1 Major + 2 Certificates = Possible?

asdf10101
Sun, 03 Mar 2013 12:29:38 +0000

it is very possible to get two certificates, but usually at least one of the them is closely associated with the major. the more requirement-overlap, the better. however, keep in mind that certificates aren’t just a matter of clearing class requirements. most will require you to somehow fit the certificate into some form of your independent work, whether it be a separate JP-like essay/project or a chapter in your senior thesis. for example, it’s not too difficult for a MOL major to get a global health and a neuro certificate (in fact, it’s probably a very popular combo), mostly because the requirements for both fit well within departmental electives and pre-med oriented classes, and because it’s easy to incorporate these kinds of topics in a MOL thesis, whether lab or non-lab. it seems like you’re more set on applications of computing than either french or neuro. if that is the case, i would recommend neuro for the second certificate, as it is a logical supplement to the major. now, i’m not familiar with applications of computing or french, but i would assume you’re going to have to make more room in your schedule for them, and that would lock your time up considerably. for example, i’m getting a slavic certificate as a MOL major, and i’ve essentially had to take 50/50 slavic/MOL classes for 3 years. plus i had to finish an independent paper in russian to satisfy everything. could i have gotten another certificate? possibly, if it was something like neuro.

inevitably, people usually come to princeton with all sorts of ambitions and grand ideas, but will learn sometime along the way that they’re just not entirely sustainable. and that’s perfectly fine. i actually came to princeton dead set on a MOL and global health and neuro combo, but wound up dropping both (i didn’t particularly like any of my neuro classes and didn’t really click with global health and policy stuff) and picking up a certificate that i would never have considered as a high schooler. but if you find yourself genuinely liking your french/computing/neuro classes and the subjects and can make the time for them, by all means go for it. whether it’s worth it or not will depend entirely on you and the fulfillment you derive from it. bottom line is that i would advise you to somehow dabble in all three of them your first 1-2 years and see how it goes/how on-track you think you’re going to be for all of the certificates. you can always drop one at any time. i think you’ll have a much better feel for all of this when you actually start taking classes and such.

as for the mcat, i wouldn’t necessarily worry about that as you consider your classes and independent work. studying for and scheduling the mcat is a very flexible thing. you don’t have to take them during the school year (at least half of all pre-meds take it sometime during the summer). and if you’re taking a gap year, as half of all applicants tend to do nowadays, you can even write the mcat after graduating. as long as you don’t do it so last minute (like i did…such a bad call; made junior year so much more stressful than it should’ve been), you can easily get rid of the mcat without compromising class stuff.