Does college major really not matter?

Say for instance if you are a French international student majoring in French at Johns Hopkins; would a GPA of 4.0 there be better than an economics major with a 3.3 GPA?

3 Comments
 

No matter how strong the school is, majors matter as a signaling tool in the absence of relevant work experience. An econ / business major with good GPA and some relevant courses will naturally be perceived as having greater aptitude and inclination for finance vs. a history major with a few marketing internships.

However, if you are recruiting with a reputable banking / buyside internship already under your belt, it doesn't matter much if you're a liberal arts vs. econ / business major. In such cases, an 'interesting' (i.e. political economy) or hard science (i.e. neuroscience) major may even be a +1 if you're able to coherently discuss your academic interests and how they differentiate you. 

 

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