Deciding college major at ivy league
Hey all, a bit confused as to what I should major in. I just transferred and my ultimate goal is to get into CRE after I graduate, specifically in LA. I basically have two choices: study applied math or urban studies. The latter can be made quite quanty at my school which is interesting and we have good RE classes.
I ultimately want to move back to LA (where I’m from) and be with my girlfriend after my next two years are up, so I want maximum employability. The urban studies curriculum is so up my alley but I’m afraid I’ll be unemployed when I graduate.
Based on the most helpful WSO content, here's what you need to know:
If your ultimate goal is to break into Commercial Real Estate (CRE) in Los Angeles, both applied math and urban studies can work, but they offer different advantages. Here's a breakdown:
Urban Studies:
Applied Math:
Recommendations:
Ultimately, your major is just one piece of the puzzle. Your internships, skills, and network will play a much larger role in determining your success in CRE.
Sources: Thoughts on getting into real estate development with an urban planning degree?, NYU Masters Real Estate vs. Non-Ivy MBA, Sophomore: Architecture to Real Estate, https://www.wallstreetoasis.com/forum/real-estate/can-you-make-a-career-in-cre-capital-markets?customgpt=1
You could pick Victorian Poetry and be just fine, don’t stress it
Echoing above, major doesn’t really matter. Clubs, internships are more important. CA recruiting from Ivys is still easy, they will just be more inquisitive on why - which you outlined.
As an urban studies grad from an Ivy, I can confirm there are plenty of us in CRE, including some well-known names. A non-issue.
I'm the same and also cross-studied with our real estate program. I'd say 30-40% of my class in urban studies ended up in the CRE world. Others went for things like landscape architecture or true urban planning/government gigs.
If you want to optimize for "maximum employability" then I would study applied math, which generally signals as a rigorous major that permits a person to join any industry including CRE. Urban studies can be seen as a fluffy major and one with narrower applicability.
My two sense as someone not in CRE...
(1) Applied math is going to have almost no hard-skill benefit for you. It just doesn't materially translate. Math does have a soft-skill benefit. One of the things that defines advanced math is that it is proof-based. Learning how to prove shit is a useful soft-skill.
(2) Applied math is a better signal for RE gigs which will help in the actual job application process.
(3) Your degree doesn't matter. As people have said, there are many things that matter more such as clubs, internships, developing actual relationships, etc. If you like the urban studies curriculum more, then get that degree.
If you can get a good GPA in math and have social skills, do it. I majored in math and everyone will just check the "intelligent" box when evaluating you. Also, boomers assume stem majors have a leg up on "AI" which will benefit you during the hiring process. If you cant get a 3.5+ choose something else. Hiring is competitive, entry level jobs are shrinking in RE, and gpa is an easy way to cut a few hundred resumes down.
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