Will math major be a hook?

<p>I put math as my most likely major… would that be a hook for schools like H?</p>

<p>well, you have to be really good at math. Did you do USAMO or anything like that?</p>

<p>Someone I "know" online elsewhere in cyberspace has suggested that pure math might be a hook at Princeton, but I haven't heard that officially from Princeton. The suggestion is that most math-able kids who apply there desire engineering degrees rather than pure math degrees, and thus math majors are sought after. </p>

<p>But I doubt that the same thing is true for Harvard. There are a lot of aspiring pure math majors who set their sights on Harvard pretty early. There is probably plenty of demand in the applicant pool for as large a group of math concentrators as Harvard might want to gather--but I haven't heard that officially from Harvard either. </p>

<p>To have a math hook at Harvard, or at Princeton, really, you have to be at a very high level of math. Some kids get there by taking accelerated programs in math at math magnet programs. Some kids get there by participating in the AMC contests and eventually math olympiads. Some kids get there by some amazing combination of self-study and home study with a parent who is a math professor or math circle discussion with a non-parent math mentor. The level of math ability I'm talking about here is NOT the level one reaches just by taking the usual high school courses at the usual high school pace and getting an 800 on the SAT II Math IIC exam by junior year. People at that more commonplace level DO get admitted to all of the top schools, but they don't have a math hook. People who have a math hook for the top schools have an IMO gold medal, or a national-prize-winning research project in math, or "one of the best I've seen in my career" recommendation letters from math professors at other schools, or something like that. </p>

<p>Have you already applied? Anyone who has a dream of attending a famous school should apply, but for kids who have time to prepare, do your best to establish a record before you apply. Some people get in without particular hooks, but hooks to the most desired schools mostly take time to build. </p>

<p>Good luck in your applications. If your screenname is Princetonwannabe, just how badly do you desire to go to Harvard?</p>

<p>No major will ever be a hook.</p>

<p>lol not unless you actually do something amazing in math. just saying you want to study math is useless - harvard gets the top math kids anyway :)</p>

<p>Then your major wouldn't be the hook, your accomplishments would be.</p>

<p>asterstar,
nope, im canadian, i took amc 12. 120. </p>

<p>tokenadult,
thx. that was very informative.. and ya.. not as much as i want to go to princeton :p and ive already applied. but i was just wondering.. since i put math as a desired major.</p>