We had the opportunity of interviewing Oliver Sun, an alum from Princeton University about: Majoring in Public and International Affairs
Oliver is currently a Manager in the Wealth field with the Equity Index Research team at London Stock Exchange Group. He graduated from Princeton University in 2016 with a concentration in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and a certificate in Finance. He has an expansive work experience ranging from marketing and quantitative strategies to wealth management and private banking.
As a high school valedictorian, Oliver was also a part of Mock Trial, Science Olympiad, the Charlotte Symphony Youth Orchestra, and others.
Here are some important words Oliver shares:
"There was considerable overlap in the coursework for Finance and Public and International Affairs... were interesting because these courses taught me the ways that business leaders react to economic policy when making their own decisions on a corporate level."
"I chose to major in [Public and International Affairs] because I was interested in understanding how these policies affect our daily lives."
Q: Why did you choose to attend Princeton?
A: My main decision was among Princeton, University of Pennsylvania (Wharton), and Brown. Wharton would have been the best choice if I was certain that I wanted to study business, but for anything else Princeton would have been the better option. In addition, Princeton is unique among the Ivy League for its focus on the undergraduate curriculum rather than its graduate programs. Finally, Princeton offered the most generous financial aid package. These factors combined led me to choose Princeton.
Q: What does a Public and International Affairs’ major entail? Why did you decide to major in it?
A: Public and International Affairs focuses on the practical applications of policymaking. Rather than a theoretical approach like you would take in a philosophy or politics class, the Public and International Affairs curriculum looks at real world examples of policies that did or did not work and analyzes their causes and effects. I chose to major in it because I was interested in understanding how these policies affect our daily lives.
Q: Have you taken any courses related to business, marketing, or finance at Princeton? If so, can you explain what you took away from them and how they fostered your interest in those topics?
A: I completed the undergraduate certificate program in Finance. There was considerable overlap in the coursework for Finance and Public and International Affairs in terms of economic policy and how economic policy affects financial decisions on a macro and micro level. These were interesting because these courses taught me the ways that business leaders react to economic policy when making their own decisions on a corporate level.
While you’re here, connect and learn more about Oliver Sun on his LinkedIn.
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