Importance of academic rankings?

College Majors Math/Computer Science Majors
1

I’m in need of some advice. I just got off the waitlist at Penn and am considering whether or not to take the offer.

I decided to go to Georgetown after a wonderful campus visit despite the fact that the math program wasn’t ranked. I loved the people, the school in general, the location, etc. I already have a great roommate, and I was just accepted to a really neat, week-long pre-orientation program. If I can make Georgetown work, that would be great.

My ultimate goal is not to pursue an academic career since I’m not really interested in research or teaching; I want to do something business-related most likely. However, I do not want to study business as an undergrad (so not factoring in Wharton in this decision). I figure I’ll get my MBA later, and I just really like learning math! I want to develop core analytical skills. So here’s my question… I know that graduate department rankings are important if you want to pursue an academic career, but what about if your ultimate goal is business? With Penn’s math department ranked at 17 and Georgetown’s not even ranked, will I get a much weaker math education at Georgetown than Penn, and will that affect me negatively in the job search? Or will the difference be small or negligible, and will my GPA and accomplishments matter more in the job search?

Based on career reports and the simple fact that Georgetown students have pretty much the same SAT Math scores as Penn students, I’m wondering if this is really an issue. If the difference is really significant, I will take up Penn’s offer, but like I said, I’ve invested so much in Georgetown and prefer it to Penn outside of this.

So that’s it. If anyone has any comments on how I should value these rankings given my goals and preferences, either specific to these schools or just in general about the process, that would be greatly appreciated.

2

Pick the school you’d be happier at. Math department rankings will have no effect on job prospects for business of all things. The quality will not be incredibly different for undergraduate math, if even noticable.

3

Math is math. Algebra is algebra whether it is taught at a community college or Cal Tech, or in your case, Georgetown or Penn. There would be no noticeable difference with regards to te quality of yor education. These rankings mean nothing. Why does USNews get to decide what should be weighted when ranking a department or a school?

4

Thank you both! I’d heard some of what you said before but wasn’t really sure. Georgetown it is!

5

My understanding is that the graduate ranking of your undergraduate department doesn’t matter very much, as long as it offers the possibility of research opportunities and good recommendation letters.

There are lots of factors to consider if you’re trying to choose a good college for majoring in math.
Some departments focus on pure math; others focus on applied math.
Some colleges are more rigorous than others.
Some colleges offer more research opportunities than others.
Some colleges will give you transfer credit; others won’t.
Some colleges have more courses to choose from. For example, most community colleges don’t give bachelor’s degrees because they don’t have upper-level math classes.

6

"Math is math. Algebra is algebra whether it is taught at a community college or Cal Tech, or in your case, Georgetown or Penn. There would be no noticeable difference with regards to te quality of yor education. "

Okay…
Though usually true I think I need to modify this a bit…

Math is math. That is true. In fact, any college degree can be studied in the library, which actually questions why we still have the college system.
…
Anyways, though math is math anywhere… I would like to add that prestigious universities have higher standards of the same math contents.
Let’s say for example CalTech. In CalTech, your Calculus series are REQUIRED to use Apostol’s Calculus book.
In community colleges, most likely…the rigor isn’t going to be anywhere comparable. In fact, I will go far as to claim the CalTech Calc 1 would be more rigorous than any courses in your local community college and that you will be challenged a lot more in that 1 semester of Calc 1 than in your whole two years of your local community college.
And the grading in more prestigious universities are generally harder (especially true for STEM).
Your local community college will most likely have students who scored around 380 in the math section of the SAT doing Calc 1. And out of that, the class will be curved.
CalTech will most likely be filled with students who scored 800 in the math section, finished Calc BC, won some national and global awards in mathematics (Olympiads, AIME, AMC), scored 800 in at least three different subject tests and on and on and on and on…
And out of that, your classes will be curved.

It’s a different experience. Now, is it worth the premium. I don’t know.
In fact, is college a good investment overall? I can’t agree with that either.
But hey… considering every job needs a bachelor’s degree nowadays, college just seems… compulsory unless you come up with the next million dollar idea

Go to the best college you can afford. Just don’t be silly with debts…
And oh ya, fit is more important than anything else once you start comparing elite universities like Georgetown and UPenn.
However, I will like to note (as a once fellow aspiring math major), if you are seriously considering top grad schools for math (especially pure math),
I really recommend going UPenn. Georgetown doesn’t even offer Modern Algebra II, pretty much a requirement nowadays to get into a reputable pure math program.
UPenn simply for your major has more opportunities.

But then again, since you aren’t fixated on academia, na, the difference is more or less trivial.
However, if I’m correct, isn’t the biggest feeders to Wharton and HBS, Harvard and UPenn?
With similar grades, UPenn could have a bit of a leg up in terms of your MBA career. (though I question, do you really need a grad degree to do business? I mean, is undergrad even necessary but ehh, don’t question the system)

However, since Georgetown is no joke either, ehh, go with whatever is more of a “fit” to you.
When you start comparing at this level, the differences are so trivial that it’s worth overlooking. However, if all you cared is maximizing even the tiniest drop (which I find a bit extreme), in average, a UPenn degree could help you a hair more due to many of the alma maters working in Wallstreet are from Wharton. <alumni is="" something="" you="" can’t="" overlook="" though="" georgetown="" has="" many="" too="">

7

Great points there. It is true that Penn and Harvard are the top feeders to HBS and Wharton, but luckily Georgetown is not far behind. I remember reading somewhere that Georgetown was the 5th most represented school at Wharton and Columbia Business School. Not sure though, I’d have to find the source again. Either way, it seems like if I work my butt off at both schools, I’ll have opportunities. And “fit” is definitely coming into play for me. I liked that Georgetown didn’t have big greek life, and even though I liked Philly when I visited, DC just blew me away. I’m from a small town and just loved the new setting. Obviously not as important as academic factors, but still. The input here has made all the difference!

8

Penn is definitely the stronger school. It is ranked higher overall and in math. The SAT scores are similar because Penn puts more weight on GPA and ECs.

For top business schools, Penn students are admitted to top schools at a 100% higher rate than Georgetown students. http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/business-school-mba/1224650-top-feeder-colleges-to-americas-elite-b-schools-p1.html

Penn would also provide you with the opportunity to explore engineering, which I do not believe Georgetown has.

Penn has a stronger financial position and endowment which translates into better opportunities for students.

Parchment shows 84% of cross admits attending Penn over Georgetown.

Having said that, you should find the place that is best for you. I am just pointing out that they are not “essentially the same.” Georgetown is a good school, but will not provide the level of opportunities and challenge that Penn can for most students. In the end it depends on what you prefer. In the end none of us ever know what would have happened if we had made a different college decision.