kidwithshirt

Hey I am high school sophomore and am about to finish Calc 3 this summer

I don't know how far I should go math in high school since I got plenty of time left.

I am interested in doing IB or something finance related (on a note here, I don't know much about IB in details however I do know what it's about and the amount of rigor it requires. So please don't just slap a "money hungry high school chump" label on me).

I heard that you can major in Political science or economics, so that makes you learn a lot more math right? If you are majoring in this, why not share your experience? Tell me the highest level of math you need and etc.

kmzizzle

you damn money hungry high school cump

alg 2

kidwithshirt

well aren't you just the most informative person on this board?

quag_mire

depends...some of the grad programs in quantitative finance require a crapload of math...you will need an equivalent of a math major at the undergrad level to gain admissions into those programs...for a regular finance major at the undergrad level, AP Calc BC should suffice

hockeydemon05

What about a Masters in Finance Engineering? I'm assuming an Undergrad Math Major would be required.

quag_mire

not necessarily math, it could be some quantitative major like engineering, but I've read on U Chicago's MSFM website that the major reason most applicants are rejected is that most haven't had adequate undergrad math preparation...to be safe and maximize your chances, major in math, along with something else....i plan to double major in finance and math at NYU and then apply to these quant finance programs...i've looked at the resumes of many students in these programs, many have undergrad majors/minors in math, along with something else, mostly econ, physics, engineering etc

C-Revs

They generally require Multivariable Calculus, Linear Algebra, Ordinary Differential Equations, Calc-Based Probability/Stat and at least one semester of Real Analysis for MFE programs, though it depends on the specific program of course.

For normal finance, specifically I-Banking, the most intense math you are doing is usually within excel, Calc II would probably be the most you'd ever need, and that is probably pushing it too.

Also, political science is not very quantitative. Even if there are a few classes that are, they are usually considered less intense than their econ or math counterparts.

VectorWega

Calc 3 as a sophomore...hmmmm...I'm just gonna go out on a little limb and say that math isn't going to be a problem for you. I would just advise that you strengthen your soft skills (based on your posts). IE. right now in addition to your studies you should focus on social skills (and being more active socially, even if it doesn't build on your resume). Make sure that you are comfortable and confident dealing with a variety of people. Once you are in college you will want to strengthen other soft skills like presentation skills and interviewing skills.

It sounds like you have potential, but to be truly great in business you need to be good with people. BTW, do something more productive with your time than playing World of Warcraft.

Dawgie

He plays WoW?

Milton Roark

If you enjoy math then it would only help to take more math classes, even if you don't need them for most positions in finance. After you take Calc 3 (which I presume is multivariable) you should continue on to Linear Algebra. If you continue on your current path you'll likely have enough math to apply to most MFE programs (before you've even started college). If you have a natural ability in math (which you apparently do) you should continue to develop because it can open a lot of doors (as you already know).