Mathematical finance is a fantastic way to land an internship of this type. You could even take it further and get an MS in quantitative finance from a very good school, or become an actuary, or apply those methods within hedge funds. This degree will set you up well. Use your dad's connections, but then prove yourself once you're out there and work hard. It will pay off.

I am going into an undergraduate mathematical finance program at the University of Toronto.

Is it possible to get an internship position at a big investment bank or consulting company? Or a big Canadian bank? (I have US citizenship fyi).

Obviously my GPA needs to be well above average, but do I need good extracurricular activities?

What kind of activities will look good on my resume?

What will maximize my chances of landing an internship position at a big bank/company?

My goals are to attend a top business school in the US (Columbia MMF, Princeton MMF, or Harvard MBA) and work at a hedge fund. I have considerable networking power through my father who works with hedge funds in the US.

I am a little concerned that the fact that I am taking a mathematical finance program will hurt my chances of landing a big internship position compared to a commerce or business degree, for example.

Please answer with answers to my questions and/or insight/tips on what I am trying to achieve, Thank you.