<p>Hi McGreggor,</p>
<p>you haven't responded to any of my messages to you about this question, so I'm knocking on your door here. You are a favorable source when it comes to grad school IMO. I've been getting very segregated answers so I'm referring to you.</p>
<p>I am currently a freshmen majoring in chemical engineering. From the looks of it, I think I will apply to grad school and eventually end up with a PhD. I want to do research with not just science, but also technological fields that are applicable to society (hence chem e). I like computer science and math, and will definitely do minors in both these. But I'm completely clueless on whether to declare a double major in math or just complete a minor. Some people tell me that math will help me indefinitely in any science related area, especially grad school. Other people tell me to focus on research and specialize in 1 area, and only double major when my intellectual curiosity overwhelms the costs.</p>
<p>Please. Enlighten me with thine insight.</p>
<p>I’m not McGreggor, but I’m a graduate student, and I happen to be a graduate student who double-majored as an undergrad.</p>
<p>My opinion is that a double is unnecessary (except, possibly, if you’re interested in going into a field where two topics overlap), and won’t help you be admitted to grad school. What’s important in grad school admissions is the knowledge that’s actually in your head – so it’s helpful to take lots of classes in things that add knowledge and broaden your view of engineering, but it’s not important to have the actual piece of paper saying you were a double major.</p>
<p>Similarly, having an explicit minor helps less than having taken classes in a relevant field and being able to integrate them into your research.</p>
<p>You can be intellectually curious all you want – grad schools won’t penalize you for learning a lot of things, except if learning those things prevents you from knowing what area of research you’d like to complete your PhD in. But certainly research should be a major focus of yours, and if completing lots of majors and minors gets in the way of research, that is a problem.</p>
<p>@yaganon - </p>
<p>What are the “costs” to which you refer?</p>
<p>books, time, the likely chance for a lower GPA due to heavy courseload.</p>
<p>I am very broke right now, and I’m an internatinoal student. So I’m seriously struggling to get scholarships in a state college.</p>