Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, the truth really is that being an Econ major is a social signal, just like going to Williams, or even going to any college at all.

Any major that feeds to the Street means a chance at some of the highest paid entry level jobs in America.

What else do you really want to know?

A chance at some of the most miserable soul-destroying jobs in America…

Any job can be. Unlikely to be the view for most at least from econ majors coming out of Williams.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was an Econ minor and gained so much skills. If someone majored in Econ especially doing the BS instead of BA it is instrumental in the job market. Then to be a math, statistics, or computer science minor would be even better. Actuary, Data Analyst, Research Analyst, Investment Banker, Quant, and so much more

So then what's the reasoning for a liberal arts BA in econ? The most they're doing is intro stats...

Slightly "easier" major for someone who doesn't think they can hack the BS? Or someone who wants to take a few less Econ courses and instead have a broader background (like a foreign language requirement or strong minor).

Same as BA vs BS in CS---the BA will have less "technical courses" and more Foreign language reqs and more general LA course options

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Surprise! It's fine to come out of an (excellent) college without job-specific "skills" that you learned as a direct result of your choice of major.

I know the CS echo chamber doesn't want to hear that, but it's absolutely true.

This point! And often the "practical" majors need a ton of outside learning. I know CS majors who spend hours outside of class learning important code they actually need for their jobs. No one calls CS impractical for making you do projects, learn other frameworks, grind through leetcode, etc.

It's just like any job. You may have to learn a few new things to do your job. CS majors learn to code. But not in every damn language. They learn the thought processes behind it and can easily pick up whatever they need. It doesn't take a "ton of time" to learn a new language.

Most jobs are an "on the job learning experience". you use the critical thinking skills you developed in college and apply them as needed.

But yes, it is easier to get a job with a Econ BS (vs BA) or a Accounting/Finance degree (versus a general Business Admin or Marketing or advertising degree). Because those are "harder majors" and companies know you are more likely to be able to think outside the box and problem solve

Anonymous wrote:DC is a junior at Williams, and it is shocking to see how many peers are majoring in Economics. I understand the cost of college has soured, but how does economics, at all, give you any skills needed for jobs? And if anyone can enter business careers, what's the point of business majors? It just seems very confusing.

They can't do something difficult as applied math and don't want to say they are doing something as vanilla as a business major?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is a junior at Williams, and it is shocking to see how many peers are majoring in Economics. I understand the cost of college has soured, but how does economics, at all, give you any skills needed for jobs? And if anyone can enter business careers, what's the point of business majors? It just seems very confusing.

There is a difference in a BA and a BS in Economics. A BS is much harder and regarded more highly. So, they aren't all going for the BS, I assure you!

Also, there are comparatively fewer kids who major in econ (or finance, or accounting, or anything specific), as opposed to just "business." Those (business administration type) are the degrees I would be concerned about. They mean little in the competitive marketplace.

Not OP. How do you find out which schools have a good BS in Econ? With a stats minor or similar as another PP mentioned?

Can anyone recommend any schools?

OP's kid is at Williams. A BA in economics at Williams is going to be more valuable than just about and BS in economics that PP is talking about

That’s great. Thanks.

My student will not be at Williams. Where would they look for a good Econ BS program with minors in stats or other quant areas?

Bucknell has almost as strong a pipeline to The Street as Williams but is an easier admit.

Williams has a business major?

Anonymous wrote:DC is a junior at Williams, and it is shocking to see how many peers are majoring in Economics. I understand the cost of college has soured, but how does economics, at all, give you any skills needed for jobs? And if anyone can enter business careers, what's the point of business majors? It just seems very confusing.

Its an interesting and relevant field of study and at undergrad level more beneficial to develop analytical skills than a business major ever can be. Most business majors aren't there to learn and study but just to grab an easy degree to get a lucrative job.

These posts are hilarious. Someone needs to run and start the businesses for which computer science and engineers work. It's the econ and business majors who do that. Also a much larger human element involved in those majors, a.k.a., networking. That will never be replaced by AI and is still how the world operates. Sitting in a lab for years does nothing for building a career outside of being a widget maker/order taker.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is a junior at Williams, and it is shocking to see how many peers are majoring in Economics. I understand the cost of college has soured, but how does economics, at all, give you any skills needed for jobs? And if anyone can enter business careers, what's the point of business majors? It just seems very confusing.

There is a difference in a BA and a BS in Economics. A BS is much harder and regarded more highly. So, they aren't all going for the BS, I assure you!

Also, there are comparatively fewer kids who major in econ (or finance, or accounting, or anything specific), as opposed to just "business." Those (business administration type) are the degrees I would be concerned about. They mean little in the competitive marketplace.

Not OP. How do you find out which schools have a good BS in Econ? With a stats minor or similar as another PP mentioned?

Can anyone recommend any schools?

OP's kid is at Williams. A BA in economics at Williams is going to be more valuable than just about and BS in economics that PP is talking about

That’s great. Thanks.

My student will not be at Williams. Where would they look for a good Econ BS program with minors in stats or other quant areas?

Villanova, Lehigh

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC is a junior at Williams, and it is shocking to see how many peers are majoring in Economics. I understand the cost of college has soured, but how does economics, at all, give you any skills needed for jobs? And if anyone can enter business careers, what's the point of business majors? It just seems very confusing.

There is a difference in a BA and a BS in Economics. A BS is much harder and regarded more highly. So, they aren't all going for the BS, I assure you!

Also, there are comparatively fewer kids who major in econ (or finance, or accounting, or anything specific), as opposed to just "business." Those (business administration type) are the degrees I would be concerned about. They mean little in the competitive marketplace.

Not OP. How do you find out which schools have a good BS in Econ? With a stats minor or similar as another PP mentioned?

Can anyone recommend any schools?

OP's kid is at Williams. A BA in economics at Williams is going to be more valuable than just about and BS in economics that PP is talking about

That’s great. Thanks.

My student will not be at Williams. Where would they look for a good Econ BS program with minors in stats or other quant areas?

It's Williams. Every one of those econ majors will end up on The Street. If my kid were doing a BA in econ at some no-name regional school, then I'd be concerned.

I guess the invisible hand will decide.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Supply and demand.

Underappreciated post.

I appreciated it as well.

Econ majors do better on the LSAT due to how they are taught to think in undergrad. That carries over to Law School. Econ is also a solid basis for non-business careers - like foreign service, analyst careers. I think it's a great path for a quant kid that can do that kind of thinking but doesn't want to be an engineer.

Anonymous wrote:Economics is the business degree at elite schools that look down on having an undergrad business degree. Economics is seen as more practical than English and less touchy-feely than Psychology.

There are a couple of good wisecracks about Econ majors in Liar's Poker and the Mysteries of Pittsburgh. Both popular books from the '80s when Econ majors and MBAs became dramatically more popular. Very funny to me, I joined in on both trends.

This is it. Economics is the closest thing to a Finance degree at schools that don't have an undergraduate business program. It's the "practical" major if you aren't STEM.

Interestingly enough...I think Moneyball (another Michael Lewis book who wrote Liar's Poker) and Freakonomics have spurred an interest in Economics with sports kids (at least my sports kid). Many Freakonomics episodes explain professional sports and how the leagues were constructed as legal monopolies, how pro drafts were created, how certain positions gained certain value, etc.