<p>My D is interested in pursuing Math at Princeton. Can you help answering the following questions? Greatly appreciated:</p>
<p>1) Princeton Math is known to be extremely rigorous, with lots of Fields Medal and Wolfe Price in Math winners. As hard working student who has a real passion on Math nevertheless not a genius, can he/she do well in Princeton's undergraduate Math?
2) Is it possible or common to double major or minor in other subjects such as Computer Science, OR, Financial Engineering, Econ, or Management Science?
3) How would you compare the undergraduate Math program at Princeton, MIT, or Stanford?
4) Where do Princeton Math majors go after graduation? For ones interested in pursuing graduate study, which other schools do they end up at?</p>
<p>Thx in advance for your help.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Yes. It’s hard, but certainly not everyone who does well is a genius. </p></li>
<li><p>You can’t double major at Princeton. But getting a certificate (essentially a minor) in areas like that is very common.</p></li>
<li><p>Afraid I’m not really sure since I don’t have any experience with MIT/Stanford. The only thing I can say is that Princeton is pretty undergrad focused. I don’t know if this is actually a concrete difference between MIT/Stanford/Princeton but I’ve certainly found that undergrads get a lot of attention in the department. </p></li>
<li><p>A lot go to grad school just about everywhere. No places in particular, it’s really spread out. Some others work in computer science, finance, and miscellaneous other things</p></li>
</ol>
<p>A couple thoughts:
- I believe there is some latitude as to how quickly you get into advanced course work as a math major. All of the STEM coursework is rigorous at Princeton, and to do well you really need to work a lot of extra problem sets. The great thing about Princeton is the collaborative attitude of the undergrads and the endless amount of academic support available through professor office hours, TA’s who are available at the McGraw center, tutoring upon request, and preceptors who are quite willing to answer questions. </p>
<p>2) It is not possible to double major at Princeton or to minor in a subject. The language they use is slightly different in that a major is called an area of concentration and because of the senior thesis requirement, only one area of concentration may be declared. A student may also pursue a certificate which would be similar to a minor. It involves an application process and significant extra course work but is not required to be related to the area of concentration. For example my son is a BSE student considering a certificate in French. </p>
<p>Sorry I can’t answer #3 or 4.</p>
<p>Oops! Sorry Princeton2014 for the duplication in response! =)</p>
<p>Princeton has some interesting features for women interested in mathematics and has attracted many very talented young women. In 2001 Ana Caraiani '07 was the first girl to make Romania’s countrys Mathematical Olympiad team in 25 years and she was a two- time Romanian International Olympiad gold medalist. Ana was named a Putnam Fellow in 2003 and 2004 in both her freshman and sophomore years, and is the only woman ever to have done so. In 2007 Ana won the Alice T. Schafer Prize [this prize is awarded to the nation’s top female undergrad in math by the Association for Women in Mathematics] for excellence in mathematics. Tamara Broderick '07 came in second and won a Marshall Scholarship to study math at Cambridge University. Brodericks senior thesis was equal parts math, neuroscience, physics and computer science. She previously won a Goldwater Scholarship for her work in mathematics and physics and has spent past summers researching dark energy and gravitational lensing. In the previous year two Princeton roommates, Alexandra Ovetsky '06 and Allison Bishop '06 came in first and second for the Alice T. Schafer Prize. Both Ovetsky and Bishop won Goldwater Scholarships. Bishop also won a Marshall scholarship to study mathematics at Cambridge. In 1998 Melanie Wood *09, a cheerleader, student newspaper editor was the first women to make the US Mathematics Olympiad team; (silver medals in the 1998 and 1999) and was named a Putnam Fellow in 2002. Lillian Pierce 02 *09 returned to Princeton for her PhD after attending Oxford for two years as a Rhodes scholar. </p>
<p>For a history of the Princeton math department see: [Princeton</a> Alumni Weekly: Princeton & Mathematics: A Notable Record](<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/~mudd/finding_aids/mathoral/pmcxpaw.htm]Princeton”>http://www.princeton.edu/~mudd/finding_aids/mathoral/pmcxpaw.htm) For a perspective on the future of the math department see: [Princeton</a> University - Alice Chang: Perspective on the future of Princeton mathematics](<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S33/06/35O27/]Princeton”>Alice Chang: Perspective on the future of Princeton mathematics) </p>
<p>Your daughter could work for a certificates in Applications of Computing, Finance, Applied and Computational Mathematics, and the Program In Technology And Society. For a complete of certificates see: [Princeton</a> University - Undergraduate Certificate Programs](<a href=“http://www.princeton.edu/main/academics/departments/certificate/]Princeton”>Areas of Study | Princeton University) She could take courses in Operations Research Financial Engineering and Economics. The Keller Center for Innovation in Engineering Education offers courses and support for entrepreneurship. Business courses such as Marketing and Production are not offered at Princeton.</p>
<p>Princeton and the Institute for Advanced Study sponsor an outstanding program to encourage women to concentrate in math. See: [Women</a> and Mathematics | IAS School of Mathematics](<a href=“http://www.math.ias.edu/womensprogram]Women”>http://www.math.ias.edu/womensprogram) Elon Lindenstrauss, winner of the 2010 Field Prize said, I have spent many years in Princeton at various stages of my career, and think that the combination of the Department of Mathematics at Princeton University and the School of Mathematics at the IAS (Institute for Advanced Study) in close proximity makes it a wonderful place to do mathematics – possibly the best place there is." </p>
<p>Princeton has programs in the humanities and creative writing that MIT does not offer. Students can easily travel to NYC to visit museums, Broadway plays, attend the opera or ballet. NYC offers many cultural activities not as available at Stanford.</p>
<p>Thank you very much for your responses - Princeton2014, Cantiger, and PtonAlumnus. Truly appreciated.</p>