Hey, I am making another decision right now. Should I transfer to FORDHAM from Baruch? I am double majoring in math and finance in Baruch currently. If I transfer to Fordham, I will be majoring in math/economics. Maybe even double major. The reason why I want to is: 1) It is better known. 2) I want to go to MFE program/ Grad school, and I think that this school will be better on my transcript. 3) Just in case I will be taking LSAT and GRE. (just in case I want to go to Law school) Although MFE program is a first. Law school is just a back up for a career. Now there are negatives. 1) I will be traveling more. Instead of 4 hours total. I will be traveling 6 hours total. Meaning there and back. 2) The cost will be much more instead of paying practically nothing I will be paying 30k. SO what do you guys think? Is it better for me or not?
My general opinion on college students as it related to the financial industry is to learn to make money. That is why I reviewed the courses at Baruch and made the recommendations that I did. Travel is not part of going to college. Once you have read the popular literature on quants, you will get the picture on what they do and do not do. You can also read the product of their work that is public by reading the tons of papers that they write. If you go to conferences you can pow pow with folks to discover the proprietary stuff by the relative bragging and one up manship that wafts through the corridors and bars. Take some business cards or get cards. As it stands you have to get a break somehow. Grad work is a requirement and it has to be done somewhere where something is going on if you want to fall in line and work where the well known quants do things. Count on moving around a lot. The 6 hour commute will keep you out of a great grad school. Going to Baruch will keep you out of a great grad school. Perhaps learning how to make a great deal of money might be a new goal for you. Then, college could be a great place to spend some time doing courses that you like to take. If you are going to work in the financial industry why not consider the money making part of it? If you do read the Derman book, underline the statement he makes about how he handled the BS compared to how Merton handled it.