So somehow I was accepted RD to Stanford (still trying to figure out how lol).
Looking over their majors their management science and engineering program seemed ideal for me as someone who is interested in finance and technology (I applied to Penn’s Jerome Fisher ED but was deferred). So I was just wondering whether anyone here who currently goes to Stanford or has experience with this program could talk about the quality of the courses and teaching compared to other engineering majors and compsci majors at Stanford. Is it more of a laid back engineering major or are the students in it just as driven as the other, I’m guessing more popular, majors. How does it compare to say Penn’s program or Princeton’s ORFE? Also Internships/job placements as these matter to me a lot too.
I wouldn’t consider it a laidback engineering program. I see that you are required to take a heavy load of math and science at 44 credits (one year) but in order to start your math levels, you would probably be required to have a 5 on AP Calculus BC to start the series at the level given or take those prerequisites.
You are taking another 40+ credits in engineering.
You are taking another 27 credits in engineering depth.
So at 110 credits, you are covering a lot. In addition you will be required to take classes to cover whatever the current core requirements are at Stanford (they keep changing it and so it is hard to keep up).
If I have a complaint about Stanford engineering, it is that they cram so much into each major as requirements that you don’t have much flexibility to explore various departments and are forced to commit to engineering in the first quarter in order to finish everything needed.
Thanks for the reply! I have quite a few AP credits so hopefully that makes things a bit easier in terms of flexibility.
I would really love to coterm in Stanford’s Financial Math program, even though I know it is very very difficult, so would MS&E be the best undergrad option to prepare myself for that?
I don’t believe you can fulfill credit requirements usually with AP credits. The Math starting class listed requires you to have the AP or take more prerequisite classes. So what I am saying is that if you don’t already meet it, you will be forced to take those classes first instead of starting with CME100 or Math 51 in your first quarter.
Many of the students change their mind and major by the time they start second year. I think looking into a coterm 4 years down the road - too much planning.
Stanford’s MS&E is similar to Princeton’s ORFE, in terms of courses offered. I compared course by course once. No so sure about Penn’s. My son had a major in MS&E (doubled up with another one). In terms of internships, he did not have a good time during his freshman and sophomore years compared with his CS major friends. There was a great temptation to allure him to CS, but he stayed with MS&E.
This may not common – he went to work for Google after graduation and now working at Google and studying MBA(@GSB) and MS-CS at Stanford, full time.
It is all about fit, and how well you can survive. If you can, the sky is the limit.