[Throwawayaerlei]

> Want to ... become a quant on Wallstreet...? These are all much easier with the credibility a MIT degree brings.

Do enough hard math EE at MIT and becoming a quant as your first job is a common initial career step. The money you'll make will then help you do whatever you want going forward.

Not sure how this would fit in with the OP's desire to get a CS Ph.D.; on the science track it's very easy to fall off, I'd expect CS to have more flexibility but I don't know.