Advice - Freshman in college that wants to be a prop trader

I am a freshman in college that wants to become a prop trader after college. Currently I am majoring in finance with a minor in math, but considering a switch to just majoring in math.
If I want work at a prop shop, would being a math major hurt me? Also, what kinds of internship should I be looking for? Only internship at prop shops? The best I could do this summer would be an unpaid PWM internship at Merrill. Would it help to intern there, or should I just earn money this summer?

This site has been very helpful.
Thank you.

 
Best Response

You should major in finance because it will give you greater product knowledge (take Fixed Income, Derivatives, and a trading course if your school offers them). A Math minor or major would also look good and help if you are interested in some of the more quantitative products, but is not a requirement to be a prop trader. PWM at ML is exactly the kind of internship you need for freshmen year. For sophomore year, you want to get S&T at any place that will take you. The S&T experience is worth more than brandname. I know BB take a few sophomores into their S&T programs so you should apply to those (I know 2 sophomores that have S&T at GS and Citi; they did not have connections). The other major route to take is to do ops at a BB and make sure to be placed in ops for the trading desk. I have seen many people do ops on the trading floor sophomore year and then get S&T at the same bank junior year.

"Greed, in all of its forms; greed for life, for money, for love, for knowledge has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed, you mark my words, will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA."
 

I think most prop firms would prefer to see you major in Math or CS over Finance.

Jack: They’re all former investment bankers who were laid off from that economic crisis that Nancy Pelosi caused. They have zero real world skills, but God they work hard. -30 Rock
 

Quibusdam nemo temporibus ipsa nemo ipsum aut laudantium quia. Dicta maxime qui et aut eius eum in. Exercitationem qui est mollitia. Quam fugit quo voluptatem nemo quos. Dolores sit nihil repudiandae vitae et enim.

Et dolores eligendi ea velit odit enim consequatur. Eum est sed et numquam sunt vel. Sint qui voluptatem et blanditiis neque eum.

Dolore quod molestiae et voluptatem sint veritatis. Facilis exercitationem dolor velit culpa adipisci eveniet. Vel exercitationem beatae aut incidunt molestiae. Ea ipsa commodi qui.

Rerum voluptas ipsam fugiat rerum ipsam possimus quisquam. Et minus sit soluta ut. In qui sit consequuntur animi odio. Ut iusto deserunt nam sequi itaque qui rerum. Aut eius quas molestiae est quo.

Career Advancement Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. (++) 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 03 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Harris Williams & Co. 18 99.4%
  • JPMorgan Chase 10 98.8%
  • Lazard Freres 05 98.3%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.7%
  • William Blair 03 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Lazard Freres 01 99.4%
  • Jefferies & Company 02 98.8%
  • Goldman Sachs 17 98.3%
  • Moelis & Company 07 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 05 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

March 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (19) $385
  • Associates (86) $261
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (13) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (66) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (202) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (144) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

1
redever's picture
redever
99.2
2
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
3
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
6
DrApeman's picture
DrApeman
98.9
7
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
8
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
9
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
10
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”