NPComplete
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- Joined
- Apr 15, 2020
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I got dual degrees in Computer Science and Computational Biology, and I graduated with high honors with roughly a 3.95. I had no coding knowledge before undergrad, so it is possible to do well. I knew the entire time that I would not catch much of a GPA break for my college major, and it was incredibly difficult and stressful for me. I didn't do CS as a back-up plan. I did it because I was interested, and I was pretty pessimistic about my academic fulfillment on only studying biology or some common pre-med major. Now, I have absolutely 0 regrets on my choice of college major, despite it being living hell for a while.
When considering just the major alone, the opportunity cost of the increased course load and rigor meant that a lot of potential shadowing, EC's, and volunteering hours were gone. My weekends were consumed by group projects and problem sets, because I prioritized my coursework.
But, having an uncommon major also typically provides you with a unique skill set. You are usually able to pursue a unique research topic for one. I could do bioinformatics, straight math/CS work, or some other computational science. You are also able to get different paid work experiences by doing engineering/math, and you don't have to default to doing scribe/EMT work.
I know a mechanical engineering major who liked 3D printing, and he decided to start printing prosthetics and donating them to villages in developing countries. I have another friend who does 'CS for Social Good.' She's passionate about leveraging computer science and mobile apps to highlight/address LGBTQ+ health disparities. I think these activities are incredibly impactful; they provide great fulfillment and impact to my classmates but also benefit the community at large. Now, they aren't premed, but wouldn't you agree that this on a med school application would be fantastic for a premed to have? Their majors complement these activities well, and while it isn't a requirement for them to do engineering/CS to pursue these causes, it's definitely a lot more doable if they pursue these majors.
Simply put, you have more options and ways to leverage what you're learning. So, yes, major alone probably won't add a lot to your application, but it may be able to provide you with a skill set that is valuable and unique that will easily add value to your application (but more importantly, the community at large). It's not the major. It's what you do with it.
Edit: Grammar
When considering just the major alone, the opportunity cost of the increased course load and rigor meant that a lot of potential shadowing, EC's, and volunteering hours were gone. My weekends were consumed by group projects and problem sets, because I prioritized my coursework.
But, having an uncommon major also typically provides you with a unique skill set. You are usually able to pursue a unique research topic for one. I could do bioinformatics, straight math/CS work, or some other computational science. You are also able to get different paid work experiences by doing engineering/math, and you don't have to default to doing scribe/EMT work.
I know a mechanical engineering major who liked 3D printing, and he decided to start printing prosthetics and donating them to villages in developing countries. I have another friend who does 'CS for Social Good.' She's passionate about leveraging computer science and mobile apps to highlight/address LGBTQ+ health disparities. I think these activities are incredibly impactful; they provide great fulfillment and impact to my classmates but also benefit the community at large. Now, they aren't premed, but wouldn't you agree that this on a med school application would be fantastic for a premed to have? Their majors complement these activities well, and while it isn't a requirement for them to do engineering/CS to pursue these causes, it's definitely a lot more doable if they pursue these majors.
Simply put, you have more options and ways to leverage what you're learning. So, yes, major alone probably won't add a lot to your application, but it may be able to provide you with a skill set that is valuable and unique that will easily add value to your application (but more importantly, the community at large). It's not the major. It's what you do with it.
Edit: Grammar
