<p>So I'm applying ED at Cornell's CoE this year and I was wondering...</p>
<p>Would it be easier to get in if I applied to a less applied major (Operations research) as opposed to the much more popular Computer Science?</p>
<p>Now, before anyone thinks i'm just looking for an easy road in, and that I should apply for the major I love, I think you're half right. But here's the thing. I've always been planning to major in CS and minor in ORIE because I absolutely love the type of stuff they study in my intended minor (combinatorial optimization), but I think CS is a much more reasonable major for the reason that CS jobs seem to be available anywhere and someone with a ORIE degree would have less opportunities.</p>
<p>I have ECs that reflect a lot of love for CS and have 1 that reflects very strong interest in Operations research. So I'm just curious, if I apply as a ORIE major would it:</p>
<p>1) be any easier to get in?
2) be easy to switch to a major in CS and retain a minor in ORIE once/if I get in?</p>
<p>First of all, you need to do research on the school since you are missing some vital, yet simple, pieces of information. </p>
<p>Do you think many people apply to Cornell as an ORE (not ORIE… check the major name, not department) major? Also, your whole “theory” is based off of the assumption that each major has the same amount of people within CoE. Less popular majors simply have less people graduating from them; Cornell does not use any sort of AA to fill up these majors.</p>
<p>Furthermore, rarely does anyone come into Cornell wanting to be an ORE major. Not because it is a bad major—I’m actually majoring in it—but because not many other schools offer it (Columbia and Princeton are the only other major engineering schools who offer it). However, there is no shortage of ORE majors because once people get here, many realize that it is awesome for consulting/finance and go into it. This is not any bias; it is just how I see the trends.</p>
<p>They honestly could not care less what major you apply to. I feel that if I ask a freshman CoE student what their major is, 50% chance they say CS. This is because the admission officers know (although you may not?) that you do not declare a major until Sophomore year and by that time, many people change their mind. </p>
<p>Why would they bother admitting a weaker student to ORE when there is nothing that indicates that the ORIE department isn’t hitting its “quota,” especially when there is a good chance that the ORE student will change majors anyways?</p>
<p>*Also, you need to learn what a minor really is. Employers really could not care less what you minor in. If you want to go into a certain field, just get an internship in it. But yes, you can minor in whatever you want and change your major to whatever you want.</p>
<p>Unless you have a passion for Operations Research, don’t put it down as your major and don’t write your essay about it. They will see through your facade and know that you’re just lying. Apply as a major of what you’re interested and passionate about.</p>
<p>Thank you both for the reply! (Sorry, what I meant was ORE and not ORIE, my bad)</p>
<p>I was aware that you declare after Sophomore year begins. I was curious if it affected the admission process when you mention on the Common App that you plan to major in X versus Y.</p>
<p>Also, your whole “theory” is based off of the assumption that each major has the same amount of people within CoE.</p>
<p>That’s exactly why I asked. I didn’t know whether or not they admitted a certain number of people to each major so I wondered whether or not applying as an ORE major would help. I wasn’t assuming it.</p>
<p>I am aware that very few schools offer it which is why I’m EDing to Cornell in the first place. I’ve always been intending to do research in a certain niche (optimization and approximation in problems like the TSP) that I can’t find at many other schools and . </p>
<p>@Peppino thank you for the advice!</p>
<p>Okay yeah, the whole minor in CS idea is pretty stupid seeing employers wouldn’t care. I guess i’ll just put CS down in the application (not that it would matter anyways as I’ve learned from this thread).</p>
<p>Many people major in ORE and then try to double major or add a minor in CS. If you are interested optimization, this option would possibly be best for you.</p>
<p>Also, you should consider that ORE has the reputation of being one of the easier engineering majors. With that, you can get involved in more research/clubs or you can take more classes (if you find it to be easier). ORE teaches you how to think, not what to think, a lot more than other engineering majors since many people go into consulting.</p>
<p>You really can’t go wrong with either major though. Cornell is just slightly beneath Stanford/CMU/MIT in CS (the new bill gates hall could boost its rep to the same tier) in CS and actually Stanford CS grads only make $500 per year more than Cornell CS grads, which is so minimal that a number of variables could have affected that.</p>
<p>ORE at Cornell is in the top tier. Because not many undergrad schools have it, people usually just look at where it stands in grad schools and the top 4 schools for ORIE are Stanford, MIT, Cornell, and Princeton. The M.Eng program at Cornell is fairly easy for Cornell undergrads to get into, so it isn’t too bad of a deal to pretty much have a top tier grad program as your “back-up” option. Also, since ORE is CONSIDERED to be an easier major, it COULD be easier to get a higher GPA which could make it a step stone into consulting/finance if that’s an option you are looking at. </p>
<p>Lastly, once you apply and (hopefully) get in, don’t overplan your life at Cornell. I always see people come in thinking that they are passionate about their major, but then switch 1 month later.</p>
<p>Is it difficult to double major in both ORE and CS as compared to majoring only in CS? I really am interested in optimization, but I don’t want to do it without CS seeing as i’m also very interested in studying a lot of theoretical CS.</p>
<p>Yeah, I’m more interested in Cornell’s CoE than in Stanford/MIT/CMU etc for a number of reasons, including the fact that it has great programs in CS and ORE… and I like the feel of Cornell’s campus overall much more anyways (plus great food!). </p>
<p>Also, from Cornell’s website I found that it might be possible to major in ORE as an undergrad and graduate to do the M.Eng program in CS? Is this advisable? Has anyone done this before?</p>
<p>Thank you for all the advice so far, it’s very helpful!</p>
<p>Depends on what your goals are at the end of the day. I was split between CS + AEP and CS + ORE a few semesters and decided on the latter because I could take mainly FE courses. In fact, I’d be willing to argue that the FE courses are some of the hardest engineering courses at Cornell, which blend nicely with some upper level AEP courses (i.e. Statistical Thermodynamics/Computational Physics etc.) </p>
<p>Operations Research in itself is a very complicated field, but the way it’s taught at Cornell, people consider it to be less rigorous than other majors. It’s all what you make of it really, it can be as tough or as easy as you want it. </p>
<p>Another quick note, computer science classes here are time consuming but doable but never truly difficult. Some operations research classes here are not doable unless you have a profound mathematical intuition, so be careful which classes you pick.</p>
<p>@Wong, thank you for the reply. Guess I have a year to decide after taking courses related to the two majors anyways (assuming I even get in that is) but thank you all for the advice. I just wish my safeties offered ORE as a major.</p>