<p>As strange as it sounds, Ive heard some actuaries in hiring positions say theyd prefer candidates with broader backgrounds than they believe an Act Sci degree provides. However, there are also actuaries that think highly of it, and there are many people in hiring positions that dont care. For many actuaries the particular college degree is relatively unimportant.</p>
<p>IMHO you avoid an Act Sci degree for your sake, not theirs. Comparing the areas of statistics, biostatistics, data mining and actuarial work, the quality of jobs varies a lot more within them than between them. A good stat job is better than a crappy Act Sci job, and vice versa. Try to graduate with as many doors open as you can, so that youll be picking between offers, instead of hoping for one.</p>
<p>If youre already in an Act Sci program, do well in your coursework and graduate with plenty of exams and youll be fine. Im just saying that one huge advantage of the actuarial career path in the US is that it is flexible in what background is required. Very few careers are like that and I suggest students take advantage of it.</p>