Which school should I choose for a career in mathematics and actuarial science?

[joey674]

Hello Everyone,

I just received an acceptance letter into California State University Fullerton. My dream is to be doing research in Pure Mathematics, but my goal is to be an Actuary. Fullerton is one of the only places with an Actuarial Science concentration in their Math Degree Program. I also applied to UC Berkley and plan applying to Stanford as well. My question is what school should I pick assuming I get into Berkley or Stanford?

 

[Dr. Courtney]

Tough call. Without any additional info, I'd say pick the one where you can graduate debt free.

 

[Choppy]

I'm not sure I understand the question.

To me it reads:
"I was just accepted to a school that has the program that I really want to get into. I also may have the option of attending two other schools. Which one should I pick?"
This seems like a no-brainer to me.

However, my guess is that those other schools have bigger names or some kind of a higher ranking and you're wondering how that should weigh in your decision. The answer to that lies in how well that particular ranking system correlates with factors that are imporant to you.

 

[IGU]

I just received an acceptance letter into California State University Fullerton.

Congratulations!

My dream is to be doing research in Pure Mathematics, but my goal is to be an Actuary. Fullerton is one of the only places with an Actuarial Science concentration in their Math Degree Program. I also applied to UC Berkley and plan applying to Stanford as well. My question is what school should I pick assuming I get into Berkley or Stanford?

You should look at their web pages and compare course selection at the schools you get into. You should compare faculty. You should visit the schools and talk to people. Only you know what will appeal to you most. If your dream is to be a research mathematician then you should be aware that a degree from Berkeley or Stanford is much more likely to get you there than one from any Cal State school. On the other hand, being an actuary is rather far removed from your stated dream, so I'm guessing that in reality you don't know much about what either one would be like. Might be best to keep your options open while you figure out what you really want.