I’m looking for “good fit” and safety schools that are fantastic in math (don’t care about CS or engineering–interested in theoretical mathematics). GPA 4.1, SAT 1480 (800 M, 680 V), Math 2 800, AP & BC Cal 5s, several college math courses. I feel like MIT/Harvard/Stanford etc are a stretch for ANYONE, want some good options that feel more likely bets. Ideally city (or nearby). Thanks!
If you are a CA resident then you have available to you relatively affordably what may be the best undergrad preparation for grad school in math in the country. I’m talking about the Math major in the College of Creative Studies at UCSB. For the right student, one that is very smart and ready to take ownership of their future, CCS is a great option. They think of themselves as “grad school for undergrads”. You want to take a course at UCSB, whether undergrad or graduate level, just sign up for it. CCS lets you waive all prerequisites; you think you can do it, they let you try. The school is geared towards undergrads that intend to go on to a PhD program and they have a phenomenal placement rate at the best grad programs in the country.
For choices in cities - Carnegie Mellon, Chicago, Duke, Penn, Harvey Mudd/Pomona, Wash U, Yale to name a few. Further down the top 10 list are UC Berkeley, Michigan, UCLA, Tufts
Reed, Haverford.
@merc81 do you think those schools have rigorous math programs and send a lot of kids to top grad schools? some people have told me that only universities (not colleges) will have enough challenging math and also are necessary to get into a top grad program
@Westernkid, here’s a Wall Street Journal that shows that both great universities and great liberal arts colleges are well represented http://collegematchus.com/ranking-the-colleges-top-colleges-that-feed-alumni-into-grad-school-programs/ Generally, if you look at the top-25 LAC’s and the top-40 universities you should find some great choices.
Suggestions in post 2 look good. Maybe look at some large state universities to find a safety to fill out your list. Washington (deadline has passed if you’re a senior), UMN Twin Cities, ASU come to mind as in urban locations. I’m sure there are some further east/south but that’s not where my kids have looked. Make sure you can afford OOS tuition or that the school would give you merit. You would want to apply to the honors program, too.
@Westernkid : The answer to that could be an extended one. A smaller college strong in math will offer ~15-20 courses beyond the level of multivariable calculus/linear algebra, plus the option of Budapest semester, which could, depending on your current level, provide you with ample course selections for breadth, depth and variety. Though I might have recommended them in any event, those particular colleges (Reply #3) appear in a Princeton Review sampling, “Great Schools for Mathematics Majors,” along with MIT, Caltech, UChicago et al.
@mikemac thank you, that sounds really interesting and is something I have not heard of. I don’t live in CA so it’s not an option now but will look at UCSB now for college
Thanks @merc81 – I am not sure that 15-20 would be enough range. I will have taken 6 college math classes by the time I am a freshman, and so if I want to take 2 per semester, I think I’d like more options. that is what a local college prof mentioned to me as well – basically that kids who’ve already take a lot of advanced math need to go to a univ where they can take grad level courses etc.
@AroundHere I have heard that Univ of Washington and Minnesota are quite strong in math, so it is good to hear that confirmed here. I gather ASU is also known for math? They seem to give a lot of merit scholarships, so that’s always nice.
Appreciate everyone’s feedback so far, thank you.
@Westernkid : For university choices, look into the UAA (University Athletic Association) schools. As a group, they tend to offer some of the country’s stronger math programs.
ASU isn’t Harvard, but they definitely send students on to grad school. If you apply to any state school, be sure to apply to the honors program as well.
I’m not sure which top 10 lists the OP is seeing.
Maybe the USNWR mathematics graduate program ranking?
Admission “match” schools on that list might include (working down from the top):
NYU
Wisconsin
Minnesota
Rutgers
UCSD
Washington
Ohio State
Penn State
Purdue
Indiana
UC-Davis
Utah
Brandeis
TAMU
Arizona
UC Irvine
Michigan State
UC-SB
Colorado-Boulder
In other words, lots of state flagships and big directional state universities seem to have good programs (at least at the graduate level). Some of them might be safeties for the OP.
Michigan-AA also would be a great choice, but seems to be more selective than any of the above.
For the best sticker price, check out public universities in your home state.
For good need-based aid, Brandeis (a small private university) might be a good choice.
Among LACs that aren’t super selective, St. Olaf College (Northfield, MN) seems to have one of the strongest math programs.
I’m not sure how you’re ranking your top 10 list, but the UCs and Michigan are at least as strong as all of those colleges in math, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. I would certainly concede that the UCs are rarely a good bargain for OOS students.
RPI, Case Western, U Rochester, Northeastern, and Boston U could be worth a look. Although it’s almost as selective as some of the Ivies these days, USC is another possibility.
Almost uniquely among public universities, UNC Chapel Hill meets the financial need of all domestic students. The cap on OOS students makes getting in difficult, however.
You have great stats. If you apply widely and have good essays and extracurriculars, I think you should be able to get into at least one of the hyper-selective universities.
State of residency and cost constraints?
@warblersrule, was simply referring to the USNWR rankings as I know of no specific qualitative rankings for math programs.
But it may include loans to meet need.
@warblersrule, meant “quantitative ranking” as there are plenty of qualitative rankings from College Niche to College Factual to Start Class - none seem very useful for that purpose.
The list of schools that are loan-free for all students is rather slim, as even some of the Ivies cap loan-free financial aid at a set income (e.g. $60,000 at Cornell). UNC naturally can’t match the generosity of the wealthiest private universities, but it does offer loan-free financial aid to families with incomes meeting the Carolina Covenant criteria (<$48,500 for a family of 4 and <$56,820 for a family of 5).
@Chembiodad - Thanks for the clarification.
…or a school that is part of a consortium, preferably one with a university in it, like Amherst-UMass Amherst-Smith-Mount Holyoke-Hampshire. UMass has the grad level courses but even just classes at Amherst-Smith-MoHo would expand the options considerably.