<p>Is math a field where you would need to go to the best schools to get the most oppurtunities or going to any school will get you the same oppurtunities.</p>
<p>Im wondering because im having trouble between UChicago and OSU. I would much rather go to OSU due to cost and grad school but if prestige matters then my desicion may change.</p>
<p>And ,if math oppurtunities do depend on prestige, how important is it.</p>
<p>Prestige matters, but whether or not it matters enough to offset the coast differential depends entirely on you.</p>
<p>If you can somehow manage, go to the U of C. The math faculty is excellent and the curriculum is extremely rigorous. Most math majors that do decently well end up in the top math PhD programs. If you want more info go on the U of C board and talk to Phuriku.</p>
<p>Thanks for randomly referring to me in random parts of the forum, beefs.</p>
<p>If you went to OSU, it's possible to get into the best graduate schools (if that's what you're referring to by 'opportunities'), although it would be very difficult. I vaguely recall someone who took pretty much every graduate course that UCSD had to offer, did a whole lot of research, and ended up at Stanford. If you went to OSU, started taking graduate courses right away, and found a mentor who would be willing to monitor your research, then you'd have a decent shot at the top universities. Otherwise, it would be terribly difficult. Honestly, though, you probably would not have the best opportunities for real mathematics research if you went to OSU, either.</p>
<p>If you went to Chicago, it would still be tough to get into the top graduate schools, as mathematics is a very competitive field. I know many Chicago undergrads who ended up at places like MIT for graduate school. Chicago has great placement into graduate school because our research opportunities are, IMHO, the best in the nation. (I'm doing REU this summer as a freshman, and I'm not a rare case.) Regardless, if you're not a great student of mathematics, you're not going to get into a top graduate school regardless of where you go. Keep this in mind.</p>
<p>You got it Phuriku. ;-)</p>
<p>Paul Cohen, Fields Medal 1966, bachelors degree from Brooklyn College.
Stephen Smale, Fields Medal 1966, bachelors degree from the University of Michigan.
Charles Fefferman, Fields Medal in 1978, bachelors degree from the University of Maryland.
William Thurston, Fields Medal in 1982, bachelors degree from New College of Florida.
Edward Witten, Fields medal 1990, bachelors degree from Brandeis University.</p>
<p>Referencing Fields prize winner doesn't help much. Like I said, if you're a good enough mathematician and take all of the opportunities given to you, you can make it into a top graduate school. Obviously, any Fields prize winner would have the potential to do so. That doesn't mean that Brooklyn College will give you the same opportunities as Harvard, or that New College of Florida will give you the same opportunities as Princeton.</p>
<p>And on that point, it's amazing that Smale got into Michigan with the grades he did. Modern times are different. You pretty much have to be perfect to get accepted into any top graduate school. It's a bit unfortunately, actually, since a lot of people have amazing mathematical potential who don't necessarily do well in school.</p>
<p>"That doesn't mean that Brooklyn College will give you the same opportunities as Harvard, or that New College of Florida will give you the same opportunities as Princeton."</p>
<p>The point of listing some Fields Medal winners is to illustrate that one need not attend a "famous" school to be successful in the field of mathematics. I agree with your assertion that no two schools give a student identical opportunities and would further suggest that for many students, Brooklyn College and New College of Florida may offer more/better opportunities than Harvard and Princeton.</p>