IB Subject Choices to follow a career path in Business Management

[Aki2000ful]

Hey everyone, I'm a student in Dubai, UAE who is going to be starting IB1 in a month's time. However, I continue to remain confused regarding my subject choice for the upcoming two years. I would be looking for a career in the business sector. Currently, the subjects that I am thinking to take are the following:

HL: Business and Management, Economics, Biology

SL: Eng Lang/lit, Spanish Ab initio and Math

I had initially aspired to do an undergrad in economics as I believe that would prepare me more for the business world. However, since I seek to enroll in a competitive university, I believe that Math HL would be required. I have attained a score of 4 in the MYP Math extended test and believe that I may not be fit to score a 6/7 in math HL (Practically speaking). Is this true? I hear that Math HL is one of the hardest IB courses and my tutor recommends me to continue in SL as I would find it easier.

I believe and have heard multiple times that B&M is viewed as a soft course by universities in the UK. Would this be a heavy factor for consideration whilst examining my university application? If so, how should I go about replacing the subject? I have an option for psychology (PAMOJA online) however I believe that a business course in the IB would help me pursue an undergrad in the business field. Is this not true? Furthermore, wouldn't a psychology course be considered as a softer course?

I have included Biology as my science as I believe it is one of the easier ones to score in and I have an interest in. However, would my current HLs provide for a focused and rigorous enough course for my enrollment into a competitive university (considering I do well with my total scores) or would it make more sense to switch Bio with English? 

 

What career paths in the business world would be complimented by an HL Biology course? If there are ample, I would very much like to pursue the current combination of subjects as I have a passion for biology but neither of the other sciences (Therefore I'm interested more in management than medicine or biotechnology).

However if there aren't many and if there isn't a varied scope in the market for this combination of subjects, would it make more sense to pursue English instead of Bio?

 

Would the English Lang/lit IB HL course compliment my other subjects better or would English, Business and Econ HL be considered as a very soft combination?

 

If a Management focused biology stream is uncommon and difficult, I would like to start my career as a consultant in a professional services or advisory firm for years before maybe starting my own business.

 

Thank you all for your consideration!

[Blackcurrant]

The universities do not care too much about your High School course choices. Admissions looks at you as a whole person. High School only counts so much -- more in performance, if anything. And... even more in terms of *where* you went to school (at least it did for me), than even grades.

I think your subject choices are fine, either way, but as I understand it there is now increasingly a concern for how employees can communicate, write and express themselves. Too many business major and tech specialists without these qualities and it is creating a quiet (not so quiet, anymore) mayhem in the industry. If you read the New Yorker or Atlantic Monthly or the Guardian, you'll see plenty of talk about what employers are looking for as business and tech specialists are being churned out. So your last combination may serve you a little better, give you that edge, later on, as employers look for people not only with "Know How" (I hate that term, but it's here to stay) but with the "wherewithal" to get things done, promptly, efficiently and with more precision and less sloppy ambiguity. That means excellent language skills! 

Edited August 11, 2017 by Blackcurrant