Princeton vs Stanford for Math

Cantiger
Fri, 01 May 2015 14:50:26 +0000

First of all, congratulations on your admission to two fantastic schools!

One of my son’s room mates is a mathematics major at Princeton and another is a computer science (BSE major). Both had the opportunity to choose other top schools in each of these fields and chose Princeton. If your primary interest is pure mathematics, you really won’t find many better choices out there than Princeton.

The double major restriction has to do with the need to do a senior thesis in the area of concentration (major). If you are considering grad school, the work of a thesis in senior year is great preparation. There is also the ability to do a self directed course in junior year (my son is currently finishing his - he is also a BSE) so if you have a personal area of interest that you’d like to explore with the support of profs and grad students, this is a great option.

Needing 3 semesters of a foreign language pertains only to AB students, not BSE. However it’s possible to place out of this requirement - this quote is taken from one of the language programs on Princeton’s website:

"An Advanced Placement score of 5 or an SAT II subject test score of 760 is required to satisfy the A.B. foreign language requirement at entrance, or for admission to a 200-level course. A score of 7 on the higher-level IB test or a grade of A on the British A-level exam also fulfills the requirement. "

So if you are already proficient you can replace those courses with something else more appealing. I don’t see extensive distribution requirements as a downside. Having a balanced education and ability to communicate in another language is a plus! My son actually opted to take 3 semesters of foreign language even though it wasn’t required because it allowed him to develop his mastery of the language to a higher level. The summer after freshman year he studied abroad and improved his oral communication significantly. While we know this is great on a resume, he also enjoys travelling so one way or another it has long term benefits.

Good luck with your choice…both are incredible schools and you have an enviable decision to make.