This is going to be a special topic (Highschool Junior)
I've been lurking on these forums for a while now, and I finally decided to make an account even though I'm very out of place. I'm currently a high school Junior in an International School in Zurich,Switzerland. Yes, I reside in the secret banking capital of the world and my dad hides Nazi gold under his bed. I do sincerely hope however, that people read this and take me seriously even though I'm (relatively) young in this forum.
My future goal is to get into Investment Banking, and maybe later on Private Equity (well yes it's because you make a lot of money, but also because I have an innate nack for business and I really enjoy finance... if that sounds right).
I'm currently pursuing the IB Diploma (IB is NOT Investment Banking lol its International Baccalaureate; google is your friend if you're not familiar with this) and my 6 (you can only take 6) courses are:
- HL Math
- HL Economics
- HL Chemistry
- SL English A Lang & Lit
- SL Physics
- SL Physics
I'm really reaching for a target school in the U.S. I haven't given the SAT yet (taking it this October), but I am really trying for a top 20 college (Ivy League + colleges like Vanderbilt).
So now onto my question... My intended major is Engineering, something with Robotics and AI. So I was wondering if this is suitable to break into Investment Banking if I minor in Finance/Economics (should I minor in Finance or Economics?)?
Thanks in advance, sorry for long post, and sorry for having a highschool invade this forum. Happy... whatever it is you do.
If it's a target business school I think you should major in finance - or something in the b school. If it's just a reputable school, engineering is definitely a solid major for the math foundation. You'll just have to come back around and explain the choice in your interviews.
As far as your minor goes, just do whatever is interesting. They're all solid but i personally feel like finance is more relevant.
I did the IB program in high school too. It's good for exempting your intro classes - but nobody really cares in college.
If your future goal is to break into IB, then why do you want to major in engineering? You'll be making your life harder for no reason, even at a target school (assuming you make it into one) not to mention the insane competition for Visa sponsorship. No one cares about your minor. A double major would be more suitable if you absolutely have to major in engineering, but I don't think that would be a very wise decision. You supposedly have a "knack for business" and enjoy finance, so why go down the engineering path if you're set on IB from such a young age? Major in finance and do a minor/double major with CS or something. You're still in high school, so you should think hard about what you actually want to do in the future. Please don't go into IB just for the money, because that's the overall vibe I'm getting from you.
If you're dead set on engineering, I recommend checking out a recent article on M&I about breaking in as an engineer - it's a pretty painful procedure.
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Do everyone a favor and don't listen to your parents, unless your father already works in finance. An engineering degree is good if you plan on being an engineer. If you want to work in IB and move over to the buyside, which you apparently wish to do, the best and safer option is a normal finance degree. A double major would be best if you're set on engineering since it would tick the finance box, something that a minor cannot do as it doesn't hold the same weight as a major. However, it would (probably) wreck your GPA and your free time, two things of immense importance if you want to have a shot at recruiting. As previously mentioned, you CAN break in as an engineer, but it's unnecessarily difficult and the majority of engineers that do break in either switch majors early on in college or go down the MBA route.
As I said, think long and hard on what you want to pursue as an adult. You said that you're aiming for IB and now you're telling me that you're considering finance as a plan B. If you want to be an engineer, get an engineering degree. If you want IB, get a finance major, maintain a stellar GPA and network your ass off while joining the usual clubs/student funds. I repeat, it is not impossible to break in with an engineering degree, especially coming from a target, but it's simply pointless if your goal is IB -> PE.
If you wanted to be taken seriously you probably should've dropped all the tongue-in-cheek nonsense.
Also, forget about eng. Your life will suck from the workload and it'll be harder to break in to IB. Fuck the "safety" of engineering degrees. You'll meet way better contacts in a business undergrad vs an eng undergrad anyway, and that'll likely end up being more valuable than whatever you learn in school.
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I think it might suit you better to major in Applied math or math if you intend on wanting a more technical course load. However, I agree with others in saying IB is mostly about getting the highest GPA you can. An engineering background almost always results in a lower GPA so really be careful when you are pursuing that.
In terms of the ACT/SAT, get on that quick. If you want to get into top Ivys then it is extremely crucial to do well on those. For ACT I would aim at 34+ and SAT around 1530+. Also it might help if you decide to take AP tests (I don't know much about international students taking AP tests). It will definitely increase your chances of getting in if you do well on them.
Keep in mind those schools are going to be extremely pricey for an international student.
Is there any hope for me to get merit scholarships? And yeah I'm taking my first SAT this October, and according to Khan Academy's practice test, I'll get a 1450 with no further practice. So if I try my best, I could potentially get a 1500.
Thanks for the advice.
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