77percent™

about the undergrads.
you can do your undergrad somewhere good but cheap [prime example, i hate to say it, would honestly have to be canada] and do your stuff (because you are capable) … then hop over to some place with an extra fancy name like McGill (assuming you haven’t given up on the merits of snow) or better still one of those fun californian universities [UCA/berkely] or an eastcoast place if that’s your kind of thing [might be NYU or MIT] pick up your fancy diploma there , got your backup career lined up and all set up ..
now go for your dream of that which you’ll really enjoy
.. give it all you got ; worst comes to worst , you fall back on statistical analysis at morgan stanley for $222/hr [real market rates] with your econ degree from NYU or UBC /etc

ideal i would thing ..