Banks don't care about the major!?
Hey Guys:
Please help me out! I'm at McGill University, below avg. GPA, and am currently registered in a program called "joint honors economics and finance" It is a very quant program, where I get to take upper year econometrics courses, advanced microeconomics theory, derivatives and financial instruments, etc. But, I don't think that I will be a quant, and I want to be an analyst --> later associate at IB (am also considering MBA and law school).
What I hear is that banks don't give a shit about what your major is. So, i feel that the quant preparation and respect that comes with the "double honors economics and finance" has no value when recruited. At same time, my GPA in honors would be lower than that in economics major program and minor in finance (major is way easier = higher GPA). Please, let me know if you think that a lower GPA with a quant honors is better or worse than a higher GPA with non-quantitative economics major and finance minor. I really need help before fucking up my future!
higher gpa is better
higher GPA is better. I tell people a million times- unless you go into PhD-level work- there's almost no point taking advanced quantitative courses (unless you are naturally good at them and will get high grades regardless).
Go with the higher GPA if you want to look at it that way. Better yet, take what you want to take and be an absolute beast and if it just so happens you want to do the Joint Honors thing then do it and beast it out. If you can kill the Honors thing you'd show the level of raw intelligence the Banks want (which is the whole point of them not caring about your major; they just care about your ability to comprehend and do work efficiently at 3 in the morning apparently)
Thanks guys, and more feedback is greatly appreciated.
It's just so frustrating that GPA paranoia is preventing me (and many others, I know for a fact) from taking courses that are actually challenging and interesting. That's life I guess.
take the classes that support your career goals now (i.e. the ones that prop up your gpa), and take whatever is interesting to you on an ad-hoc basis down the road, after you graduate. If you really are that interested, you can carve out 3 hours a week for a class outside of work.
with all due respect, according to your other post you haven't even started college yet. Upper level quantitative courses in college are hard. Don't give people advice on either college grades or banking recruitment as some people may think you actually have experience with one or both.
then take them- I don't blame you. but don't say that I didn't warn you. I've taken similar classes, fucked up my gpa, and have no way to make use of it. Nobody is going to ask me to build an econometric model (they'd rather have a PhD in Econ/Stat do something even more advanced) or price an exotic option (an MFE, but more likely a PhD). As for "Adv. Micro" you should really thank me for saving you from that- 100% (not an exaggeration!) useless in financial markets.
"with all due respect, according to your other post you haven't even started college yet. Upper level quantitative courses in college are hard. Don't give people advice on either college grades or banking recruitment as some people may think you actually have experience with one or both."
I've pretty much taken enough classes to graduate with a Bachelor's in 2 years, yes including upper level quantitative courses. Though, I haven't started college officially, I have been taking classes since I graduated, so I'm in some position to talk about college grades. I simply said if he felt he could hack the joint honors thing then he should definitely do it, if not then he should go with the safe option, no?
And I've read enough on this forum to have an idea what the Banks are looking for. Unless I am wrong and they do care about your major and not your raw intelligence?
Being Canadian is also preventing you for succeeding in life, why aren't you complaining about that instead of your GPA?
Is you jelly of our AAA bonds? :)
not what you know or what you study, all who you know. --- Network, solid GPA seems to be the solution, hell there is an art major next to me right now.
OP, please don't go around telling people that this double degree or whatever its called will give you a quant background.
It's not quant, but I can do a quant masters (MFE, quantitative MFin, etc) after my bachelor's, unlike with the major program
Majoring business/fin/accy definitely helps. It shows your interest in the field. But it doesnt make or break your chances
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