Hi, I am a senior in HS. Applied to a mix of top engineering and top business undergraduate schools. I’m trying to decide between engineering and business. My “end” goal is to be in a high business job (focused in finance or investment banking). However, I am skilled in and attracted to mathematics and physics. I’m wondering if I should major in engineering (mechanical perhaps?) or major in Finance? I don’t really want to work an engineering job after graduating from undergrad but do not want to go directly into an MBA program RIGHT from undergraduate graduation. I’ve been told that students who major in engineering are offered high caliber business jobs right after graduation. Is this true? If so, how true? I just don’t see myself sitting in a lab doing “research” for 4+ years before returning to get my MBA and don’t want to put myself into a position where I am not offered great business job opportunities. Thanks!!
I have a very successful youngish relative who majored in EE at Princeton and did do one tech internship, did another business internship at a major semiconductor company and took a job there. By all accounts rode a rocket career wise and the company paid for the tippy top MBA. Just one anecdote for you.
Go to a high prestige school for that. Choosing a math-heavy major (math, statistics, mathematical economics, computer science, etc.; engineering may count, but may be less optimal since the engineering requirements may not be of your interest and may crowd out finance or economics electives) can help you with respect to the more quantitative type finance jobs.
A math-heavy major can also be better preparation for an MFE (Master of Financial Engineering) program later.
Note: most undergraduate business curricula and courses are not math-heavy (MIT course 15 operations research and statistics would be math-heavy: http://student.mit.edu/catalog/m15a.html ).
Do trading if you want math with high finance. MIT Sloan and Oxford E&M are some obvious choices.
If you really want to do investment banking do this
Ivy League Econ->internships->full time->MBA->full time–>$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
No engineering at all.
Yeah, Im planning to go into engineering and then go into IB or management consulting. Im going to Columbia’s engineering school which known more for sending people to business/law future careers rather than engineering. @ucbalumnus was spot on when he said to go to the most prestigious undergrad as you possibly can.
@ooohcollege why did you pick engineering undergrad?
It gives options. Say later on I want to be an engineer, I have that option. An industrial engineering major is good major if you want to go into business and I’m looking at the financial engineering and civil engineering majors as well. Businesses also value the math skills engineers have.