Waterloo Math Co-op vs UBC Science for Grad School application.
I’m trying to decide between Waterloo Math Co-op and UBC Science, and honestly I’m kind of stuck.
My long-term goal is to get into a strong graduate program in Statistics, Operations Research, Applied Math, or something close to that. I’m not mainly thinking about co-op or getting a job right after undergrad. What I care about most is building a strong profile for grad school applications: GPA, research, advanced courses, and good letters.
Here are some of my thoughts about these two options:
UBC Science
Pros:
- I may have a better chance of keeping a high GPA, which is crucial for grad school applications.
- The environment might be less stressful.
- A strong GPA would be very important for PhD applications.
- UBC still has a solid math/statistics/probability department.
- It may be easier to take CS courses.
Cons:
- It may be harder to get overrides for upper-year math/stat courses early.
- Some of the serious upper-year courses might have to wait until later years.
- I’m worried the course depth may not be as strong as Waterloo, especially for optimization and advanced statistics.
- Since I’m entering Science, I may also need to spend some time on science breadth requirements instead of focusing almost entirely on math/stat.
Waterloo Math Co-op
Pros:
- The course selection looks extremely strong.
- There are many options in pure math, statistics, optimization, and C&O.
- It seems easier to get overrides for upper-year or graduate courses.
- The math/stat/optimization environment seems very strong and serious.
Cons:
- My biggest fear is GPA.
- I’ve heard Waterloo Math can be very intense and the grading can be brutal.
- If my GPA ends up bad, then honestly I probably shouldn’t even think about grad school.
- The stress level may be much higher.
- I don’t know if the extra course flexibility is worth the GPA risk.
- Lots of CS courses are restricted to CS majors.
For someone who really wants to get into a solid graduate program in Statistics, Operations Research, or Applied Math, which path would you choose?
I would really appreciate any advice. It would really help me make my decision.