madviking
north american scum
Find an internship at a laboratory somewhere near you.
Let's Talk About College
- Thread starter GhostWriter16
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Kennigit
proud 2 boxer
do you have any particular preference in methodology? I.e. do you like laboratory work, theoretical work, hands-on work, or are you interested in really making something "useful", etc? Do you think you'd be interested in grad school (I know that it is really far in advance to think about that, but I feel it may help narrow down the fields). Something like physics or math you're probably really going to want to go to grad school, and if you're more inclined to think about the idea of going to [insert engineering industry] after undergrad then maybe look at more things like mech E or aerospace or electrical or a more "applicable" field. If you see yourself being a grad student, or going into a field that would be conducive to needing/benefiting from grad school, that's 2-5+ years of additional schooling.
Some people don't like the idea of academia too much and that would turn them away. That narrows down things like math or some other where you really will see a lot of academia as a career choice, or at the very least deal with a lot of "theoretical" work. If you really like labs, the biochem field is much more intensive on that than some other science fields. Or some people really want to go into a field that they think will be readily available to "make" things. A lot of EE's of computer engineers want to readily go into electronics industry, aerospace majors really want to go to work in that industry very quickly, etc. That type of abstract thinking is what really made me pick my major, and is still influencing my future track. I also looked at a very specific program that helped me decide.
one big thing that obviously I assume you know is out of state vs. in state stuff, and you have the credentials to be looking at "prestigious" out-of-state schools or ivy leagues (worth a shot if you find something of interest; I regret a tiny bit not looking at more things related to programs like princeton's plasma physics, as I just disregarded the ivies as not worth the cost for engineering). So my basic advice on that is that unless you find something that really interests you, it's probably best to go to in-state school (depending on what state you lived; I was in virginia, so virginia tech and uva were very good available in-state schools for science and engineering). If your state school, or whatever school you're looking at, has solid programs in everything, you can go to that school and talk to professors, find an internship, w/e to help you decide. Don't worry too much about picking a particular major (I know a lot of schools admit by major, so yeah, that sucks, but in the long run that isn't too important).
For reference, I'm a nuclear engineering student at georgia tech, which is also a "weird" major in that I get in-state tuition for going to an out-of-state college due to a thing called the academic common market (ACM), where various schools agree to waive out-of-state fees for various majors. I applied really early on, and gatech had weird deadlines where I heard I got in like early october. I only applied to MIT and virginia tech (in case I didn't want to do the Nuclear program anymore), and MIT was, well, MIT (did not get accepted). I intend on going to grad school and am looking at the plasma physics/fusion department for my school (plus my major intro course was taught by a professor who specialized and did his Ph.D. in z-pinch fusion); plus intro modern physics course was really fun for me (physics III, non-intensive math based relativity and quantum mechanics). That's the type of things that interest me, even if they aren't too "practical" to society. But to a lot of my friends, even in the nuclear department, want to finish undergrad and go start work, whereas I'm interested in a field that generally is going to require grad school. I go to my school because I found that weird niche that I really like (so far), but to help decide think about what type of work you would want to do, and in particular for engineering, do you want something practical or are you okay with spending your years in theoretical work without necessarily "making" anything?
Integral
Can't you hear it?
1. I didn't have much of a choice. Applied to 7 schools, got into 2. Picked one of them.
I chose my original 7 based on fit. Matched my SAT score range to the 25-75% percentile of the school. I applied solely to USNews top-20 schools.
2. I chose economics early. I picked up math because it helped with econ. If you don't have a track in mind going in, take a variety of classes your first year and sample a variety of fields. Don't lock in early unless you know what you're doing. I took around 40 classes in college, of which 27-30 were in economics or math. Don't do what I did!
So I basically just applied to the best schools that my SAT scores could get me in to (which fortunately were very good schools) and picked my major based on prior interests.
Eh, no it doesn't, my math degree qualifies me for a crap-ton of work.
I'm currently employed in the healthcare field with it.
Kennigit
proud 2 boxer
I guess I extrapolated poorly; but I'm not meaning to say "unqualified" if I did say that.
math majors/grad students I know (very limited amount; just a few) are intending to try to be either actuaries/financial sector, or go into academia directly. I.e. I was trying to say that it lends itself to going into academia moreso than other [some] majors (I can be completely wrong about everything, also note that).
has nothing to do with what it actually qualifies you for (obviously math major applicable to any industry with risk assessment or estimating financial figures, etc), just what people doing that field are interested in. and again, I can be wrong.
math majors/grad students I know (very limited amount; just a few) are intending to try to be either actuaries/financial sector, or go into academia directly. I.e. I was trying to say that it lends itself to going into academia moreso than other [some] majors (I can be completely wrong about everything, also note that).
has nothing to do with what it actually qualifies you for (obviously math major applicable to any industry with risk assessment or estimating financial figures, etc), just what people doing that field are interested in. and again, I can be wrong.
Hi, so what does civfanatics think of going for a PhD in Psychology? As much as I admire the STEM degrees and those with a predisposition for arithmetic, sadly those are not my strengths. So, how useful do you view the above and degree and what else would you recommend? Thanks for any input!
I just thought I'd offer input to anyone in high school wanting to major in a math-heavy subject, like engineering. There is a series of tests, named the AMC (American Mathematics Competition), AIME (American Invitational Mathematics Exam), and USAMO (United States of America Mathematics Olympiad) that many colleges regard heavily as a 'hook' or 'lynchpin' or 'niche' for application.
AMC information here
The AMC is the initial test. Anyone is allowed to take this test for free; it is generally offered to all schools some time in February. The test is 25 questions long, multiple choice (A-E), each question is worth 6 points correct, 1.5 points blank, and 0 points incorrect. Scoring above a 100 on the AMC qualifies one for the AIME. Calculus is not required, but additional concepts, such as combinatorics and number theory are utilized on the test. From experience, in 10th grade I took the AMC 12 and scored a 98.5--the highest score in my school was a junior that same year who attained a 101.5. In our school history, one person managed to get a 113.5 on the AMC. It is a grueling and difficult test. Colleges, especially math/science/engineering based colleges like MIT or CIT, take special note of these scores. 400,000 people took the test last year, with roughly 20,000 scoring above 100. In the case of a hard year, the score requirement is reduced to what the top 5% would attain; if the top 5% scored a 90 or more, then 90 points is the minimum qualification value for that year. One more thing-no calculators are allowed on the test.
AIME information here
The AIME is not open to all students; one must have passed the AMC before taking the AIME. It is 180 minutes long, there are 15 questions, each worth 10 points, and the answer to each question is an integer from 0-999 inclusive. The AIME is an extremely difficult test; on the practice tests on the website above, the maximum score I achieved was a 3. In our school, the highest score ever attained was a 7. I don't know much about the internal mechanics since I have never sat for the AIME before (I plan to this year), but the junior last year said that the questions given to him are incredibly difficult. He is taking AP Calculus BC this year. Use of a calculator is prohibited.
One other note on the AIME: a score above 4 is very noteworthy and it alone may get you into a great college. Ex: a person with a 3.0 GPA and a 4 on the AIME can, most likely, get into a general state college more easily than a person with a 3.7-8 who has not taken the AIME. If one can maintain a solid >3.9 GPA, and achieve a 4 on the AIME, they have a real shot at Ivy League schools.
USAMO information here
I have not even attempted these questions. If you can actually answer problems from the AMC and AIME without too much difficulty, this will only get more difficult. Qualification for the USAMO is taken by combining the score from the AMC and the AIME. Only the top 300 students are selected to take the exam. The exam is six hours long, with six questions to answer. Unlike the previous exams, answers in the USAMO require adequate proof to be considered correct. Personally, I haven't begun fathoming the USAMO. I've heard by rumor that people who qualify for USAMO get full-ride scholarships, but at the very least, it does drastically improve your chances of getting into any college you want.
Anyway, just thought I'd put that out there. AMC, AIME, USAMO, good math tests, good looking on an application.
AMC information here
The AMC is the initial test. Anyone is allowed to take this test for free; it is generally offered to all schools some time in February. The test is 25 questions long, multiple choice (A-E), each question is worth 6 points correct, 1.5 points blank, and 0 points incorrect. Scoring above a 100 on the AMC qualifies one for the AIME. Calculus is not required, but additional concepts, such as combinatorics and number theory are utilized on the test. From experience, in 10th grade I took the AMC 12 and scored a 98.5--the highest score in my school was a junior that same year who attained a 101.5. In our school history, one person managed to get a 113.5 on the AMC. It is a grueling and difficult test. Colleges, especially math/science/engineering based colleges like MIT or CIT, take special note of these scores. 400,000 people took the test last year, with roughly 20,000 scoring above 100. In the case of a hard year, the score requirement is reduced to what the top 5% would attain; if the top 5% scored a 90 or more, then 90 points is the minimum qualification value for that year. One more thing-no calculators are allowed on the test.
AIME information here
The AIME is not open to all students; one must have passed the AMC before taking the AIME. It is 180 minutes long, there are 15 questions, each worth 10 points, and the answer to each question is an integer from 0-999 inclusive. The AIME is an extremely difficult test; on the practice tests on the website above, the maximum score I achieved was a 3. In our school, the highest score ever attained was a 7. I don't know much about the internal mechanics since I have never sat for the AIME before (I plan to this year), but the junior last year said that the questions given to him are incredibly difficult. He is taking AP Calculus BC this year. Use of a calculator is prohibited.
One other note on the AIME: a score above 4 is very noteworthy and it alone may get you into a great college. Ex: a person with a 3.0 GPA and a 4 on the AIME can, most likely, get into a general state college more easily than a person with a 3.7-8 who has not taken the AIME. If one can maintain a solid >3.9 GPA, and achieve a 4 on the AIME, they have a real shot at Ivy League schools.
USAMO information here
I have not even attempted these questions. If you can actually answer problems from the AMC and AIME without too much difficulty, this will only get more difficult. Qualification for the USAMO is taken by combining the score from the AMC and the AIME. Only the top 300 students are selected to take the exam. The exam is six hours long, with six questions to answer. Unlike the previous exams, answers in the USAMO require adequate proof to be considered correct. Personally, I haven't begun fathoming the USAMO. I've heard by rumor that people who qualify for USAMO get full-ride scholarships, but at the very least, it does drastically improve your chances of getting into any college you want.
Anyway, just thought I'd put that out there. AMC, AIME, USAMO, good math tests, good looking on an application.
dwaxe
is not a fanatic
Damn, I wish I knew about those last year.
Syterion
Voodoo Economist
Yeah, in general on the AMC and AIME, you need about a 210 combined score on both to make it to the USAMO. A kid in my school took it, it's a two day proof test with 6 questions. It's mind boggling. I took the AIME 3 times and never did better than a 4. It's really hard. Really really hard. You need I think a 120 on AMC 10 (for 10th graders and younger) and a 100 on the AMC 12 to qualify. Take the AMC 12 regardless of how old you are, in general it's easier to get 100 on the 12 than 120 on the 10.
If you are going to try to do well on the AIME, you're going to have to independently study a lot of advanced math you won't be taught. I would say most helpful to study (because in school you dont do it much) are number theory, probability, and combinatorics.
If you are going to try to do well on the AIME, you're going to have to independently study a lot of advanced math you won't be taught. I would say most helpful to study (because in school you dont do it much) are number theory, probability, and combinatorics.
So I end up confused by graduate school admissions and maybe Civfanatics can help me. This is a bit of a sidetrack, but still I think along the lines of this thread so I came here instead of creating a new one. I'm about to graduate for a smallish (8,000 students mostly commuters) Liberal Arts heavy college with a BS in math and I'm interested in pursuing a PhD in mathematics specifically in Algebra and/or Number Theory.
Unfornutally I'm finding it very hard to judge what type of school I might be able to get into, I think my resume is pretty strong, but I'm not sure what to gauge it against and I'm wondering if anybody can help me?
I feel pretty good, but I'm not from a well known school and I just have no idea how to really rank myself. What grad schools should I even be looking at? I've been looking at Clemsom, UVA, Duke, UGA, UMD College Park, and some of the California Universities like Caltech, USC San Diego, etc. Are these about in my league or should I be looking higher/lower?
Unfornutally I'm finding it very hard to judge what type of school I might be able to get into, I think my resume is pretty strong, but I'm not sure what to gauge it against and I'm wondering if anybody can help me?
My two minute resume said:
I feel pretty good, but I'm not from a well known school and I just have no idea how to really rank myself. What grad schools should I even be looking at? I've been looking at Clemsom, UVA, Duke, UGA, UMD College Park, and some of the California Universities like Caltech, USC San Diego, etc. Are these about in my league or should I be looking higher/lower?
If you keep running along that road, you can pretty much guarantee top graduate acceptance by doing well on the Putnam Exam.
I just looked at a couple old AIMEs, they don't look bad now, but I wouldn't have had a chance at them when I was in highschool.
