Given that the LSAT has an entire section of logic puzzles, it is not surprising that math (and philosophy) majors do well on the LSAT, since they have a lot of practice with logical thinking.
2 Likes
Kiddo has not gotten this far with life planning & is just enjoying solving hard abstract math (not a career goal, I know)
In fact, 4 out of the 6 people in my Philosophy PhD class ended up going to law school, and we all rocked the LSAT.
I sometimes like to call it the longest but most effective LSAT prep course available.
4 Likes
Joking aside, this is perfectly fine for now. It really is good brain development, and meanwhile the sorts of colleges we are talking about will make sure your kid also develops all the other important basic skills. So former Math majors, not least from colleges like this, do end up successful in a wide variety of professions.
2 Likes
There are quite a large number of things that you can do with a bachelor’s degree in mathematics. Some of them require a master’s degree. I will try to recall what some of the people I knew who were majoring in math ended up doing.
One got a master’s degree in acoustics. Years later I happened to run into him and he showed me what he did on a daily basis. There is a lot of math required to make sure that every seat in a concert hall has good sound, or in keeping your car quiet. Your grasp of linear algebra better be very strong.
Another person I knew after getting a bachelor’s degree in math went on to law school.
Cryptosecurity is an option. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning are other options.
Several math majors who I knew ended up being software engineers. They usually ended up working in a field where there is a need to use quite a bit of mathematics.
Operations Research is another option. This is not a well known field, but is both interesting and useful. It involves a variety of techniques for mathematical optimization. It is fun and they pay you!
My first job after getting my bachelor’s in math was at a nuclear physics research facility. There is a lot of math in physics. There can in some cases be a lot of math needed to figure out why the packaged software that you are using is giving you results that do not make any sense.
There are a lot of other options also. Basically math is needed to allow quite a few things in our world to work. Some things just need more math than you are likely to get unless you are a math major.
And of course Stanford and Princeton are two of the very, very best and highest ranked universities for math.
Just thought I would add: To me this statement makes a lot of sense. The world has hard math problems that need solving. A lot of stuff works in this world because someone solved some very hard math problems. For some of us this is fun – and they pay you.
1 Like
Data science, STEM graduate school are two other options. A strong math background, especially from a school like Princeton, will make him a more attractive for grad schools. Many fields of Electrical Engineering, like signal analysis, computational EM, control systems, RF, etc
I suggest taking either mat 203 or 215 first semester at Princeton
1 Like
If they were really focused on academia, I would have recommended Princeton, because they have a heavier focus on academic careers. However, since they’re more likely to go to industry or a national lab, Stanford seems the better choice.
Of course, I’m talking about minor differences. As can be seen by the different advice that people are providing, which there are good reasons to choose either. Luckily, though, there is also no bad choice.
Congratulations to your kid on having such choices!
1 Like
My kid ‘22 had the same two options for engineering, along with a difference (although smaller) in FA.
Stanford said that as long as we had an offer from any of HPYM, they would match the FA—and they did.
My kid found the admit days to be a greatest factor in their ultimate decision. The vibes between the two were widely different. One thing you might have your child do is to ask current students at each school which of the two they would choose if they could choose now.
It’s all about fit. They truly can’t go wrong with their choice!
5 Likes
And that’s a wrap: Princeton it is! C25 loved the admits they met at Stanford (kids staying up dancing until 2:30am did NOT hurt!!) but ended up choosing Princeton for a bunch of reasons. Thank you, everyone, for the help!
21 Likes
Rah! Rah! Rah!
Tiger tiger tiger
Sis sis sis
Boom boom boom BAH!
'29! '29! '29!
(Reflecting on the fact that I have probably uttered this cheer in person for a member of the class of 1929 and, well, yikes.)
3 Likes
Princeton seems to have an emphasis on quantum: https://quantum.princeton.edu/
You can find professors working in the quantum computing within the ECE department here: Quantum Engineering | Electrical and Computer Engineering
The ECE course list is rich in quantum-focused courses: Course Catalog | Electrical and Computer Engineering
And there is a concentration in quantum information and applied physics: Undergraduate Curriculum | Electrical and Computer Engineering
I think you made the right choice!
2 Likes
Thank you! My kid has already mapped out an insane 4 years of study which I am sure will get heavily tempered by their academic advisor, lol. We’re delighted with all the quantum-focused courses!
1 Like
Congratulations to your obviously over-achieving student! As others have mentioned, your kiddo could not go wrong with either, and budget permitting should go for fit.
My sister went to Princeton for engineering in the late 1970s (I’m that old) and she thrived there. I hope your student does too.
1 Like