How to choose which path to go down?

Hello everyone. I am a rising senior in high school who wants to get a job in tech or finance but do not know which one and how to proceed with getting one. I am considering pursuing many roles such as actuary, data scientist, ml engineer, quant, data engineer etc. Basically, I want a career involved in maths/stats that pays very well( Ideally 100k after undergrad).

As for math/stats content I have taken, I have taken and gotten a 5 on AP Calc BC and Stats and will be taking linear algebra and multivariable calculus next semester.

One of my main concerns about pursuing a career in any one of these fields is that it will be oversaturated or be replaced by AI. Additionally, I would prefer a career which does not require education from a premier institution(one of the reasons i am skeptical about doing quant). For now, my most likely college choice is Ohio State University, in which i plan to major in stats and finance.

How should I select my career and what skills/certifications should I pursue? Is my expectation of making over 100k right out of undergrad extremely unrealistic? Is it even worth going into tech right now?

I would appreciate any and all honest advice about my situation

Posted Jul 29, 2025, 6:10 AM UTC

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