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Long Him Lui (guest writer) With STEM careers increasing in popularity as we enter the new decade, many students may choose to pursue a science-related major in university. Majors from mechanical engineering to biochemistry provide a vast range of topics to choose from. However, there is one overarching major offered by universities that links all the science majors together, even having applications in the human sciences. Conveniently, it is also present in the STEM acronym, but is often forgotten. That subject is mathematics, and today, I will be explaining why I believe that mathematics is one of the most underrated university majors out there. As someone who has gone through the university application process and is planning to study mathematics in university this upcoming September, I hope to share the advantages and disadvantages of pursuing a mathematics degree as well as tips for the application process.
Upon telling people about my desire to pursue mathematics as my undergraduate degree, two FAQs were:
The job opportunities that a mathematics degree can offer are endless. A common misconception is that mathematics majors mostly go into higher education, eventually teaching in educational institutes like universities, but in fact, it is quite the opposite. Most mathematics majors choose to work in other industries, such as finance, biotechnology, and software development to name a few. This is because mathematics is an extremely broad and flexible subject that can be easily applied in other areas of knowledge. Of course, there are parts of pure mathematics such as number theory which are limited to mathematics itself, but there are many fields that stretch into other subjects. Many university courses often have a compulsory mathematics course for their specific subject. For example:
However, a huge disadvantage applying as a mathematics major is that it is one of the hardest majors, due to the starting benchmark being very high. You need to demonstrate underlying mathematical ability to apply for the major. Unlike majors such as architecture and engineering, mathematics is a subject that is taught from a very young age, so universities expect maths applicants to have a very solid foundation in the subject. The top schools in the UK require applicants to take aptitude tests (MAT or STEP) to determine that the applicant’s level of mathematics meets their standard. This may come before their offer (such as the MAT for Oxford and Imperial), or as part of the offer (STEP). Unlike aptitude tests for other subjects (such as ENGAA for engineering), which state that the grade obtained on the test does not greatly affect whether an interview or offer is given, the results of the mathematics aptitude tests play a huge role in the university offer. In addition, the mathematics aptitude tests are rated as the hardest out of all the UK university aptitude tests. Therefore, if you are a mathematics major applying to the UK, it would be a great idea to start practicing some aptitude test problems and mathematics interview questions during the summer leading into your final/senior year. For some of the top universities in the UK, the typical offers for mathematics are:
The application process for a mathematics major is another aspect that makes the major difficult. Unlike other majors, it is hard to find internships that are solely mathematics focused. This is because such roles require further education, which are better suited for bachelor/master/PhD students. Therefore, the best approach would be to bolster school-related mathematics projects to complete your CV. Apart from getting the top grades for the exam board you are doing, creating some mathematics coursework (such as the EE for IBDP students) would serve as a very good topic for your personal statement. Maximizing success at mathematics competitions and Olympiads would act as verification for your mathematical abilities. Mention any mathematics tutoring, coaching, or mathematics-related summer camps you have done. All these things add up to complete a very well-rounded mathematics CV. However, the most important thing is to show your passion towards the subject, and this goes for any university major. Show your love for mathematics by mentioning an interesting proof that you came across in your further reading in your personal statement. With all of the above, along with good aptitude test scores, you should be able to secure an offer or interview spot, where the next step would be to show your passion and skills in the interview. I hope this article provided a useful guide to mathematics at university. Let me know in the comments if you would like to learn more about how to prepare for specific aspects for the application process, such as STEP/MAT or interview preparation!
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