Title says it all…, reaching out for help here - looking for guidance for my senior D - who is looking for 5 year Masters programs in Math and/or Math & Psych. We have seen the majority of programs, but want to make sure we are not missing anything in the search. Not interested in Ivy’s (although her grades and scores would get her in). Please help! Thanks in advance.
Masters because she intends to do a PhD, Masters because she wants to teach HS and a Masters is required? What’s the plan here? The prep/programs are very different depending on her goals. And what kind of math- highly theoretical or applied? Psych- counseling type prep or cog sci???
And not interested in ivy’s- what does that even mean? What type of environment IS she looking for??? MIT allows virtually anyone with a certain GPA to add a Masters in one year (i.e. a 5 year BS/Masters). Is that the type of environment she wants??? She could major in math, minor in cog sci (or the reverse).
Your title doesn’t actually say it all! So fill in the blanks and we can help…
Thanks Blossom, sorry for not providing enough information for the forum to respond appropriately. The goal here is to look for a BS/Masters program to possibly advance beyond just a traditional bachelors, in Applied Math or Stats, with no desire to teach. While she is competitively driven, the Ivy environment is not her style. As I mentioned, grades and test scores are outstanding and if she wanted to go that route she could, but, she is a laid back kid, who studies hard and is looking for a challenging environment that will prepare her for life after college, wherever that takes her. The psychology part is more of an interest she wouldn’t mind pursuing either, but is not her main focus.
Maybe just focus on 5 year BS/Master programs in Applied Math or Stats and that will be a further starting point.
Thanks
Students commonly enter PhD programs in math or statistics with just BA/BS degrees. An MA/MS is not necessary at entrance, although PhD students may earn one on the way to their PhDs.
She probably wants to get involved in research as an undergraduate, and choose upper level (and possibly graduate level) math or statistics courses in context with her goal of preparing for PhD study.
A math or statistics major should have elective space to take psychology or other courses.
If she needs to take a foreign language in college, French, German, and/or Russian can be useful for PhD students in math.
When selecting colleges, take a look at the math and statistics department offerings to see what is available.
She should probably take a look at Wesleyan. Almost every undergraduate involved in STEM research winds up staying an extra year, if they want to, and earning an M.A. - for free. Similar bragging rights as an Ivy but with the ambience and mentoring of a small college.
Will she have AP or DE credits when she enters college, how advanced has her math prep been up until now?
And sorry to be obtuse- still not enough information.
Why does it have to be a specific 5 year BS/Master’s program and not a BS in four years and then a one year type program? There are some strong one year programs in big data, analytics, etc. which would take her undergrad experience and round it out into a very marketable/highly applied sector. Why not focus on finding the best fit for a strong applied math degree and as she rounds the corner into senior year, identify an accelerated Master’s program? And she can do a psych minor or just take lots of classes virtually anywhere.
And if she’s entering college already advanced in math, the BS is pretty much going to be as rigorous as she makes it. She can most definitely “advance” (in your words) starting sophomore year, taking grad level courses even as an undergrad if she’s got terrific math prep from HS (as many math majors have). That’s the nice thing about math- she’ll either take a placement test and test out of the early courses filled with other freshman and advance to higher level/grad level work, or she’ll do a normal track at a regular pace.
And other than not wanting competitive- what IS she looking for? Urban, rural, sororities, athletics and ra ra or “social justice warrior” type places?
And what’s her budget and what is in-state for you? Of the Northeast publics, Stonybrook and Rutgers are the two that “punch above their weight” in math. I’ve hired out of Rutgers for statisticians and big data folks- the BS is plenty rigorous with kids who have been taking grad level courses once they place out of the required sequence. Of the privates- MIT, Swarthmore, NYU, Wellesley, CMU… the “usual suspects”. A little further afield into the midwest- Chicago and Case.