Note: I do not intend for this post to turn into a debate about whether this is possible or not. In my case, it’s a simple possibility within reach that doesn’t involve overworking myself (I’d be able to graduate in two years on a normal course load). I couldn’t find any discussions about this specific topic.
I’d like to have an idea of how an early, 2-year finish would impact MA chances. I’m looking more for a generic answer rather than a specific one.
Would finishing undergrad quickly be a huge disadvantage in the process or an insignificant detail in comparison to all the other application aspects?
Without having a clue what field you plan to pursue, will faculty be able, if needed, to advocate for you to peers in their field? Will they know you well enough? Will you have worked/done research with the faculty in our undergrad? IMO, this, (plus GRE scores and whatever else your target field requires) are things to think about— not how long you spent in undergrad. If you meet the graduation requirements and had have solid coursework in your planned grad program, these are likely more important.
Agree more information is needed to comment. Also some information on what brought you to this possibility ( if applicable). Let’s say you already had many credits and are able to transfer them. Also, you would need to add information on the type of schools and program that you plan to attend ( AM/MA).
You asked this question in the fall of 2017 regarding law school. Are you still planning on attending FSU? One of your threads mentioned a 45 credit upper division transfer limit there. I don’t know if that’s for all FL universities or just that one, but you need to speak with whatever college you decide to attend to see what courses will transfer.
I don’t see how rushing through school and using credits earned as a high school student will help you get into grad school. Using the 2 extra years to take more upper division courses might.
In principle, if your GPA is high and your GRE (or equivalent) scores are strong, the academic part of your application will not be affected by the short time to degree. If your interest is in a professional degree, then there should be no negative consequences. However, if you are seeking a degree where research is important, then you have to manage your time very carefully to get the kind of valuable research experience that is generally needed for admission. In addition, extended research experience will lead to a strong personal reference letter for your faculty mentors. These are also essential for admission.
If you provide more detail, it might be easier to provide advice.
There’s also the case of getting the kinds of summer experiences that make an MA candidate more appealing. With a 2-year program, you only have one summer to do that, whereas the people you’re competing with would’ve had 2-3. And many summer programs don’t take rising sophomores.
Financially, it might be better NOT to graduate and to take graduate courses as an official undergrad student. My nephew did this for his masters. He completed all the requirements for his BS in mechanical engineering, but now is in a one year masters program. He gets to take student loans at the undergrad rate (if he wants to, I’m not sure he does), pays the undergrad rate per credit, and still gets the state subsidy ($75 per credit). He also gets all the benefits of being an undergrad (cheaper football tickets!)
If he had decided not to finish the masters program at any time (over the summer or during the year) the school would have just issued his diploma which he earned last May.
I agree that it is now time for the US to move towards an educational schedule similar to other countries. It seems to me that most students have established what would have been typical of the 1st two years of college by the time they graduate from high school. Then they often piddle around for another couple of years before taking some serious classes. Then they have to repeat some of that when they go to grad school. Especially for women (biological clock) education takes too long and is too redundant. Some combined BS/MD and other programs are starting to acknowledge this. lets move it along! People in the US are often hitting their 30’s before practicing medicine or dentistry while those in other countries are in their early 20’s. Let’s move it along.
Unfortunately, some universities will not count courses taken as undergraduates toward a graduate degree, particularly if you are attending a different university for the graduate degree. If you stay at the same university, it is much more likely that this is possible but it is important to verify your options. Nevertheless, taking graduate courses can be an excellent strategy and a very good selling point for getting into a highly selective graduate program as well as giving you a leg up even if you have to repeat some courses.
In my opinion, completing undergrad in 2 years could be a mistake, unless you have a plan to publish in top tier journals and or complete requisite internships etc. before you graduate
Admission to top grad programs is significantly different than to undergrad programs. For one, the faculty is usually intimately involved in the admission process. These guys don’t usually care much about your gpa and how quickly you completed your degree. They want to know who were your professors, what you did with them and what they have to say about your ability to succeed. They also want to know how you did in specific coursework that they feel is relevant to the grad program you are applying to.
That said, if you are, for example a math prodigy who has essentially completed all the math major requirements in high school at the local flagship state uni. who is attending undergrad at Harvard to essentially complete a few electives, do research and publish with some professors there, then yeah, it would be okay to knock out undergrad in 2 or 3 years and start your PhD. (Don’t recall if they let you in less than 3). Otherwise I wouldn’t recommend it.
Most kids who have 12-20 AP classes in high school usually stick around to build research and internship experience as well as explore their interest in other fields. Sometimes they may even hold off graduating by not taking some required freshman elective such as government or dance or physical ed. Then, they take the undergrad courses, research and internships they want, often exceeding the total number of courses required to graduate. The goal is to get into the best grad school
For students who can complete undergraduate in two years after high school graduation, there are not really any generic answers, since such students tend to be unusual even among college students. Of course, there are also variations based on undergraduate and graduate majors as well.