<p>I just got accepted to the University of Pennsylvania and I plan on majoring in either mathematics or statistics. I really like math and I am pretty good at it (800 on my math level 2 SAT subject test and a 5 on my AP calc exam), but I don't think I would like doing proofs and stuff like that. I like pure math, but I am also interested in applied/practical mathematics. Is becoming a math major as hard as people say it is? And is majoring in statistics any easier and/or more practical?</p>
<p>Most people think that calculus is hard and you liked it enough to consider majoring in math, so that’s a good sign! </p>
<p>Which school have you been admitted to? If you’re in CAS, the obvious approach would be a math major with a couple electives in statistics or applied math. (There is no statistics major in CAS.) If you’re in Wharton, you probably want to follow the Wharton curriculum for a statistics concentration. If you’re in engineering, you can do quite a bit of applied math in electrical or systems engineering. </p>
<p>P.S. If you don’t have any friends in math at Penn yet, shoot me a PM when the course schedules for next fall get published before you pick your classes. I’d be happy to help you choose an instructor for your first math class.</p>
<p>I actually took two higher level math classes this semester (physics major/math minor at Penn). They were both proof based but one was a lot more computational that the other. There is some flexibility in the major requirements for math so you could choose to focus on a more computational area, but you will still need to take a year of analysis and abstract algebra which are usually very proof heavy.</p>
<p>Thanks b@r!um. I got accepted into the College of Arts and Sciences, but I am thinking about either minoring in statistics or possibly transferring to Wharton in order to major in it.</p>
<ol>
<li>Double major in applied math or math and statistics</li>
<li>Get internships</li>
<li>???</li>
<li>Profit!</li>
</ol>
<p>The statistics education you would get from the math department in CAS would have a very different flavor from the statistics education you would get from Wharton. Are you a scholar who wants to understand statistics, or are you a businessman who wants to use statistics? Let the answer to that question guide your decision.</p>
<p>See my reply in the “Other majors” thread. But b@r!um always has insightful comments as well. I’ll also mention this bit of wisdom: it’s usually easier to train a mathematician to do statistics than a statistician to do math. However, some mathematicians are hopeless causes.</p>
<p>All…and mean ALL math or stats or physics major should keep computer/computational knowledge in their “back pocket” just for a backup plan. While it is nice to know theory and be an expert in some non-computational/software areas…at the end of the day, ACME Mortgage, ACME Auto Financing, ACME Private School needs to be paid.</p>
<p>Thanks everybody for your advice!</p>