This is my first time posting on CC after 4 years of snooping through the threads. Common story, I know. I was admitted early action into Yale, and will be attending in the fall. At first, I thought I was certain about my plans. I planned to follow take the pre-med courses through either the MCDB or MB&B major, possibly even Neuroscience. I still have these notions, but was introduced to the idea of Directed Studies the other day, which really caught me eye. I have always had a love for literature, thought, and analysis, and feel Directed Studies would be a fantastic journey for me my freshman year. I was also recently made aware of the fact the Yale has tracks in the MCDB and MB&B majors that allow undergrads to graduate with a M.S. as well as a BS. With all this being said, I have a few questions for those who attend, or have attended Yale, or simply anyone who knows more than I do on this topic!
- In what ways will doing DS limit my opportunities in a MCDB major, as far as research opportunities, or anything else?
- What are the advantages of doing the BS/MS track, what is it like, and how manageable is it? Particularly, could I do DS and pursue this track, or would that be too much? Does the BS/MS track give opportunities for learning in the grad and med school that I wouldn’t have otherwise as an undergraduate?
- I would appreciate any other thoughts, such as a suggestion for first year courses, with DS or without.
Thank you! I apologize for the long post. Also, anyone else going to Bulldog Days, PM me! I’m so excited to be a member of the class of 2022! It truly is a dream come true.
Congratulations on your admission to Yale. I am sure that those who are more versed in STEM majors at Yale will pipe in. But since you are going to BullDog Days, I would suggest that you try to seek out students and professors in these areas and ask them directly. Maybe one of the parents on this site who have students there now can facilitate a meet up with one of them over the weekend. You may want to post your question in the Yale Parents Forum for a quicker response.
Good luck and welcome to the Yale family.
I just posted it on the Yale Parents thread. Thank you for the response TPerry! I definitely plan to use Bulldog Days to the best of my ability, and hope I can find some clarification there.
DS had an entirely different STEM track, so I can’t really add much, but he did find that getting a combined MS/BS (in CS, as it happens) was very manageable. I think he would have had as much access to graduate courses regardless. It will curtail the number of electives you can take. His particular interest is in theoretical CS, and he would have taken the additional grad courses anyway.
It has worked out well for him. He is not currently pursuing a PhD (or professional school).
If you know how to do “reading list triage,” Directed Studies might be okay for you. That said, IMO, YMMV, I can’t imagine doing Directed Studies while on a STEM track, and especially if you’re thinking of an MS/BS.
My suggestion for first-year courses would be to not be a kid trying to drink from a firehose. Our son wishes that he had given more time to social life in his first semester, but the excitement of the available courses intoxicated him.
Congratulations!
Thank you Ixnay! I will definitely keep your suggestion in mind.