Consulting from NYU CAS Econ
I'm a freshman at NYU CAS, majoring in Econ. I really want to go into consulting and I'm not interested in transferring into Stern, as I like CAS. Besides high grades (obviously), does anyone have good advice or previous stories on the process of positing oneself to break through? I plan to take Stern Accounting and Business Statistics sometime during my time here at NYU. I just got back from an information session for Compass Lexicon to get a feel of the industry and I really liked it. Also, for consulting/business, is it better to minor in History or Political Science? I have an interest in both but am unsure which is more practical. Thanks for any responses!
Econ is a traditional feeder major for consulting. You'll be fine on that front. Unless you do something out of the ordinary, a minor isn't going to do squat for you. Theirs eyes will slide right past a polisci/history minor onto the next interesting thing they find on your resume. Not that you shouldn't do it if it interests you... just it's not really going to interest them.
Get a minor in Mandarin or something, and then you've got something they'll comment on. A math, business or stats minor will help a softer major (e.g. Polisci, sociology, comparative lit), but that's not the position you're in.
You'll have just as good of a shot as the Stern kids at consulting, if not better in my opinion. Stick with CAS, Stern is over rated unless you're set on banking. If you really want to do a minor in one of those things, I'd say poly sci.
Thanks for the responses! So a minor is basically useless, right? I'd assume it's better to just fill up credits with classes that interest me rather than pursuing a minor.
I'm not sure useless is completely accurate. Your minor will be on your resume and as such, will be a topic of conversation in interviews and when clients glance at your credentials. I'm not sure if your interviewers will have your transcripts or not to comment on. Poli Sci > History. I have a friend who was an Econ major with a Poli Sci minor and he said it was a great compliment both in a learning context and practical.
NYU is not really considered a target school for a lot of consulting firms so it doesn't matter if you are in CAS or Stern.
Why would it not be considered a target? It's in the middle of NYC and is a top 30 school.
I'd say NYU is a semi-target for MBB and target for most other firms. But it's not because it's a top 30 school.
I wouldn't say a minor is useless, but I would encourage you to simply take classes that interest you in addition to your major. So many people chase the elusive perfect course schedule when the reality is that there is no cookie-cutter mold for becoming a consultant or banker.
There are clearly requisite skill-sets: quantitative ability, communication skills, logical thought process, poise under pressure, and leadership experience. How you develop these skills and what you choose to pursue in the rest of your time is not as important.
Have fun and do what you enjoy! Competitive firms hire interesting and passionate people.
As for the target designation, you're at NYU, so I wouldn't concern yourself with people's opinions on where your school falls in the consulting recruitment hierarchy.
That's good advice, thanks for your response. I really like history, psych, and politics so instead of focusing on obtaining a minor in one of them, I'd much rather take 2-3 of each.
Thanks, I definitely feel like my school is sufficient to get an offer for a consulting firm
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