Williams College: Econ/Pysch Major or Econ/Math Major
So I am interested in pursuing management consulting or investment banking after undergrad. I just got accepted to Williams and am deciding to pair my economics major with psychology or math.
I think psychology is a subject that I would enjoy more while keeping my GPA higher than it would be if I pursued math. I fear that psychology is seen as a soft subject that adds little value to an economics degree (behavioral economics?), while math would potentially bolster my analytical skills. I've heard that you don't need high-level math for either of these careers so it may be a waste of time.
As a hypothetical employer, which combination would you find most valuable and why? Maybe the minor/concentration doesn't matter as long as I majored in economics? Please let me know. I'm having a very difficult weighing the pros and cons of each. Thanks!
do what makes you happy, and what you can do well in. don't do math for the sake of doing math
higher gpa > everything
I have a lot of experience w/this school. Feel free to Pm. The short answer to me was that it really doesn't matter at all, do something you like/will keep your GPA high (pretty hard there).
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It's Williams, don't try to overdue it. If you do well in your major, regardless of what it is you'll be fine.
At Williams, you really don't need to worry about your major or GPA. Honest to God; for top firms, keep your GPA above 3.5 and you're pretty much guaranteed an interview - for other firms / top firms, keep your GPA above 3.3 and network with alumni / play a varsity sport (if applicable). This isn't to say that you should blow off schoolwork, but you shouldn't be worried about the differences between a 3.5 and a 3.58 or whatever y'all are worried about. The College is so heavily recruited and the alumni networks in management consulting / investment banking run so deep that marginal increases in GPA or whether you major in Econ/Math or Econ/Psych will be non-issues. For recruiters in these fields, the GPA is just a signal that you can work.
I would also echo the other advice: when you arrive, focus on taking classes that genuinely interest you. You will be much more motivated to excel in the classes and build relationships with professors, which are both very important. Also, you definitely do not need high-level math to be an investment banking analyst or a management consulting analyst - what you do need, and is very rare, are genuinely strong social and people skills.
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