GPA Vs. Degree: What truly matters?
Hello,
I'm starting my first semester in fall at a non-target (UMICH-Dearborn) and can't seem to decide on what major to declare. I have this notion that regardless of your degree, employers really only seem to care about a candidates GPA. Originally, I wanted to major in Finance but soon after switched to a History Major because I want to have the highest GPA possible, was this the right move? another motive for me switching was because of my poor mathematical abilities, I was simply scared that they would hinder my GPA and hinder my chances of being successful. My goal is to break onto wall street or some small local IB; with some intentions of getting into the VC industry because I have a mentor at one of the top firms in the country. Let me tell you that my passion for the finance market is very profound, I've followed the stock market since Jr. High and read finance books by the dozen. Should I keep my Major in history regardless of my strong passion for Finance just to get a high GPA?
I would strongly go against majoring in History. Finance is easy compared to Math/Engineer majors. I don't know about your school but majoring in Finance does not require the much math (2nd year calc at most). Finance isn't a tough major and if you are reasonably smart you should be able to get 3.5+ GPA unless you fool around.
I'm not saying you cannot break in with a History major but eveyone knows that History major is a joke. Especially as a non-target I wouldn't major in History.
Your mathematical abilities can't be so bad if you have such an interest in finance; perhaps you're overestimating the difficulty of the mathematics on encounters in undergrad finance. It's mostly just arithmetic, some basic statistics and simple calculus that you will encounter in economics courses. (If calculus is what you are worried about, don't be. I honestly believe everyone, regardless of major, should and can study calculus)
Employers do not look at GPA alone. The perceived difficulty of your major will determine what a strong GPA is. If you're a history or English major from a non-target, they will expect a near-perfect GPA. If you're in a STEM major then you can get away with a much lower GPA, especially in engineering and math. So don't major in something irrelevant that you are not interested in just because of GPA; do you really think people don't know that some lib arts majors are considered 'blow-off majors'?
I suggest, since you're at a non-target, you double major in finance and accounting/econ/etc. If you actually have an interest in history, you can take those courses as electives or a minor. If history is as much a passion as finance, try double majoring in finance and history.
You still have time and it's very good that you already know what you want to do. But keep your mind open to other academic and career possibilities as well. Technically, you can major in anything and go into finance, as long as you get the relevant internships, have quantitative/math course experience and abilities, and take some finance/accounting courses to show interest and aptitude.
From what I've heard, GPA will matter much less once its over the 3.5 threshold.
With that in mind, I would rank it as follows: Having useful connections > Work experience > Major > How far over 3.5 your GPA is.
If I was you (especially at a non-target), I'd go for the finance major and once you're comfortable keeping it over 3.5, network and look for relevant experience at every possible opportunity.
yea dude finance is pretty intense...
s.t.f.u.
$10 says your GPA in History will be lower than it would be with a Finance major based on your interest in the classes.
Once your GPA is over a certain cutoff, it begins to mean less (3.5-3.7). I'd rather major in something that might be more difficult but more interesting (Finance), rather than something that seems easier but will be less interesting (History)
Don't major in history from non-target, you will be screwed for life.
Do what you wanna do. That said, coming from Dearborn you're probably going to want the business degree. Also, try and transfer to Ann Arbor. Which means studying really hard and doing really well regardless of your major.
I suggest you transfer ASAP
Yeah, I probably will end up doing that since the RSOB has an excellent BBA program.
GPA vs Major (Originally Posted: 11/21/2017)
Hypothetically, would it be better to have a 3.85+ GPA as a Economics Major from UNC or have a 3.7+ GPA as a Business Major (with a Finance Concentration) from UNC's Kenan Flager Business School to break into investment banking given all else equal? (In case anyone doesn't know, the business school is generally considered more prestigious than our college of arts and sciences.
If this was a Wharton v. non-Wharton people would care, but they don't.
This is probably correlation more than anything else, but the people I have met at BB/EBs from UNC and similar-tier schools (the ones that have a relatively highly regarded business program) are all business majors.
The most important thing to do is stalk the alumni network. I just did a quick 60-second search and it looks like overwhelmingly the people placing in IB come from the business school. There's your answer.
GPA far more important
The difference in education between an Econ BA and a finance BBA isnt a major one.. as long as you're still able to ace your technicals for interviews.
That being said, you will miss out on a lot of the BBA program's extra benefits. My BBA program provided much more support for recruiting and interview prep purposes than the college of arts and sciences, and if that's the case at UNC too then you should definitely go with the business program. Having seen economics students try to get the same interviews and jobs as the business students, the econ kids were just vastly underprepared compared to us.
As long as you can keep >= 3.6 GPA then you should have no reason not to study finance in the business school. I don't think there's much of a difference in an interviewer's eyes between a 3.85 and a 3.7, at that point they're going to care more about your story and how you interview. That's my two cents anyways
GPA over Major for MBB (Originally Posted: 01/07/2018)
If you go to a grade deflated place like UChicago, would it be better to go for an economics degree and shoot for a high GPA (maybe 3.7+) or would a Physics degree offer more value and look better. Since Physics is harder though, the GPA probably would be down to a 3.3. Basically, is GPA more important than major in a grade deflated school?
A 0.4 GPA difference is a big difference between majors...
When I did my internship at a top three bank from a more prominent target, a 3.75 in physics was required compared to a 3.95 in economics. Things may have changed - it was quite a few years ago and it was a different school (and maybe my class just had higher than average GPAs for our school, I don't know).
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