My daughter is getting 35 AP Credit and she could finish her degree in 3 years. Is it advisable to finish the degree in 3 years and go for masters/job or do double major in math or data science and take full 4 years. Money is no concern.
If money is no concern I’d let her decide.
FWIW, personally I’d opt to have a four year undergrad experience (unless I anticipated many years of grad school).
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Another option is to do the single major in CS in four years by adding advanced electives in her major, and/or additional electives of interest. This can have value as well. She doesn’t need to add a double major in order to make the best of her 4 years of college.
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The answer partly depends on the college. Does the college offer many higher-level courses in CS (or related areas) she would be interested in? What about doing a senior thesis (if it isn’t part of her graduation requirements) or a senior project? Are there other research opportunities on campus or CS internships (local or remote) available during the school year? If the college is already strong in CS, adding a second major in math or DS likely wouldn’t do much (she should just take whatever courses in math or DS that are relevant and she is interested in).
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The student can check their graduate program options if money is not a concern. Many schools have a 5-year MS program for computer science - some students even complete the program in a total of 4.5 years. Especially if they are entering college with a lot of credit and if their advanced electives cover graduate school credits.
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She is in Rutgers. She would like to do masters but at the higher rank institute if possible. But it will be tough to get in if she finishes her degree in 3 years.
I would be inclined to let her (the student) decide. However, I think that it should take some time for her to decide this. She can take classes for at least a year and possibly a couple of years before figuring this out.
I do think that computer science and mathematics is a very good combination. I was a math major who took quite a few CS classes, and have used both on the job (and specifically on the same jobs). There are many types of CS jobs. Some require quite a bit of math, some do not. To me the jobs I had that do require some advanced math are interesting.
One daughter probably could have graduated a semester early if she had wanted to. She took the full four years, and did very well (in spite of the pandemic getting in the way). We have yet to see how this will impact graduate admissions but are not worried about it. I think that what she learned and what she did during her last semester (semester 8 I suppose) was worth the time and effort. “Advanced electives in her major” as stated by @tamagotchi is perhaps a pretty good description of what she did.
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My daughter recently graduated with two majors and one minor. Before her first semester course registration, her academic advisors gave her some advices:
plan the required courses for first major to be completed in 3 years;
be flexible regarding a second major or minor;
constantly review goals for college experience (have more fun or get out quickly);
stay aware of job/intern opportunities and potential career paths (and variations);
keep regular meetings with academic advisors.
She was categorized as sophomore starting the second semester in college. This made a difference during course registration process because upper class students had higher priority in popular courses. I don’t know how exactly it worked but her “junior” and “senior” status got her in some classes instead of being on the waitlist. Also some internship opportunities were open only to juniors and seniors.
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it was a long time ago, but I went through a similar experience and opted to graduate early and enroll in graduate school program which focused on a specific area of interest with the advisor who lead the development in that field.
There is no absolute answer to your question, as others have pointed out, it depends very much on the options available along the way. Examples could include:
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completing senior year at a stronger school where she’ll meet and study with the faculty she really wants to join for graduate school. Essentially jump start graduate school
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embark on a professional internship in a company offering application/research opportunities in her field of interest and start taking graduate course
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explore other residents opportunities at Rutgers, whether it’s course work, research, or exploratory applications
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What area(s) of CS, if any, does she plan to specialize in?
My son is in this situation and is looking at potentially doing a plus one masters.
Most likely data science/AI but not sure yet.
My D would have been able to graduate early if she had pushed but it would have meant no study abroad, no concentration, no certifications, and no research. As such, we encouraged her to take the 4 years.
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Another option would be to consider an extended internship or co-op such that she devotes a semester or two to relevant work experience, but graduates with her class.
Are there any decisions she needs to make in the first year of college that could end up limiting her options? If not, I’d table this conversation at least until she has acclimated to campus life and gotten a better idea what possibilities most appeal to her.
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Generally agree.
In terms of first year decisions, this could matter in course selection – but a general policy of prioritizing prerequisites and requirements in course selection in the first few semesters will be helpful in keeping options open, whether the choice made later is graduating a semester or two early, taking additional advanced courses in the major, or adding a second major.
Edit: found the Rutgers CS prerequisite map. Use this to help figure out which courses to prioritize to ensure being able to take the desired advanced CS courses within the 6-8 semesters.
Note that the longest sequence is six semesters (Math 151 and 111 → 112 → 211 → 214 → 416 → 417), although AP credit may be able to shorten it by one.
Also, pay attention to how frequently each course is offered: Course Synopses
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For an advanced student in either data science or AI, she would benefit from more than the basic course structure/requirements for the degree, or even the recommended “electives”. She should look to take courses beyond the introductory probabilities and statistics. She should look for courses in advanced probabilities, statistical inference, Bayesian statistics, stochastic processes and Markov chains, mathematical optimization, etc., along with all the machine learning and data mining courses that the school may offer. She can complement the standard courses the school offers with project courses and/or advanced/special topics courses to achieve more depth in areas of her interest.
I wouldn’t “force” a second major just to stay in school. Instead, I’d focus on using that year for something else. Volunteer, get a job, do research…something interesting…rewarding.
Sure, if grad school is in the plans and she can go direct… go after 3 years.
I was surprised to learn that a lot of med school applicants don’t go direct anymore. I was speaking with a physician of notable credential, and she told me that experience post college is a large differentiator for med school admission (which she participates with at 2 notable med schools).
If she can get into a “more selective” grad school, then she can find an internship or job at a highly selective employer or organization to fill the year (or two) between college and grad school. I’d just do what feels right. I’m in the camp that doesn’t think a second major makes much of a difference once you start working.