Best Small Colleges for Math

[Anonymous]

My daughter wants to major in math (she’s a true nerd who thinks MV calculus is the most fun she’s ever had) and had always said she wanted a larger school but since we’ve started looking she’s clearly drawn towards smaller (2000-4000). She loved Bowdoin, liked Wesleyan but obviously these are reaches for everyone. Looking for a range of smallish colleges with great Math programs.

Has anyone found a comprehensive source for things like this? I have seen several lists but they’re all vastly different.

Shes a junior with with great stats but no hooks, looking to stay northeast or mid Atlantic (ie nothing as far west as Ohio).

Thanks for any suggestions!

[Anonymous]

I also thought MV calculus was the most fun thing ever and would encourage her to consider Mechanical Engineering as a major. If not Mech E, there are a lot of other applied math majors like data analytics or majors that require math-like analytical skills, like CS.

Math majors end up focusing on theory more than fun math like calculus and many math majors become disillusioned. It's just not the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also thought MV calculus was the most fun thing ever and would encourage her to consider Mechanical Engineering as a major. If not Mech E, there are a lot of other applied math majors like data analytics or majors that require math-like analytical skills, like CS.

Math majors end up focusing on theory more than fun math like calculus and many math majors become disillusioned. It's just not the same.

This is really helpful, thanks! We’re both foreign policy parents flying blind.

[Anonymous]

Williams College
Saint Olaf
Lawrence University
Grinnell
Case Western Reserve
Oberlin

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also thought MV calculus was the most fun thing ever and would encourage her to consider Mechanical Engineering as a major. If not Mech E, there are a lot of other applied math majors like data analytics or majors that require math-like analytical skills, like CS.

Math majors end up focusing on theory more than fun math like calculus and many math majors become disillusioned. It's just not the same.

I would add Electrical Engineering to the list too. A lot of Matlab intensive modeling she might find interesting.

[Anonymous]

RPI
SUNY Stony Brook
RIT

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I also thought MV calculus was the most fun thing ever and would encourage her to consider Mechanical Engineering as a major. If not Mech E, there are a lot of other applied math majors like data analytics or majors that require math-like analytical skills, like CS.

Math majors end up focusing on theory more than fun math like calculus and many math majors become disillusioned. It's just not the same.

I would add Electrical Engineering to the list too. A lot of Matlab intensive modeling she might find interesting.

I'm the PP and totally agree. Chem E is also really interesting, if she's open to it.

[Anonymous]

Williams!

DS is a junior at Cornell doing Statistics and is loving it. Endless opportunities in that field right now!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Williams College
Saint Olaf
Lawrence University
Grinnell
Case Western Reserve
Oberlin

The OP stated they were looking to stay east - specifically called out no Ohio.
From this list only Williams meets the request.
The others are great options - but are outside of the requirements

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:RPI
SUNY Stony Brook
RIT

The OP is looking for small schools - I was not a math major - but I am not sure in what scenario these are considered Small Colleges.
I guess if you compared it to University of Michigan they are? But the OP said 2000-4000 and these are multiples of that.

[Anonymous]

Dickinson

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Williams College
Saint Olaf
Lawrence University
Grinnell
Case Western Reserve
Oberlin

Did you even read the original post? How did you come up with a list of schools 90% in Ohio and the Midwest? SMH

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I also thought MV calculus was the most fun thing ever and would encourage her to consider Mechanical Engineering as a major. If not Mech E, there are a lot of other applied math majors like data analytics or majors that require math-like analytical skills, like CS.

Math majors end up focusing on theory more than fun math like calculus and many math majors become disillusioned. It's just not the same.

This is really helpful, thanks! We’re both foreign policy parents flying blind.

+1. Thanks, PP.

[Anonymous]

The National Science Foundation funds Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs). I would look at the list of colleges that have them a good jumping off point. Not because it would help her get into the REU because it’s a list of institutions that care enough about undergraduate math education to seek and win a grant for it.

https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/list_result.jsp?unitid=5044

Also, as she chooses as specific major, have her consider what she likes about math. I was a math major and ended up doing a data science type job. I like my job but realized too late that I really take satisfaction in the certainty of math proofs. Data science is all about uncertainty. It’s not that great of a fit, even though data science would be perfect for some math majors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Williams College
Saint Olaf
Lawrence University
Grinnell
Case Western Reserve
Oberlin

+1. Mudd, which is a reach for everyone
Rose Hulman