Art history major and wall street

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My biggest mistake was majoring in Applied Math at Harvard. Would have been much better to go to Bucknell and major in Art History.

You don't need 99% of the things you learned in that major to work in IB. What matters is the elevator test. That's where a Bucknell top-tier fraternity man will outscore you every time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My biggest mistake was majoring in Applied Math at Harvard. Would have been much better to go to Bucknell and major in Art History.

You don't need 99% of the things you learned in that major to work in IB. What matters is the elevator test. That's where a Bucknell top-tier fraternity man will outscore you every time.

Three decades on Wall Street. I can assure you that anyone who uses the bolded phrase above is getting shown to either the back office or the door.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My biggest mistake was majoring in Applied Math at Harvard. Would have been much better to go to Bucknell and major in Art History.

You don't need 99% of the things you learned in that major to work in IB. What matters is the elevator test. That's where a Bucknell top-tier fraternity man will outscore you every time.

If you’re very unintelligent, sure. Luckily neither of these people are going into IB

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My IB does not hire art history majors without MBAs from top schools. Full stop. If a student wants to go into finance, a double major makes a lot more sense.

This is what all of the posters omit. Most of the 'Art History' majors who head on to IB have a second major in something else as well.

I’m have seen them hire music majors from well respected schools - music is essentially applied patterns and math. But art history, not without a double major in a relevant field.

[Anonymous]

Yale. Art History and Econ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My biggest mistake was majoring in Applied Math at Harvard. Would have been much better to go to Bucknell and major in Art History.

You don't need 99% of the things you learned in that major to work in IB. What matters is the elevator test. That's where a Bucknell top-tier fraternity man will outscore you every time.

If you’re very unintelligent, sure. Luckily neither of these people are going into IB

I know it was a joke but the Applied Math person at Harvard will likely get a couple interviews if they apply to all the banks that are coming on-campus and if they have good enough grades.

[Anonymous]

Nobody gives a F___ where you attend college or your major.

In 2014, my DS was a music major at San Jose State University (SJSU). While studying, he worked part-time at Pebble Beach Golf Club, where he crossed paths with several incredibly wealthy individuals. One of them hired my son and his band to perform at his wife’s 50th birthday party. This person turned out to be one of the co-founders of a venture capital firm, and he not only offered my DS an internship but also a full-time job at the firm upon graduation. Fast forward ten years, and my DS is now a big shot at that same firm, earning about $8M/yr. It really is true that success often comes down to who you know—or who knows you, not what you know.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My biggest mistake was majoring in Applied Math at Harvard. Would have been much better to go to Bucknell and major in Art History.

You don't need 99% of the things you learned in that major to work in IB. What matters is the elevator test. That's where a Bucknell top-tier fraternity man will outscore you every time.

If you’re very unintelligent, sure. Luckily neither of these people are going into IB

I know it was a joke but the Applied Math person at Harvard will likely get a couple interviews if they apply to all the banks that are coming on-campus and if they have good enough grades.

The candidate sounds like a boring cog in the wheel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It used to be the case one can major in art history in a target school (ivy and lac), and still make it to IB and consulting as long as the school brand is strong enough.
In 2025, can one still safely assume this is the case? Can a striver (meaning no connection) still make it by majoring in art history without taking advanced math classes on the side?
If not, what is the exit for these majors at an ivy?

Ugh, why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Nobody gives a F___ where you attend college or your major.

In 2014, my DS was a music major at San Jose State University (SJSU). While studying, he worked part-time at Pebble Beach Golf Club, where he crossed paths with several incredibly wealthy individuals. One of them hired my son and his band to perform at his wife’s 50th birthday party. This person turned out to be one of the co-founders of a venture capital firm, and he not only offered my DS an internship but also a full-time job at the firm upon graduation. Fast forward ten years, and my DS is now a big shot at that same firm, earning about $8M/yr. It really is true that success often comes down to who you know—or who knows you, not what you know.

That's an amazing story (not being sarcastic!) but that won't happen for most people. Your ds is likely very charming or has something special going on. For the vast majority of non-charismatic/ultra lucky people, it does matter a bit what they do.

[Anonymous]

When we hired McKinsey back in the day they told us they purposely hired from the best schools and they would look for unique majors. One studied music and was a violinist. Still the same today you can major in a lot of things and get into Consulting and by that I mean the bug 3 MBB. I don’t count Deloitte and KPMG as those are second tier consulting firms with a big dose of audit and accounting.

For IB these days I think the quant skills are hugely important. I just don’t think an art history major is going to be able to do hours of financial modeling if they don’t have quant skills excel skills some coding???? The expectation is that you have the fundamentals which are evaluated during the interview process with cases/modeling tests. So again basic liberal arts without a minor in something hard core - I don’t see it happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My IB does not hire art history majors without MBAs from top schools. Full stop. If a student wants to go into finance, a double major makes a lot more sense.

This is what all of the posters omit. Most of the 'Art History' majors who head on to IB have a second major in something else as well.

I’m have seen them hire music majors from well respected schools - music is essentially applied patterns and math. But art history, not without a double major in a relevant field.

God speaks in two languages - math and music. I think the music majors are on to something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My biggest mistake was majoring in Applied Math at Harvard. Would have been much better to go to Bucknell and major in Art History.

You don't need 99% of the things you learned in that major to work in IB. What matters is the elevator test. That's where a Bucknell top-tier fraternity man will outscore you every time.

If you’re very unintelligent, sure. Luckily neither of these people are going into IB

I know it was a joke but the Applied Math person at Harvard will likely get a couple interviews if they apply to all the banks that are coming on-campus and if they have good enough grades.

The candidate sounds like a boring cog in the wheel.

The person simply joked that they were a Harvard Applied Math person. Nothing else at all. They could interesting fascinating extracurriculars and backstory for all you know. Many Harvard kids do, because HYP admissions favor those with "hooks."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My IB does not hire art history majors without MBAs from top schools. Full stop. If a student wants to go into finance, a double major makes a lot more sense.

This is what all of the posters omit. Most of the 'Art History' majors who head on to IB have a second major in something else as well.

I’m have seen them hire music majors from well respected schools - music is essentially applied patterns and math. But art history, not without a double major in a relevant field.

God speaks in two languages - math and music. I think the music majors are on to something.

Many of the kids who do well in quantitative majors at schools like Harvard are also very good musicians. That's your competition--kids who are good at both math and music.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My biggest mistake was majoring in Applied Math at Harvard. Would have been much better to go to Bucknell and major in Art History.

You don't need 99% of the things you learned in that major to work in IB. What matters is the elevator test. That's where a Bucknell top-tier fraternity man will outscore you every time.

If you’re very unintelligent, sure. Luckily neither of these people are going into IB

I know it was a joke but the Applied Math person at Harvard will likely get a couple interviews if they apply to all the banks that are coming on-campus and if they have good enough grades.

The candidate sounds like a boring cog in the wheel.

"Boring cog in the wheel" types don't get into Harvard nowadays.