Easy or Hard Undergrad Major for Grad School Applications?

Graduate School
1

<p>I realize many of the posts on this sub forum are for undergraduate schools, but I am ultimately looking at graduate school applications as a non-traditional student.</p>

<p>Cliff notes:</p>

<p>-24yo, going back to finish BA/BS.</p>

<p>-Healthcare work background</p>

<p>-Plan to attend grad school directly after completion. Master in Public Health, concentration in Health Policy/Admin</p>

<p>-Career ambition: public health sector administration (VA, military, etc)</p>

<p>Q: I keep hearing that the GRE and GPA is all that matters for grad school applications, plus relevant work experience that I do have. But should I want to have an “applicable” but harder degree, or go with an easy major to score a higher GPA? I am thinking of Political Science (easy) vs Economics (relatively harder). I am so-so in math but both majors interest me and apply to my chosen career. For grad school application purposes, will a 3.8 in polysci > 3.5 in econ? Go for the higher GPA or a lower GPA but reputable major? This assumes I won’t reach as high GPA in econ as I would for polysci, which I feel comfortable stating.</p>

<p>Q: I was also admitted to a cheap in-state school (East Carolina U) and an out of state online school (Penn State). Penn State is tier 1 while ECU is a very low tier according to USN&R. Should I go to the cheaper instate school or a public-ivy school? Does undergraduate name matter for grad school applications? East Carolina (in-state) vs. Penn State (public ivy). I should finish my degree in 1-1.5yrs since I have a lot of transfer credits. So I won’t necessarily need a lot of tuition to finish my degree, but obviously an in-state school will still be cheaper regardless.</p>

<p>I am looking at the top Public Health programs, and assuming I have the stats, would like to attend one of the following: Harvard, Yale, Columbia, UPenn, Brown, Dartmouth, Hopkins, UNC. </p>

<p>Thank you for any insight.</p>

2

<p>Do you have to decide your major now? Why not take classes in both and then pick the major you are more passionate about? You are obviously motivated (wanting to attend a top program), and college rewards diligence, rather than intelligence. Saying you would do worse in something before you even try should not be “comfortable”, especially for a top-student. I say, pick the one you like more, and do your best in whatever it is. </p>

<p>You said Penn State is online? So you wouldn’t interact with professors as much - but you need to be thinking about letters of rec. Unless I’m misunderstanding something.</p>

3

<p>Thanks for the reply. Reason I should declare right away is because I am a non-trad student and already have my Gen Eds out of the way. I didn’t want to complete my previous major (science) and know I can do better in a soft-science liberal degree. I am also considering tuition and time, since I am well behind for my age. But you make good points.</p>

<p>I just keep hearing that a high GPA is all that matters. If thats the case then I want the road of least barrier to maximize my chance of a high GPA. Even if that means a 3.9 in Polysci vs a 3.7 in Econ at my 100% best ability, from what I’ve read, the AdCom will take the 3.9. But Im also open to other views which is why I am asking.</p>

<p>Yes Penn State is online. I won’t interact physically with professors but there are chances for Skype, email, etc.</p>

4

<p>I think you should select a major based upon what you actually want to study and what you want to apply, as well as what skills you want to have. Right now, quantitative skills are very in-demand - they command higher salaries as well as get you jobs you wouldn’t otherwise get. You can cultivate these with a political science major, but they are pretty built into an economics major. So personally, if I were making that choice, I would choose economics. (I also just happen to think economic behavior is very interesting.) A 3.5+ is sufficient for an MPH, so don’t worry about getting a higher or lower one - if you can get a 3.5+ in general, you’re good.</p>

<p>I also think you should go to the best school that suits your needs. I go to a school of public health and the students here come from very diverse backgrounds. The name of your undergrad school doesn’t matter much; what you do there and the level of preparation you have matters. Does that mean that Penn State won’t be looked on more favorably than ECU? Not necessarily; but that’s because grad admissions offices are familiar with the quality of Penn State students because they’ve probably had a lot of them. (I go to Columbia, and I feel like everyone here went to Penn State or Michigan for undergrad, lol.) But you can certainly get into a top public health program from ECU.</p>

<p>Also consider online vs. in-person education, and which one you are likely to perform better in. Your recommendation letters are likely to be better from in-person education, since you get to know professors in a way that cannot be achieved through online methods.</p>

<p>Also note that even if you have a lot of transfer credits, it will still probably take you 2-3 years to finish. Most schools do not accept more than 60 credits from another institution. To complete your bachelor’s you’ll need another 60 on average, which is about 2 years full time.</p>

5

<p>Juillet, thanks for your insight especially coming from a Public Health perspective. I am leaning towards PolySci but totally agree that Econ would give me the advantage. It’s no coincidence that it’s one of the best paying undergrad degrees to have, which makes it attractive.</p>

<p>You say that many of your classmates seemed to have come from Penn State. I am looking at many of the Public Health programs in the Northeast- Columbia U included- and feel that the recognition of Penn State may help my application for the reasons you had mentioned. And of course Id like to take advantage of any opportunity to help my chances. You’ve added weight to my decision for Penn State over my cheaper but less reputable choice of ECU.</p>

<p>The downside to Penn State is the online education that you had touched. But I feel I can score great LORs and relationships through the availability of Skype and e-communication, that Penn State World Campus highly recommends and advertised. And I feel the professors understand the difficulty of the distance and takes that into account.</p>

<p>Funny you mention the credit transfer, I had specifically inquired with Penn State and ECU about the maximum allowable transfer credits and they both said that I only need to graduate with at least 36 credits (12 classes). Thus, I have well over 90 credits transferred to both institutions and feel confident I can finish in 1-1.5 years, depending on major-focused course availability and scheduling.</p>

<p>Julliet if I may pick you brain further, how do you find your Public Health program at Columbia?</p>