Please advise (canadian target vs stem degree)

Hi, I don't really know where to post this but looking for some advice. I am about to go into my second year at Western. I have AEO status, doing a specialization in math. The plan was to go into Ivey, since I always thought I would end up in finance (something like prop trading or Asset Management, maybe VC) but recently I've been having doubts. I accepted my offer to transfer to Waterloo, since if I want to continue with pure math it's a better school but my family thinks it is ridiculous for me to get a degree without any immediate applications. They also have said that if I go with STEM over Ivey and want to do finance after, it's likely that I will end up working for a business grad (i.e. would fall behind people who might know less but have better communication skills).

Although Ivey isn't technical and I'm not interested in management at all, it sounds like it could be good for me in terms of soft skills like presenting, plus it's supposed to be a fun experience socially. It is the closest thing to a target that I know of in Canada, and I don't know that there is a better way for me to get into a hedge fund/prop shop/whatever. I also should say that I am not convinced about finance and might end up in tech or start my own venture. Honestly I'm super confused and don't know what the right decision is. Part of me thinks I should suck it up, do Ivey and maybe attempt a dual degree or teach myself technicals. The other part of me thinks a STEM degree is superior as it keeps more options open and would be better for quant funds/algotrading. I could teach myself business/finance but apparently the HBA has more "prestige" than a bachelor of math. I don't know if I should be practical and do what I know I can succeed at or follow what I am interested in (more math + classics) and hope things work out.

Help

3 Comments
 

It sounds like you genuinely enjoy math and have no interest in business/management, in which case Waterloo would be a better fit. When you transfer, you're essentially giving up opportunities in investment banking & maybe consulting in exchange for opportunities in trading, quant finance, and tech. If you were never going to go into IB anyways and are more interested in quanty careers then the choice is obvious.

Good luck!

Source: UW math grad

 

Hi,

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