Eileen Said:

St. Johns University / Actuarial Science Program/Other NYC univ?

We Answered:

I happen to work with several Actuaries. Don't forget, the Insurance industry is not the only employer of Actuaries!

Furthermore, someone with your backround; and a degree in Actuarial Science would without doubt pass all stages of the Actuarial Exam. The problem will exist not in your market entry, but in your offers.

You will have a very limited job-skillset to offer. Yes, I do work with Actuaries, but none of them have a degree in Actuarial Science!

Some started with a B.S. in Mathematics or Statistics; B.A. in Economics or Finance; or B.S. in Accounting.

Then, the advanced degrees they hold range from M.S. in Mathematical Finance, M.S. in Financial Engineering, M.A. in Economics, M.B.A., M.S. in Mathematics & Statistics.

These degrees can set you up to pass all stages of BOTH exams if you wish. But they can also set you up to pass exams like: (CFA, Series 7, Series 9&10, Series 66&68).

Currently; according to my fellow co-workers who actually recruit fresh faces from campus-to-campus; here are the overall strengths of the colleges in New York.

- Mathematics & Statistics
1. Columbia University
2. NYU
3. Cornell
4. CUNY Baruch
5. SUNY Stony Brook

- Economics
1. NYU
2. Cornell
3. Columbia University
4. CUNY Hunter
5. Fordham University

- Finance
1. NYU
2. Columbia University
3. Cornell
4. CUNY Baruch
5. St. John's University

- Accounting
1. CUNY Hunter
2. St. John's University
3. CUNY Baruch
4. CUNY Queens
5. SUNY Albany

To open your future options; I'd suggest CUNY Baruch for Finance or Math & Statistics; CUNY Hunter for Accounting or Economics; and if all else fails;

CUNY Baruch for Actuarial Science.

This is why I would not recommend St. John's University or CUNY Queens. They are both fine schools with great connections. However, St. John's is private and overpriced; you will have a degree which is just as good as CUNY Baruch's, but at 5 times the cost! For that reason, you should be indifferent between CUNY Queens & CUNY Baruch; until you compare locations. CUNY Queens is actually in Queens County, and access to Manhattan's most elite firms is hours away! CUNY Baruch on the other hand is right next door to the world's biggest financial district; to add to that, the school maintains outstanding connections for job placement and internships!

The company I work for is a Financial Consulting firm which handles various projects ranging from Private Funds, Portfolio Management, Market Research, Marketing Research, Investment Analysis & Research, Business Strategy, and International Business Operations. The company is split up into groups which specialize in one area. They all report back to a small group of Senior Consultants for the final O.K.s.

No matter what level you work at, you need to bring (many) things to the table. I'm not saying to go become a Jack of all Trades, but don't specialize in one field only! You need to be able to communicate your work through to other specialists. If you are only an Actuary, so are alot of other people in addition to something else which you're not! If you are however an Accountant, Economist, Econometrician, Financial Analyst, Statistician, or Mathematician, you can bring alot more to the table!

The job market today requires you to add a little something extra to the table. Don't fall into the over-specialization trap, or else you'll end up teaching at a university or working at a dead-end routine job!

Anyway, I hope that helps to answer your question fully. I wish you Best of Luck on whatever you plan to do in your future!