<p>Hi. I’m interested in applying at harvard for undergrad a field such as Philosophy or History or the likes(im hoping harvard does this…). I want to know if going to Harvard and into said fields; will it still be possible for me to land a job in say finance in IB-D or PE (assuming I am always maintaining a cream of the crop GPA and networking really well etc)? I read somewhere on the forums that if you go to colleges such as Dartmouth and your connections alone can get you a nice plush job in PE despite doing philosophy etc. </p>
<p>Also just out of curiosity what jobs are the ones with the best exit ops and what are some typical career paths (in terms of years) with the best potential to make money (right now I’ve been reading on people doing IB’ing for 2 years and then going into “easier paths” what exactly are the aforementioned “easier paths”?)</p>
<p>p.s. by plush jobs I mean jobs that pay really well and leave you fairly financially secured andddd not have too many long hours (I dont mind 70ish a week I guess but lower is always better)</p>
<p>Also if it is not possible to take these courses at Harvard what other colleges are good for undergrad degrees in fields such as philosophy, history etc which have really good connections and can get you plush jobs (I’m interested either in finance or computers anything involved with mathematics)</p>
<p>I’m just curious to know what type of options might be available for me even if I chose to go into philosophy or history because that is what I love the most. Otherwise id take the maths or the computer degree whatever it takes. Also, I think to be realistic, at some point financial gain factors into almost every job search (why would I want to be an unemplyed writer, for example, as someone whos done philosophy when I can get a job in IB with better financial security…)</p>
<p>Yes, at some point financial gain factors in. But rarely do people so openly and unabashedly express their greed in public…</p>
<p>On a more helpful note:
From what I heard @ Wharton, working in PE almost always requires a 2-year stint as an I-Banking analyst. Poke around the forum for business and you’ll probably find some details as to how career paths work at these I-Banking firms and then beyond. There’s a very natural progression in most places.</p>
<p>well coming from a family where my father didn’t do anything and I watched him struggle (despite the fact that he was a lawyer) is sort of one of the reasons that I want to do really well be able to secure a financially stable job even if I decide to do Philosophy or History. If that’s called greed then so be it. Anyways you know what they say, Greed is Good ;)</p>
<p>I also find your honesty refreshing (though who shouldn’t be honest on an anonymous online forum?)</p>
<p>To explicitly answer your question, if you’re looking for finance jobs, your concentration at Harvard doesn’t really matter. Your foremost goals would be a high GPA and leadership experience in something. Secondary goals would be taking some helpful courses like stats and maybe CS (because CS is always useful), but your concentration choice can really be anything you want. That’s really one of the main benefits of Harvard, I think. You don’t have to do the cookie-cutter thing.</p>
<p>To less than explicitly answer your question, I wouldn’t assume for a second that you’re going to have a “cream of the crop” GPA. That’s very hard to do at a place like Harvard. I also don’t advise that you make your college and major choice based on a single job prospect. Finance jobs are ultra competitive, even at Harvard, and you should always be happy with whatever decision you make if you don’t land an Ibanking job.</p>
<p>well that is why I also asked what other jobs in other industries offer the same sort of salary/job prospects (note I also said I wouldn’t mind computers, I love computers and technology and know the scope of it; in fact I read somewhere Stanford held a class a few years ago in which the professor urged his/her students to develop apps for facebook. today those not-even-thirty or people in their early 30s are millionares, not to mention I also mentioned Maths but i guess Maths generally leads itself to a degree in finance anyway</p>
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Well again if you read my post I also name Dartmouth (as thiat is what I read initially can offer you opportunities like this) and I also asked if any other Ivy (Yale, Princeton etc) or Oxbridge or unis of the like (I hear oxfords philosophy is one of the best?) fit the bill of having a arts major but still land a very good job out of college.</p>
<p>Just for the record though I don’t mind that after working a few years you have to do a PhD or the likes to advance furthur. I see myself as an academic who will always want to learn his whole life that again partly being one of the reasons that I love finance and computers because of the everchanging world and consequent needs of the consumers of those industries</p>
<p>This is one of the reasons why I’m posting on a forum like this to get a more better perspective because honestly I have been discouraged from liberal arts my whole life as well with the main argument that the future with a liberal arts major is bleak at best but then again my parents never had the fortune of an Ivy education/name, they were simply…mediocare at best. I want to be the best of the best</p>