Majors and Extracurriculars

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

Sorry for the long post, if anyone can help out or give suggestions that would be great!

I’m planning on double majoring in Computer Science and Mathematics in college. I know that the computer science programs of several universities are much harder to get into than their other programs, so it’s not easy, if not impossible, for students to transfer to the Computer Science college/program if they were not enrolled in that program from the beginning. That being said, I’m wondering if I should change my extracurricular emphasis:

Math Involvement

  • AIME qualifier, working to make MOP this year
  • Founder of first math club at school
  • Founder and assistant coach of Mathcounts teams
  • Write handouts to help students prepare for AMC 8/10/12
  • Working to make featured math problems on school magazines
  • Going to reach out for math research opportunities
  • Taking Multivariable Calculus, will finish Linear Algebra and Differential Equations by the end of senior year (possibly will divert to number theory and graph theory)

Computer Science Involvement

  • Participated in one Hackathon (3rd place)
  • Tried out USACO, got 100% in Bronze, didn’t have time for Silver
  • Member of Web Design club, will redesign school website
  • Will be President of Web Design club next year
  • Almost done with personal website
  • Took AP Computer Science A in sophomore year

While I’m very passionate about both of these subjects, I plan to do Computer Science as a career, and mathematical research as a hobby. I’m pretty confident in my ability to get into top schools with a math major, but I’m wondering if I could do the same with a computer science major. Is it worth spending the time studying for both the USAMO and USACO? I feel like if I spend the time necessary to make USACO Gold/Platinum, I’d risk losing the opportunity of making MOP. Also, should I try to find computer science classes to take at my community college/online during my senior year, or does that not matter at this point?

P.S. I’m without-a-doubt academically qualified (Valedictorian/Salutatorian, 1540 SAT, 20 essay, 9 APs during college applications). Also, I do have other extracurriculars other than simply math Olympiads, Computing Olympiad, and Hackathons. I’m actively involved in Boy Scouts, and will be an Eagle Scout during college applications, I play piano and make music covers as a stress reliever, I occasionally play chess as a stress reliever, I was involved in the school’s WEB/LINK program, I’ve played in the school’s Volleyball and Dodgeball Intramural every year, and will likely apply for Varsity volleyball this year. I don’t take these as seriously as my interest in math Olympiads and computing Olympiads, but they’re there.

2

I think your extracurricular emphasis is great! Math and computer science go hand in hand, and admissions officers will definitely be able to see your passion for the two subjects. If you are determined to participate in the Mathematical Olympiad Summer Program, I would suggest to focus on USAMO. This way, you can dedicate enough time to the competition. If you would like to take a computer science class, go for it! Just make sure the class doesn’t overload your schedule, especially during senior year. Good luck! :slight_smile:

3

@followyourdream Ok, I’ll probably audit a computer science course on edX or somewhere else online over the summer or during my senior year. I don’t think I’ll have time to squeeze a comp sci course into my already busy schedule.

Also, how big of an impact would making MOP have on a computer science major? I feel like I should start to put more emphasis on USACO, and ideally make USACO Platinum AND qualify for MOP. I’m thinking about doing USAMO prep during the afternoon and spending an hour or two every night working on USACO training problems. It seems achievable. But how necessary would it be?

4

Well, I think it all depends on your schedule. Based on your high academic qualifications, it looks like you can definitely focus more on your extracurriculars. However, working towards two competitions seems like a large commitment, especially on top of homework and your other activities. Based on your posts, it seems like you are already very committed to qualifying for MOP. Even though it is not entirely related to computer science, I’m sure any college that offers a computer science major would be very happy to have someone who qualified for MOP. I hope that helps! :slight_smile: