Advice: What Minor or Major is Most Valuable?

Hey Monkeys,

I am a sophomore business student and I have a very weak idea for what dual minor/major I should pursue!

I know Statistics and Economics are fantastic, I tried to see if an Architectural minor was feasible, but no dice and the major is a pain - I would have mainly done it from straight interest. There are maybe 200 Liberal degrees that aren't serious choices for me and I just wanted to get y'all opinions.

Does anyone have particular advice as to what additional field would be super useful for someone in my position? (I want to head into REPE, pursue development as well, etc.)

 
Most Helpful

Whichever one comes from an Ivy League school?

Honestly in real estate your major doesn't matter. Take finance classes and some electives that teach you how to write.

Commercial Real Estate Developer
 

If you want to be in the business world, you absolutely cannot go wrong with a finance major and a minor in accounting. I would try to sprinkle in some real estate electives, but keep your education as broad as possible. You’ll probably switch your desired career path 3-4 times between now and graduation.

I may have a bias opinion since I was a finance major, but I feel like unless you go to an ivy, lacking a relevant degree is an insta-ding. A lot of people say that you can learn everything you need to know on the job. I would tend to agree, but you’re probably going to suffer from black box syndrome and lack the fundamental knowledge of some very critical concepts. There are WAY too many people in this industry that can’t tell you what IRR, NPV, time value of money, etc mean at a fundamental level.

 
Trunk Yeti:
I may have a bias opinion since I was a finance major, but I feel like unless you go to an ivy, lacking a relevant degree is an insta-ding.

For you or in general? Because in general, tons of real estate people aren’t finance majors or Ivy League graduates.

Commercial Real Estate Developer
 

People in general have fallen out of love with Ivy League students/graduates. I've seen people from local state schools claiming that their CS degrees are more valuable than a Harvard English or history degree.

To get into Harvard requires brains, work ethic, and/or wealth/connections, all of which are very useful to any and all firms. Choice of major doesn't make it easier to get in.

 

I would minor in architecture. Not even a question, but your school needs to have a good arch program for this to make sense. Good architecture understanding makes the best developers and REPE guys. Anyone can learn finance, not everyone can or wants to learn what makes projects successful and relevant. This is how you create value.

 

I really really wish I could minor, but it seems the major is the only route for that. I'm honestly going to speak with a person from the college to see if I can MAKE a minor-Architecture seems so damn cool to me. I definitely agree that the minor would add value and add to my perspective of RE development.

 

Agree with the sentiment about math and statistics and comp sci from above. Take them as you have everything open to you should your interests change later down the line. Good grades there also tends to impress people a lot more

 

I minored in math, which was a good complement to my econ major especially since I thought about doing an econ PhD at the time. Also, if you say that you minored in math, people will assume that you're smart and have a decent quantitative IQ. The reward that I've gotten from having it on my resume has been much greater than the effort I put into it.

 

A combination of finance or accounting and pre-law. Understanding how to interpret contracts becomes more and more important as you move up the pyramid in CRE while being able to manipulate pro formas becomes less and less important. Pro formas are just a guess, a necessary evil because they are wrong 99.9% of the time. What is spelled out in an executed agreement is never wrong, it represents the framework of a venture/project and dictates all policies and procedures.

 

Fugit eius officia eaque optio velit ut. Autem ratione harum neque illo dignissimos eligendi sit. Labore quasi enim rerum itaque voluptatem. Expedita vero quidem est magni dolor rem et minima. Dolorem ex et quaerat ipsa voluptatibus consequatur temporibus eos.

Facilis voluptatem et qui consequatur. Iusto et et impedit cumque. Optio ea dignissimos qui cumque quos. Ratione non aut qui animi blanditiis temporibus beatae.

Accusantium possimus labore eligendi blanditiis. Omnis nostrum omnis voluptas aut. Dolor enim et quo repellat quas ut. Id voluptatem cumque voluptas perferendis alias voluptatibus officiis. Consequatur quam quas doloribus et hic fugiat ex dolor.

“The three most harmful addictions are heroin, carbohydrates, and a monthly salary.” - Nassim Taleb
 

Atque nam molestiae illum quia voluptatem odit. At qui vero quidem illo libero. Iure numquam tempore repudiandae qui explicabo sequi. Voluptatem qui ipsam facere enim voluptatem et.

Et ut tempora earum reprehenderit maxime enim. Adipisci occaecati voluptatem error suscipit id rerum numquam.

Career Advancement Opportunities

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Jefferies & Company 02 99.4%
  • Goldman Sachs 19 98.8%
  • Harris Williams & Co. New 98.3%
  • Lazard Freres 02 97.7%
  • JPMorgan Chase 04 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

May 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

May 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

May 2024 Investment Banking

  • Director/MD (5) $648
  • Vice President (20) $385
  • Associates (88) $260
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (14) $181
  • Intern/Summer Associate (33) $170
  • 2nd Year Analyst (67) $168
  • 1st Year Analyst (205) $159
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (146) $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
Betsy Massar's picture
Betsy Massar
99.0
3
Secyh62's picture
Secyh62
99.0
4
BankonBanking's picture
BankonBanking
99.0
5
CompBanker's picture
CompBanker
98.9
6
dosk17's picture
dosk17
98.9
7
GameTheory's picture
GameTheory
98.9
8
kanon's picture
kanon
98.9
9
Jamoldo's picture
Jamoldo
98.8
10
Linda Abraham's picture
Linda Abraham
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...”