CS Degree vs Econ Degree

I'm a rising high school senior and plan on applying to semi-targets and targets (UChicago, Duke, UPenn, Columbia, HYPS). Would majoring in CS and minoring in Econ instead of majoring in Econ hurt IB recruitment and future job opportunities for me if I were to go to any of these schools?

 
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Majoring in CS & minoring in Econ. will likely be tougher than simply majoring in Econ. so as far as 'hurting' your recruitment, I don't think it will unless your GPA/ECs/Ability to intern while studying suffer significantly. You will also likely be asked in interviews why you prefer finance to a position in the field you have been studying, though this won't be a difficult question to answer if you actually like finance/are decent at BSing.

As far as the upside, you will have a strong possible backup in tech if you find IB isn't for you, may have the opportunity to dip your feet in both before committing to a career, and will have a non-finance background for future graduate degrees.

 

Go CS with a minor in Econ.

Lots of people fail to realize how much they change over the years. CS is much more versatile and will lend you the ability to go to several different avenues of business, consulting or industry if you decide against IBD.

Just put in the work, get the CS degree with a 3.5 or above, network and you'll be solid.

"It is better to have a friendship based on business, than a business based on friendship." - Rockefeller. "Live fast, die hard. Leave a good looking body." - Navy SEAL
 

In similar threads, the consensus has usually been to stick with Econ rather than CS because why would you do CS when you are actually interested in IB/finance? Econ is much closer to IB than CS.

Also, how does a CS degree help you in the different fields of business?

Everybody I know wanting to do finance is doing something like Econ/Business whereas everybody I know wanting to do CS (software development at Google, Amazon, etc.) is doing a CS degree.

 

Finance is all about the mitigation of risk. What happens if you get to your junior year, you landed that sweet IB SA position and all summer you fucking hate it. Well, you can always do other business but that salary sweet spot will be cut.

CS is versatile. You don't need business degree to do business work. CS is a degree which is able to get you the option of IB (they don't care about your degree) but also opens up lots of better options.

If you're 100% dead set on IB, then yes Econ/Finance but if you're a freshman or like ideas of other areas, then I would say CS would be best.

"It is better to have a friendship based on business, than a business based on friendship." - Rockefeller. "Live fast, die hard. Leave a good looking body." - Navy SEAL
 

See I would still say though, if he got into UChicago/Harvard/Wharton then Business/Economics ALL the way. But yeah, I went to Uni with a lot of students who wanted IB but then come sophomore/junior year (some after their first internship) they start to see other green pastures. It's all personal decisions though.

"It is better to have a friendship based on business, than a business based on friendship." - Rockefeller. "Live fast, die hard. Leave a good looking body." - Navy SEAL
 

Ab tempora omnis expedita mollitia aut error nulla. Repellendus qui est et tenetur aut. Exercitationem est repellat voluptate hic veritatis ipsa.

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