Did this man flunk at Harvard?

by sambarvada Sun Jun 12, 2011 8:08 pm

IP: Were you a math major in college?

MS: Yes, but I wasn't a very serious student in college. I had actually gone to Harvard for my first year, but I didn't like it there, so I went to Pomona. After Pomona, I went to graduate school in Wisconsin. That's where I really started to enjoy mathematics a lot. It began in a Moore method topology class. R.H. Bing was at Wisconsin, though he was not my teacher in any class. But one of his students, Russ McMillan, taught my introduction to topology class. He would pose questions, and we would go home and prove them on our own and then present our work to the class. To me, it was just like a treasure trove of puzzles—infinitely many, wonderful, delectable puzzles. I flourished in that setting.

http://www.maa.org/news/033109starint.html

by Marathadi-Saamiyaar Sun Jun 12, 2011 8:20 pm

sambarvada wrote:IP: Were you a math major in college?

MS: Yes, but I wasn't a very serious student in college. I had actually gone to Harvard for my first year, but I didn't like it there, so I went to Pomona. After Pomona, I went to graduate school in Wisconsin.

http://www.maa.org/news/033109starint.html

Not necessarily. Harvard and many of the "top" univ are really top only in graduate programs. They admit students at a ratio of 1 to 10 and let this group of hard-working, motivated students to develop on their own under an excellent environment (aided by multi-billion $ endowment). naturally, that env is NOT for not-so-serious students. Those colleges are basically Nerd Leagues.

Pomona is NOT an ordinary college. It can be called an "Elite State" 4-yr college. Cal Poly @ Pomona and San Luis Obispo, Harvey Mudd, Lafayette, Swarthmore, etc. are really TOP 4-yr colleges, whose graduates are sought after by graduate programs everywhere.

Here is something I heard: The undergraduates from the IVY leagues have a tough time getting good references for further professional/graduate studies. Reason being most UG classes are not taught by big profs, who know very little about students to write letters. Know a couple of frustrated MIT grads who could not find 3 people to write letters for them. Other than a 8 x 10 diploma not everything has to be great.

Did this man flunk at Harvard?

Did this man flunk at Harvard?

Re: Did this man flunk at Harvard?