Hello, I’m a MA resident stressing over where to apply RD. I am not settled on a major, but want a degree that will be useful in the real world. I am interested in math, but am afraid that a math/pure science degree will not qualify me for many jobs without going to grad school. With this in mind, I applied ED to UMass Amherst for engineering and got into both the College of Engineering and the honors college (My SAT/grades are very good). However, I have never been very good at designing things and am not mechanically creative. Also, I would receive little aid from UMass (cost would be about $23,000/year). Cost is very important, as I have two younger siblings in private school.
Should I apply to other colleges for a different major? I have always been very good at foreign languages, but this is a liberal arts major and I fear having poor job prospects. The theoretical nature of CompSci intrigues me, but I think it would be a hassle to switch to the very good CS program at UMass. Finally, are there any schools in New England that offer full rides to National Merit Scholars? That would be very helpful. Thanks in advance!
Math is a degree that can be used across many businesses/disciplines. You’re asking a little late for scholarships. The deadline for many schools has already passed. NMS doesn’t get you anything. Nat’l Merit Finalist does. Are you NMF?
I am probably going to be NMF (most who submit their materials continue to be NMF). My concern with math was more about whether just studying pure math with no concrete technical skills is necessarily the smartest move. That’s why I’m thinking CS could be a better major; it combines the abstract math I enjoy with a real-world application.
There are many jobs for which a solid foundation in math would be a tremendous asset. Many entry level jobs in finance for example. Anything that requires sophisticated statistical analysis - which is just about everything these days. Why not head over to the college career center once you’ve settled in and chat with the nice people there about what kinds of careers are open to math majors? You’ll be pleasantly surprised.
If you applied ED are you not committed to UMass? Do you mean EA? If I were you I’d apply to UMass-Lowell as well as they probably will give you more money. I’d also apply to any school that interests you and also has a good endowment. How about Tufts?
Sorry, I meant EA. I have considered Tufts but am afraid it would be too expensive.
I agree with also applying to Lowell. I know many people who got more generous offers there than from Amherst.
National Merit scholarship list:
http://nmfscholarships.yolasite.com/
Other big scholarships:
http://automaticfulltuition.yolasite.com/
http://competitivefulltuition.yolasite.com/
Math majors often go into finance/actuarial, data analytics, or computing jobs. However, in-major and out-of-major elective choices can be important in preparing for each type of job.
Looks like changing into the CS major at UMass - Amherst requires at least a B+ in the CS major prerequisites (two CS and two math courses), no grade below a C, and at least a 3.00 GPA overall: https://www.cics.umass.edu/ugrad-education/major-change-cs
How is the quality of education at UMass Lowell? I know that UMass Amherst is ranked far higher, but obviously rankings are not the only important factor in choosing a college.
People who go to UMass Lowell can still have a great life despite the lower ranking. UMass Lowell engineering, CS, etc. are known to be decent. I’d apply, see what they give you, then go look at it on accepted students day if you like the package.
I suggested Tufts because you have a shot of getting in with stats that got you honors at UMass (although Tufts is much more competitive, it’s worth a shot!), and they have an endowment that could meet your full need so it might very well end up being as cheap or cheaper than Mass. Run the net price calculator. Apply to NEU and BU as well–if your stats are high enough for scholarships (if it isn’t too late!). As far as meeting need to be affordable without so much loans, though, they are not so generous unless you are one of the scholarship recipients.
CS and engineering majors are not the only ones who get jobs post-college. Math majors can be in pretty high demand - as pointed out above. But there are other majors that can get you a job. Economics and political science majors actually have pretty good post-college salaries. Business is a major that has good outcomes (especially if you know a useful foreign language major). If you study a critical foreign language and specialize in a particular region of the world, you could go into security studies or international affairs.