s tough when you’re not passionate about it.</p>

<p>But most of all I would suggest that you major in something you love. Explore new disciplines. Don’t focus too much on “oh I have to major/minor/study this so I can work on wallstreet”. If you do what you love then you will end up where you need to be. If that place is wallstreet then you’ll get there. It may be after graduation or a few years down the road but either way you’ll be fine.</p>

<p>Hope that helps</p>

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<p>I must say candygyrl that was one of the most kindly-written and helpful responses I have received in a while. Thank you.</p>

<p>To answer your first question, I wanted to be able to receive the broad, interdisciplinary liberal arts education that is so desirable from a place like Penn, without focusing on pure business throughout all four years. With that said, I am still pretty sure I want to get into Wall Street after graduation. I also did not apply because I didn’t have much to do business-related throughout high school, and didn’t want to throw away my chances of going to Penn.</p>

<p>Quick question, if I make clear to Wharton students(and faculty) that I am interested in business, will I be accepted as a person? I will start freshman year, so it’s not as if I just want to make the move senior year so I can get a job. I plan on doing finance/consulting related clubs if I am treated well and making friends with the students obviously (since we will have similar interests). Will Wharton affiliates be jerks?</p>

<p>I think I will major in Economics, as that is something I enjoy. Why do you say PPE? Isn’t that strong law preparation too? As for minor, would you agree with me choosing a Wharton interschool minor such as Actuarial Mathematics or Consumer Psychology?</p>

<p>I will maybe think about and try to transfer, but it is literally impossible. The GPA cutoff is about a 3.9, which means I won’t be able to even get more than one A- my entire freshman year of study. My question is, if I take the reqs and pad my schedule with joke classes, will it be easier to do? Someone else on this board told me that it would be very very risky, but I don’t know for what reason exactly</p>

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<p>I’m glad I helped. :slight_smile:
Now for the question on whether the Wharton affliliates will be jerks…lol well as an upcoming Wharton kid I’d say no. I’ve met a lot of my future peers and we’re all pretty chill. Of course there will always be a few pricks but there are pricks in any school and/or situation. I think you would have no problem being accepted by Wharton students in business clubs. I know for one of the clubs I looked at there were several CAS students who held office postions. (i can’t tell you much about finance clubs since i’m marketing focused). Now you may have a few kids who will wonder why you didn’t just go for Wharton and ask you about it like I did. It’s not out of spitefulness, just curiousity. But, if you really want a better picture about the CAS experience in biz organizations I’d suggest asking on the “Wharton Mythbusters” thread here. They can probably tell you more than I could.
Also know that you won’t be the only Economics student. I’m quite sure there are a lot of econ majors who are interested in Finance too and maybe upperclassmen who could talk about their path/experience. The reason I’d say PPE is because it’s broader and it could be applied in different areas which would give you flexibility. If you really want a Wharton minor then I’d say Act.math>consumer psychology because the math could apply to finance while consumer psychology is better if you’re interested in advertising.
For transferring into Wharton I’m not positive on the right path to get there. All I know is that it is hard but not completely impossible. When you get to Penn you’ll be assigned an advisor and they can help you pick your courses. I’d just hate to tell you something and be wrong since I’m pretty new to this too. Good luck!</p>