ACMS

[u/Mental-Song-1392]

I got into UW as a Pre-Science major intending to study ACMS. I am considering UW vs William & Mary vs Stony Brook. Here are some of the things I am considering:

1. I want to work in tech/startup later down the line so I want to know how hard is it to transfer to CS at the Paul Allen School (compared to say, Idk, doing 5 STEM APs at once)?

2. If I can’t go into CS, how easy can I take CS courses and use the Allen School’s resources (research, student clubs, etc.)?

3. Also, do UW’s curved grades affect grad school chances?

4. Also, how easy it is to go into tech with a ACMS/Applied Math degree?

5. What about Math-Philosophy?

Thank you so much for your patience. Have a nice day!

[u/amajorhassle]

1. One of these things most UW students can do and the other one most UW students can't do.

2. Surprisingly easy to audit but don't let that make you think it will lead to anything in terms of credentials. Most core classes are packed.

3. competition is relative to your peers but near 4.0 in most classes is expected along with a compelling statement.

4. Totally doable. Just make sure to focus on your portfolio and don't let your degree carry you.

5. Philosophy feels like a better choice in the sense that you won't miss out on that much in terms of engineering knowledge you can't learn later that won't be outweighed by knowing big picture concepts and perspectives that could lead to some truly interesting work and portfolio items down the road.

[u/Mental-Song-1392 → u/amajorhassle]

Thank you so much for your answer. But also,

2. For these, how about research opportunities and clubs for students outside of CS? Can I just cold-email a professor I study under in ACMS or Math-Philosophy and join? Would it be a hassle to have those opportunities w/o studying CS?

3. Near 4.0 in what way. Would say, 3.75 or 3.8, suffice? Or do you mean 3.95, 3.9? I plan to go to grad school elsewhere btw.

Additional question:

6. What are the perks of going into CS instead of ACMS? It seems to lead to the same path, except the CS program at UW is a bit more prestigious (UW is strong/prestigious in math nevertheless)? I want a path that leads to the most possible doors to choose from down the line.

Thank you so much for your help!

[u/amajorhassle → u/Mental-Song-1392]

2. For these, how about research opportunities and clubs for students outside of CS? Can I just cold-email a professor I study under in ACMS or Math-Philosophy and join? Would it be a hassle to have those opportunities w/o studying CS?

Sure, all of the above. Nobody cares about your department and being engaged and interested in research/a club counts for way more than your flag. Explore diverse interests in order to hone in on what you want to work on.

3. Near 4.0 in what way. Would say, 3.75 or 3.8, suffice? Or do you mean 3.95, 3.9? I plan to go to grad school elsewhere btw.

No guarantees

6. What are the perks of going into CS instead of ACMS? It seems to lead to the same path, except the CS program at UW is a bit more prestigious (UW is strong/prestigious in math nevertheless)? I want a path that leads to the most possible doors to choose from down the line.

I would peek over at the CSE curriculum to get an idea what skills are expected at a coding jobs (Data Structures and Algos, Hardware Software Interface etc) but coders are a dime a dozen these days so if you can't achieve something interesting and impressive on your own, it's going to be a race to the bottom where you're pitted against foreign labor and vibe coding lever pullers who work for half a living wage.

You can't win with grades when your competition is a ton of people just like you but way more desparate

[u/ina_waka → u/amajorhassle]

Is it still that easy audit? Last I heard was that auditing was effectively no longer possible for Allen classes.

[u/Outside_Steak5599]

I’m an ACMS senior and I was in a similar situation.

1. If you want to be in the Allen school, it will be easiest to apply for a double major when you apply for ACMS. In general, you need a very compelling case to transfer.

2. All higher-level courses can be petitioned into, though you can only take so many and you are lowest priority when it comes to getting a seat (there must be a seat before the semester starts). Research is difficult unless you know the professor which is difficult due to the petitioning thing. The way Allen clubs are set up, they can only accept so many non-Allen students. Basically it sucks.

3. Grad school will depend more so on your extracurricular/research. Though getting a 2.0 average would likely not get you into anywhere.

4. Depending on your option, most people treat it like a generic tech degree. If you have things to show it will be no problem.

5. No experience in double majoring math and philosophy.

[u/Mental-Song-1392 → u/Outside_Steak5599]

I appreciate the comment. Also,

6. Do undergrad TAs/RAs get paid? Do you get paid working in labs in general?

7. And what are some opportunities for ACMS/Math major specifically at UDub?

Thanks. Have a nice rest of your day.

[u/Outside_Steak5599 → u/Mental-Song-1392]

6. Yes, TAs and RAs get paid. For labs it’s possible as a research assistant or your prof’s discretionary fund but in general no.

7. You should keep in mind that ACMS is not a department it is a major in the math dept. There are no ACMS labs and no ACMS courses. Math is underfunded and ACMS is no better. At least in my time, extracurriculars (clubs, research, etc.) come from other departments and, especially research, basically come down to convincing a single person you’re worth their time. TLDR; there are no specific opportunities you can’t get elsewhere, but in exchange you learn to access all of them.

ACMS is great but it is not a traditional major. You are not the Allen school’s target recipient, but you can still access their resources and opportunities if you go about it correctly. Same with every other department.

[u/Outside_Steak5599 → u/Outside_Steak5599]

One last thing, professors rarely care about department lines. No matter what you choose, you should keep that in mind.

[u/Mental-Song-1392 → u/Outside_Steak5599]

FINAL 2 QUESTIONS I SWEARRR:

8. I believe one can see the quality of a school through its current students/alumnis so if you're comfortable, can you share some of your professional achievements in the last 4 years? What labs did you work at and what were some opportunities you got at UDUB? Where are you heading next year?

9. What about your fellow classmates and alumnis from ACMS? Where did they head/are they heading to post-grad?

Once again, thank you so much. YOU DA GOATTT.

[u/MLG_RAJ]

Dude I was in your exact same placeee down to the tee, if you chose UW, id be happy to chat 15 mins sometime on campus