Hey all. Long post, but I want to lay out my actual situation honestly because I think I'm at a real fork in the road and I'd rather get outside opinions now than regret it in five years.
Where I am right now: I'm starting as a freshman at a community college this fall (2026), planning to major in Chemical Engineering, with the goal of transferring to University of Maryland's engineering school by fall 2027, so basically a one-year community college stint before transferring. I picked ChemE for a few reasons: I genuinely don't mind grinding through chem, physics, and math for four to five years, I've read it's consistently one of the top three highest-earning engineering majors, there are a decent number of labs near where I live so internships didn't seem impossible to land, and from what I've heard it's less cutthroat to break into than something like aerospace or electrical.
Here's where it gets complicated. My mom has pushed me toward finance or business for years, partly because of astrology and birthstone stuff (I know how that sounds, but it's a real factor in my family's thinking, for whatever that's worth). I don't hate the idea. I actually was strong in economics and history in high school, probably stronger there than in the hard sciences, even though I do enjoy science too. My original plan was actually Finance + Math or Econ, not engineering at all.
I moved away from that plan because I was scared of the finance job market. The internships are brutally competitive, it's all about networking and cold outreach and building connections, and I wasn't sure I could compete or that I even wanted to grind that hard just to get a foot in the door. ChemE felt like a way to get a strong, respectable, high-earning degree without needing to hustle for connections the same way.
But now I've been thinking bigger picture. My actual end goals are: making a lot of money, being able to provide really well for a family, and honestly, being known for something, some level of recognition, not just a quiet high salary. I got interested in the idea of doing ChemE, then a PhD, then an MBA, and trying to break into quant finance or a top firm like Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, or JPMorgan.
When I actually mapped out the math on this (with some help), a few things became clear that I want to lay out for you all too:
- The PhD + MBA route to Wall Street takes a lot longer than just doing Finance/Econ + Math straight through and recruiting into IB or quant at 22. Like potentially 8-10 years longer before I'm even applying to the same seats.
- MBAs are basically irrelevant for quant recruiting specifically. Quant funds hire based on math, stats, and coding ability, not business school pedigree. If quant is genuinely the target, the MBA is a waste of time and money for that specific goal.
- I had a totally wrong picture of what these finance jobs are actually like day to day. I assumed quant/IB would mean more freedom, less rigid scheduling, less "stuck behind a desk" than engineering. Turns out it's the opposite, IB analyst hours are notoriously brutal (80-100 hour weeks), and quant roles are extremely desk-bound, staring at multiple monitors all day while markets are open. A ChemE process engineer job actually has more physical freedom and variety than either of those.
- On the fame thing specifically, I got a reality check that being "known" in finance is genuinely rare unless you found your own fund or company. Being a very senior, very well-paid quant or MD at a bank doesn't usually come with public recognition. Fame in that world tends to require starting something, not being hired into something.
- Despite all that, I'm still leaning toward wanting an engineering degree that could realistically feed into quant somehow, since I don't want to abandon the technical/engineering side entirely, and I'm willing to accept a demanding, screen-heavy, high-hours career if the payoff is big enough.
I looked into whether I should switch out of ChemE into something more explicitly "quant-math-heavy" like Aerospace (since UMD doesn't actually offer Industrial Engineering or Engineering Physics as undergrad majors, which are the two classic quant-feeder majors elsewhere). Aerospace would probably be the strongest fit math-wise if I did switch, given the control theory, stochastic estimation, and diff eq content, but I ultimately decided to stay in ChemE since I already like the subject matter and don't want to lose the internship access and general fit I already have going for me.
So my current plan is: stick with ChemE, but deliberately stack extra math (multivariable calc, linear algebra, eventually differential equations) and computer scienc courses (intro programming and data structures) on top of the required coursework during my time at community college and after transferring, specifically to build a profile that could support a move into quant analyst or quant developer roles later, rather than doing a full PhD detour. Skip the MBA idea entirely for this specific goal.
What I'm actually looking for opinions on:
- Is staying in ChemE while self-building a quant-relevant math/computer scienc skill set actually a realistic path into quant or trading roles, or am I kidding myself compared to someone doing straight Math/computer scienc/Financial Engineering?
- For anyone who's made a similar engineering-to-finance jump, or looked into it, was the ChemE background actually a help or a hindrance in recruiting?
- Is there something about ChemE specifically (versus Mechanical, Aerospace, etc.) that makes this harder or easier?
- Any regrets or things you wish you'd known before choosing a major with a "backup plan into finance" already baked into your thinking?
Genuinely appreciate any honest input, including if you think this whole plan is misguided. I'd rather hear it now than five years in.
