Stick with U.M.D. + save $$$ for grad school

I think it can be good if you're not a super-gifted go-getter but want to major in a tough weed-out subject to go to a school where you are above the 75th %ile in stats. If you go to a school that is a match or a reach or known for your subject area you are more likely to get weeded-out (or just opt out/lose confidence).

Anonymous wrote:Following for insights. My kid is already in college but wants to double with math major. She realized she likes her mathy classes a lot. She got good grades but was not in the top courses (no calc). She’s wondering if it’s worth the try. I feel like no one ever says what level of student you have to be to be “good enough” to attempt majoring in math, engineering, or CS (Small LAC with small classes)

if she's at a small lac with small classes, have her take a sequence of math as pass/fail.

OP back again, and I do want to clarify that my DD is NOT going to MIT or Stanford, and she isn't a math prodigy. Just a regular kid who likes and is good at math (but not exclusively, she's actually good at writing too but doesn't like it).

To 10:16, I agree with the previous person who said that your DD is absolutely good enough to study math!

Most state schools have excellent math faculty. The advantage is that they are actually doing math research and are well-connected, so if grad school in math becomes an interest, their letters are of value. While some profs at LACs are active in research, most are focusing on teaching and less connected to the academic research world.

Carnegie Mellon

Anonymous wrote:Following for insights. My kid is already in college but wants to double with math major. She realized she likes her mathy classes a lot. She got good grades but was not in the top courses (no calc). She’s wondering if it’s worth the try. I feel like no one ever says what level of student you have to be to be “good enough” to attempt majoring in math, engineering, or CS (Small LAC with small classes)

Well 9:45 would have an opinion, but it's bunk. She's in college and enjoying her math courses, she's good enough. These are learned abilities, and most people don't get good instruction prior to college, so it's certainly not too late to bloom. She has some affinity for the subject or she wouldn't like it.

William & Mary has a good data science program as does UVA which would be a nice combination with a math major. W&M is small for a university (about 6k undergrads) but combines focus on undergrad teaching with a little larger size than a SLAC and UVA is mid-sized.

Anonymous wrote:University of Michigan?

Sorry, too cold?

University of Michigan?

Anonymous wrote:Following for insights. My kid is already in college but wants to double with math major. She realized she likes her mathy classes a lot. She got good grades but was not in the top courses (no calc). She’s wondering if it’s worth the try. I feel like no one ever says what level of student you have to be to be “good enough” to attempt majoring in math, engineering, or CS (Small LAC with small classes)

I think if your child likes the subject - encourage them to take more classes in it. Why not? So they realize it was not what they expected - they learned something new about life. They are not the TOP of the class - of well most people are not.

If they have an interest, some capacity, and committed to getting support - isn't that what we want in life?

Following for insights. My kid is already in college but wants to double with math major. She realized she likes her mathy classes a lot. She got good grades but was not in the top courses (no calc). She’s wondering if it’s worth the try. I feel like no one ever says what level of student you have to be to be “good enough” to attempt majoring in math, engineering, or CS (Small LAC with small classes)

Anonymous wrote:OP back again, and I appreciate the feedback. I'd be open to hearing about LACs that are good for math as well.

In terms of future jobs, I'm not entirely sure, and I'm not sure that she's entirely sure. I would guess something along the lines of data scientist or statistician.

So, is she a prodigy, or just a kid who likes math and is good at it? Some of the suggestions on here are for students who are truly brilliant budding mathematicians. If instead she is a smart high school sophomore who likes math better than other subjects but isn't really a math superstar, then there are lots of colleges that would be good. I fully agree that a smaller college is better than a big one for math. For a small college, just look for one with a math faculty that has at least five or six professors (you would be surprised at how many math departments have shrunk to almost nothing). When the pandemic eases, drive a couple of hours north and visit Dickinson College or Franklin & Marshall, that are both good colleges that kids with mostly As and an interest in math may like---and probably can get into if she keeps up her grades. If she is really at the top of the math ladder, then go a couple of hours north and visit Swarthmore or Princeton (for a big school)--but realize that both are out of reach even for most very good students. You can branch out from there, but those are all just two or three hours away.

Anonymous wrote:UT Austin

OP said nothing in the south

OP back again, and I appreciate the feedback. I'd be open to hearing about LACs that are good for math as well.

In terms of future jobs, I'm not entirely sure, and I'm not sure that she's entirely sure. I would guess something along the lines of data scientist or statistician.