Math Major - Currently at a target

Hey guys,

I am currently at a target school, and I've read discussions about this on here before and know that being at a target kind of implies you don't need to make your major industry specific but I was wondering if math was an exceptional case.

I am currently definitely majoring in economics, and am debating between philosophy and math for my second major. I will be taking classes in both regardless of which one I choose to put down on my resume as my second major so it is not a matter of which is more interesting to me. If I wanted to eventually work at a hedge fund would the math major help me at all? In terms of a career, I thought the philosophy major might be a nice way to show that I am a more well rounded person than just a straight business/econ/finance person. But I also think a math major would indicate that I have some quant skillzzz.

Any opinions?

Thanks guyz

9 Comments
 

I would drop the econ and double major in math and phil. They're both about a hundred times more interesting than econ. You can teach yourself undergrad econ over a summer.

-MBP
 

what mbp said but keep in mind that math is hard. most target kids wouldn't be able to get a 3.5+ from their school's math program, so just make sure u can handle it.

 

I would take econ and math. If you want to work at a HF, you're gonna need some CS.

- Bulls make money. Bears make money. Pigs get slaughtered. - The harder you work, the luckier you become. - I believe in the "Golden Rule": the man with the gold rules.
 

If you're at a target school, a math major with a high GPA will definitely get some attention. That being said, if you get a low GPA then all is for nothing. I'd say dual major in econ and math, and try to take more applied math/stats/comp sci courses for your math major instead of the abstract/proofs oriented courses.

 

Thanks guys, I've taken several courses in all three of the departments and I don't think my GPA would end up being significantly different depending on which route I take. There is a major within the econ department with a mathematical focus, "mathematical economics" as it's referred to. Would doing this and philosophy be the best option possibly?

 

Or come to think of it, if I were able to pull it off, what would a triple major look like. I am primarily interested in these three departments and the majority of my classes the next 4 semesters would consist of them anyways.

 

I'm with manbearpig. Especially if you're Asian. There are a number of math / econ majors and you just come across as a complete dork on a resume. However, diversifying with philosophy gives an impression of someone who's more well-rounded and interesting to talk to. In the end, it doesn't matter too much, but all else equal, I'd pick the math / philosophy kid over the math / econ.

 

Philosophy and astrophysics. You will be a formidable opponent.

"You stop being an asshole when it sucks to be you." -IlliniProgrammer "Your grammar made me wish I'd been aborted." -happypantsmcgee
 

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