<p>is Princeton most famous for? I know most graduates come out successful in whatever they choose to pursue, but which major has the highest success rate?
Which major(s) is the most popular at Princeton?</p>
<p>The two are very different questions.</p>
<p>Princeton is famous for (among many many others):
Math
Physics
Economics
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs
Computer Science
Humanities stuffs (that I am not knowledgeable about)</p>
<p>Popular majors (by department size, basically)
History
English
Politics
Economics
Notice how these are basically the most popular majors at every institution.</p>
<p>And the Wilson School would be even more popular if it didn’t limit the number of people in the department. It’s definitely the most popular major for freshman, though - and remains so until people are rejected in Sophomore Spring.</p>
<p>Depends on your definition of popularity. If you’re referring to the actual number of WWS majors, then you’re probably right, we’d get more WWS majors without a limit. But if you’re referring to the number of people who want to be WWS majors, then I’m not so sure. The limit gives WWS an exclusivity that definitely attracts more people than it otherwise would.</p>
<p>Although a few years old the following makes interesting reading
<a href=“Ingrid Daubechies' homepage”>Ingrid Daubechies' homepage;
<p>Perhaps someone can tell us what has happened over the last few years.
Princeton is of course very famous for Mathematics and it attracts a
few off the chart students. Other students really cannot compete with these
students and many talented students who would have perhaps majored in
mathematics at other schools might quit math at Princeton after seeing this
competition. This is my assumption and I would be pleased if I am wrong.</p>
<p>I have often said that if you are good at math and think that you want to major in
it do not go to Princeton or Harvard. Go somewhere where you can develop your talents and will not be put off. I am wondering whether this is incorrect. Of course if you are
a math olympiad gold medalist then Princeton would probably be wonderful.</p>
<p>Am I wrong? I hope so.</p>
<p>I mean… why can’t the same be said about every single other department at Princeton (and other equally competitive schools).</p>
<p>It is always the case that the vast majority of people who enter Princeton find that the academics are more than they are used to, and most people won’t be at the very top (by definition, really). That shouldn’t dissuade them from majoring in what they are best at and want to study.</p>
<p>There are really amazing writers, scientists, cultural studiers and engineers that put everyone else in the department to shame. Yet there are still many people in those other departments, doing perfectly well but not superamazingly like the people at the top. I see no reason why the Math department should be any different. You don’t have to be the best mathematician just to be in the Math department…</p>
<p>Incidentally the Math department has definitely been growing. I think there are 40+ kids who signed in as sophomores (my year). Even given inevitable attrition, there will still be quite a few.</p>
<p>To add one more point: I am good friends with some of the off the chart students in mathematics for my year (and consequently know of most of them by at most 1 degree of separation). Basically, the off the chart kids take classes at higher levels than the rest of the math kids their year (the “regular” math majors). For example, most of them won’t bother taking the 215-217-218 sequence and skip directly to 300, 400 level electives. While hearing about this sort of thing may instill some inferiority complex in a few of the other kids here and there, they will most often not even be in the same classes so their performance won’t negatively impact the rest of the majors (through competition for grades, or whatever). And there’s not a question of resources, either, as the Princeton math department is small enough student-wise for plenty of faculty attention for each of them.</p>
<p>newest newb- Agreed. I guess that I meant to ask whether the math department
was also serving well the very strong but not brilliant student. The pdf file that I posted
showed that they were certainly concerned why so few were majoring in mathematics
and they had plans to make some changes. It sounds like there has been an increase in interest which I think is great.</p>