The Student Room Logo
Applying to Uni for 2024? Find your Uni here and chat with others! >>
Applying to Uni for 2024? Find your Uni here and chat with others! >>
Applying to Uni for 2024? Find your Uni here and chat with others! >>

The "Is this university/course good enough for banking/consultancy?" thread [part 2]

Scroll to see replies

Original post by ___Sophie___
OK so I want to work in investment banking in the future but I want to study languages at university. I'd be applying to Cambridge, Warwick, UCL, Durham and somewhere else.
Obviously Cambridge would be my first choice but failing that, what would be my second choice? UCL or Warwick?


M8, spoke to you about this already.

Posted from TSR Mobile
Reply 61
Avatar for h3110
h3110
16
Original post by ___Sophie___
OK so I want to work in investment banking in the future but I want to study languages at university. I'd be applying to Cambridge, Warwick, UCL, Durham and somewhere else.
Obviously Cambridge would be my first choice but failing that, what would be my second choice? UCL or Warwick?


UCL
Original post by Danllo
I know what course you choose doesn't have much of an impact but it will help in other areas regardless. From choices 1-6 which one would give the best chances in terms of future job employment at JP Morgan or PwC ?

1) UCL - Management Science
2) UCL - Statistics, Econ & Finance
3) UCL - Statistics & Management for Business
4) LSE - Management
5) KCL - Economics & Management
6) KCL - Business Management


I'm confused, you said the correct thing (the course doesn't matter) then you go on to assume it does matter and it will somehow impact on your prospects..

Choose whichever of those you want, preferably weighted towards LSE/UCL.

Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Danllo
I know what course you choose doesn't have much of an impact but it will help in other areas regardless. From choices 1-6 which one would give the best chances in terms of future job employment at JP Morgan or PwC ?

1) UCL - Management Science
2) UCL - Statistics, Econ & Finance
3) UCL - Statistics & Management for Business
4) LSE - Management
5) KCL - Economics & Management
6) KCL - Business Management


lol best question of 2016.. jpm and pwc are in 2 totally different industries

lse/ucl are target universities
Kcl or Bristol, is it a noticeable difference? Because kcl doesn't seem to send more than like 1 guy a year into banking, but then again it's in London so possibly better social life
Original post by Ladbants
Kcl or Bristol, is it a noticeable difference? Because kcl doesn't seem to send more than like 1 guy a year into banking, but then again it's in London so possibly better social life


Noticeable but shouldn't be more important than other criteria. KCL deffo do send a fair number into banking, not sure how you arrived to that.

And truss me Bristol social life is lit.

Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Ladbants
Kcl or Bristol, is it a noticeable difference? Because kcl doesn't seem to send more than like 1 guy a year into banking, but then again it's in London so possibly better social life


no they're about the same in terms of reputation
Original post by gr8wizard10
no they're about the same in terms of reputation


thanks

Original post by Princepieman
Noticeable but shouldn't be more important than other criteria. KCL deffo do send a fair number into banking, not sure how you arrived to that.

And truss me Bristol social life is lit.

Posted from TSR Mobile


thanks, it's just that i couldn't see many kcl banking analysts on linkedin
Original post by Trapz99
Saw that the thread ended so started a new one.

FAQs:
Which universities are the best for banking?
Oxford, Cambridge, LSE, UCL, Imperial and Warwick (in no order) are typically targeted more by banks. After this, Nottingham, Bristol, Durham, Bath, Loughborough, Manchester, Cass and some other ones are semi-targets.

Which degree course is the best for banking?
Doesn't matter at all. You can go into banking with a classics or music degree as much as from an economics or maths degree.

If you ask one of these aforementioned questions, I will egg your house/apartment.


I agree that degree course really doesn't matter (I myself did a non-econ/math/finance course). Most of the required knowledge or skills can be learned on the job so they are looking for certain personalities that is well suited for the dynamics of the job in banking. On the other hand, top schools as mentioned above, is generally an important criteria in the first HR screening process.
Hi, I am applying for economics and finance at university. Can I become a trader at a bank with this degree or would it be better to change to something with more maths? Also, what traders do banks hire? Do they still hire FX traders or are these trades done electronically? Are there any similar jobs to trading, working in the financial markets? I'm quite passionate about which way the markets are going and how economic policies and BoE decisions impact it.
Original post by MartinF98
Hi, I am applying for economics and finance at university. Can I become a trader at a bank with this degree or would it be better to change to something with more maths? Also, what traders do banks hire? Do they still hire FX traders or are these trades done electronically? Are there any similar jobs to trading, working in the financial markets? I'm quite passionate about which way the markets are going and how economic policies and BoE decisions impact it.


You can but I'd try to take on more quantitative modules whilst at uni... Just because of how the role of Traders is changing - there is more and more demand for those who can understand more complex products and for those who can understand the risk models behind trades.

I'd also try to pick up a programming language like Python or R whilst at uni too.

Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by MartinF98
Hi, I am applying for economics and finance at university. Can I become a trader at a bank with this degree or would it be better to change to something with more maths? Also, what traders do banks hire? Do they still hire FX traders or are these trades done electronically? Are there any similar jobs to trading, working in the financial markets? I'm quite passionate about which way the markets are going and how economic policies and BoE decisions impact it.


For banking and finance, your activities outside uni and school matter the most. For trading, you need to show that you have good teamwork and speaking skills, and ability to work with others and be sociable. Also you need to be able to make quick decisions. So doing activities like volunteering to raise funds and playing games like football or rugby can show you can make good decisions.
Original post by Princepieman
Noticeable but shouldn't be more important than other criteria. KCL deffo do send a fair number into banking, not sure how you arrived to that.

And truss me Bristol social life is lit.

Posted from TSR Mobile


couldn't be more true, it looks sick. KCL social life is alright apparently, not too great but not bad.
Original post by Princepieman
You can but I'd try to take on more quantitative modules whilst at uni... Just because of how the role of Traders is changing - there is more and more demand for those who can understand more complex products and for those who can understand the risk models behind trades.

I'd also try to pick up a programming language like Python or R whilst at uni too.

Posted from TSR Mobile

Thank you. I have an offer for an economics and econometrics course at Bristol which incorporates maths, statistics and economics and a finance module, which might be more appropriate. I understand that trading desks are hiring people who can code trading algorithms instead of human traders so are banks still taking on new human traders or are they just training people to code trading algorithms? Are there any jobs similar to trading that involve analysing and studying the financial markets and the economy?
Original post by fayeztheman
For banking and finance, your activities outside uni and school matter the most. For trading, you need to show that you have good teamwork and speaking skills, and ability to work with others and be sociable. Also you need to be able to make quick decisions. So doing activities like volunteering to raise funds and playing games like football or rugby can show you can make good decisions.


Thank you. I am doing a lot of activities after school do community projects and stuff like that.
Original post by MartinF98
Thank you. I have an offer for an economics and econometrics course at Bristol which incorporates maths, statistics and economics and a finance module, which might be more appropriate. I understand that trading desks are hiring people who can code trading algorithms instead of human traders so are banks still taking on new human traders or are they just training people to code trading algorithms? Are there any jobs similar to trading that involve analysing and studying the financial markets and the economy? Thank you. I am doing a lot of activities after school do community projects and stuff like that.

The banks are hiring traders but very few. It's mostly algo traders and quants that they're hiring from now on.If you like th markets. I would recommend doing something like asset management in fixed income or do FICC strategy but that might also be replaced by algo so you never know. I would stay away from the markets side if I were you, go for IBD as that's a human business.
Original post by biglad2k16
The banks are hiring traders but very few. It's mostly algo traders and quants that they're hiring from now on.If you like th markets. I would recommend doing something like asset management in fixed income or do FICC strategy but that might also be replaced by algo so you never know. I would stay away from the markets side if I were you, go for IBD as that's a human business.


True, IBD is more reliant on humans but some trading desks (exotic products) have a future.
Original post by Princepieman
Noticeable but shouldn't be more important than other criteria. KCL deffo do send a fair number into banking, not sure how you arrived to that.

And truss me Bristol social life is lit.

Posted from TSR Mobile


Bristol is awesome. Also, I've been to Swansea on a night out once or twice and had a good time there, roiders* aside. Mumbles, Wind street, Caswell. All good stuff. :wink:
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Athematica
Bristol is awesome. Also, I've been to Swansea on a night out once or twice and had a good time there, roiders* aside. Mumbles, Wind street, Caswell. All good stuff. :wink:


Wind Street and Mumbles have been solid so far, yet to see the other places.

Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Princepieman
Wind Street and Mumbles have been solid so far, yet to see the other places.

Posted from TSR Mobile


Caswell bay is like mumbles except better if you want to be away from families. There is a hut in the woods behind the beach that you can light a fire in (big fire heap in the centre) and drink all day/night even if it's raining. Was a class night. We ended up camping out there but with halls just down the road you can probably just go back home.

Maybe not going to warwick might have been a good thing in some respects. You're not going to get a social life like this over there. Not saying you won't have to work harder to get into IB or whatever but I love it over there. Quality place to go have some fun.
(edited 7 years ago)
Original post by Ladbants
Kcl or Bristol, is it a noticeable difference? Because kcl doesn't seem to send more than like 1 guy a year into banking, but then again it's in London so possibly better social life


does it matter how rich you are, if you want to have a good social life in london? I'm dirt poor so probably wouldn't have such a good time in london as a student.

Quick Reply

Related discussions

Trending

Latest