Business administration is not the only business-related bachelor’s degree that attracts a large number of TCS seniors. It is part of a larger trend where students at TCS commonly choose careers connected to finance, economics, and business. For many students, it may be because of the large field of action, or they just don’t know what to study, so they choose this. However, insights from the people in charge of making this life-changing decision may reveal a whole new perspective on the topic. 

Lina Gonzalez, the school college counselor, has noticed this trend amongst TCS seniors. 

“Yes, I noticed our students tend to choose, careers related to business, not only business administration, but for example, finance, economics; this year it is becoming common to choose also business with artificial intelligence or with analytics.”

However, the popularity of business-related careers is not just due to academic preference or personal interest. Family backgrounds and the environment where a child is raised, and the people he interacts with every day, can play a massive role in shaping the decisions that they make in life. Lina Gonzalez explained 

“I would say our students are very influenced in a positive way by their families and by our context here in Antioquia or Medellin,” and “students are influenced because many of their parents or extended family have businesses they want to continue.

But family influence does not necessarily mean that family members of the student tell him what to study. Lina Gonzalez adds that students can just become interested in family members working in that field and try to replicate their success on their own. 

 “By being leaders in this field, students feel attracted to these types of careers; it is very common.”

This influence can be seen in the application experience of current senior Juan Felipe Robledo. In his process, he initially gravitated more towards finance or economics, but guidance from an experienced college counselor helped Juan combine his interests and guided him towards business administration to broaden his opportunities.

“The college counselor explained to me that there are many degrees in BBA in which I can do a minor in finance with all the concepts of business administration so I can end up more well-rounded and work in other areas.”

The college counselor massively helped Juan Felipe consider BBA as a viable career path, but other factors play a massive role, like career stability. Juan Felipe says.

“For me, career stability plays a crucial role in choosing a major because it is what I am going to do for the rest of my life, and I also want to live a good life without having to worry about where I am going to work in the future, or if I can make enough money to live comfortably.”

But this is not his only pull factor towards studying BBA. His family roots and influence have also guided his decision-making and his interests. Juan Felipe says.

“I think that my parents have had a lot to do in what I am going to study because they also work in the finance sector, and I like what they do because, for example, my dad manages the financial part of infrastructural projects, which I think is really cool.”

This shows how Juan Felipe’s personal experience with his family influenced him and reinforced his personal interest in choosing this career path. A similar example can also be seen with another TCS senior, Emilio Perez, who is also interested in studying business administration. Emilio says.

“Because my mom works in Bancolombia, money is something that I’m really passionate about.”

 In Emilio’s case, his family connection to business was further strengthened by his academics. His interest in financial math helped him to better understand what this field required.

 “In the course of financial math, it’s really interesting. So it’s something I really want to work on and improve.”

For Emilio, he does not see business administration as just working with money; he sees this degree as a massive opportunity to broaden his skill set that he can apply in many aspects of his life.

For TCS seniors, choosing business administration is not a straightforward decision. Many factors are taken into account, as family influence, personal interests, career stability, and counselor guidance can all influence this decision. In every case, students start with different goals and aspirations; it’s their experiences and the environment in which they surround themselves that can really shape what they want to study.