The Most Sought After Majors Globally

The distinguishing factor about this program is that being part of Wharton and Engineering colleges simultaneously not only gives the students ample opportunity to explore hedge funds, boutiques, investment banks and private equity firms but also start-ups, top engineering firms and even research. Graduates after obtaining the dual degree get suitable exposure to entrepreneurship and the business side of tech industries.

Crème la crème of extremely talented students from diverse backgrounds are chosen to make up the freshman class committed to driving innovation and creativity. The program is supported with distinguished faculty and UPenn as well as M&T alumni.  To make the cut to this program, applicants need to show not only exemplary qualities of creativity, initiative, leadership, and teamwork in high school but also a very high academic standard. The students once admitted should be able to cope with a rigorous academic program with courses which might include physics and calculus.

The Jerome Fisher Program in Management & Technology has an Acceptance Rate as low as 2.5-3 percent. Along with completing the Common Application’s Penn Writing Supplement, one needs to complete two additional essays specific to this Program. The hard work to get admitted and completing this program is more than worth it with a plethora of career options one gets to choose from once one graduates.

Management, Entrepreneurship, & Technology (MET) Program at University California Berkeley:

This is a two-degree undergraduate program at the College of Engineering and the Haas School of Business at Berkeley. Graduating from this program is a sure shot for an accelerated career path. This highly competitive program takes in very few applicants and the rest are automatically considered for admissions into the other Berkeley Engineering's BioE, CE, EECS, IEOR, MSE or ME majors.

The numbers are kept minimal so as to allow a close knit cohort and personalised mentoring. The rigorous competition is reflected in the low acceptance rate of less than 3 percent. A whopping 2,500 applications poured in for just 40 seats in the inaugural class!

M.E.T. is listed under College of Engineering and Berkeley-Haas and aspiring candidates need to submit a supplemental essay along with the other application requirements. Sometimes candidates may be requested for an additional video essay as well.

3. Computer Science Major

Even though the Computer Science programs at MIT Berkeley and Stanford are very famous the Computer Science major at Cambridge is no less : It is so famous that the area around Cambridge is called ‘Silicon Fen' and is home to almost 1,000 cutting edge computing and advanced technology companies, along with commercial laboratories. The start-ups around the area not only employ the graduates who pass out from there but also aid the teachers. Extensive work is being done on Chip design, AI and mathematical modelling. 

In keeping with the future technology needs, various aspects of computer science are covered extensively along with theory related to economics, business and law. One can expect to get proficient in different programming languages like OCaml, Java, C/C++, and Prolog. Expertise in chip design using Verilog or other hardware systems is also developed.

It is no wonder that the acceptance rate for new admits is as low as 9.56% for a class of 1500 students. A stiff entry requirement includes A*A*A for A Levels or a score of 40-42 points for IB. The candidate also needs to take the pre-interview Test of Mathematics for University Admission (TMUA).

Similarly Waterloo's Computer Science program is one of Canada's most sought after undergrad programs to get into at par with University of Toronto’s Engineering Science program. Students graduating from this program get placed in some of the world’s biggest companies like Apple, Microsoft and Google. This is the main reason why engineering, math and CS students choose Waterloo. Another attraction to join Computer Science at Waterloo is the co-op program offered here. Waterloo has one of the world’s best Coop programs where the students get work experience while studying.

In general Waterloo’s acceptance rate is approximately 53 percent however, acceptance rate for admission into Waterloo’s most coveted programs like Computer Science, Engineering, Maths and Co-op courses is as low as 4.3 percent. To get admitted into this very competitive course applicants require a minimum of 95 percent plus average.  Tenth and twelfth grade marks, midterms and predictive scores are all considered. Students who have taken the Euclid Math Exam always have a better chance for admissions.

4. Mathematics Major at Imperial College London 

Another very coveted major to get into is the Mathematics degree at Imperial College London. This degree has mathematical courses to topics like mathematics, numerical analysis and statistics. Securing a seat in this program is indeed prestigious with only 18% out of the total number of applicants getting one.

The stiff minimum entry requirements for 2022 is an A*A*A overall with an A* in Mathematics, A* in Further Mathematics and an A in another useful subject. The minimum IB requirement for 2022 entry is 40 points overall, which includes 7 in Mathematics at higher level and 7 in another relevant subject at higher level. The high competition to secure a seat can be seen in the typical offer range for applicants in 2020 which was 42 point for 80 percent of the IB applicants.

To top this entire rigor, applicants have to further go through a Post-application test and interview. This is an online test on logical, reasoning and problem-solving skills. At the end there is also a one to one interview with any one of the faculty.

5. Engineering and Science Majors at NUS

The Engineering and Science programs at National University Singapore are also very coveted and are ranked amongst the top 10 in the 2021 rankings in the world. Graduates from this program gain in-depth knowledge in foundations and fundamentals. They are driven to be proficient in understanding not only the systems as a whole but also the related theory behind this subject. Most graduates FastTrack into a career of specialised professionals or excel in research related to the major.

This four year program drives students to pursue ground breaking work in this field so as to make tangible contributions to the world. This program encourages students to take up a career in pure research too.

So special and niche is this program that students admitted in it are assigned professors as their mentors to accelerate their profile, so as to finally gain admission into the Ph.D. programmes in the world’s top universities, when they graduate. The competitive students need to maintain a minimum CAP of 4.0 throughout their term. This four year Bachelors program is surely very rewarding for technology careers in various industry sectors. Once here, there is no looking back for students who are keen to apply technologies to solve real-world issues.
 

This article was originally published by The Economic Times on 18th October 2021.

The fierce competition for Ivy League admissions causes stress and financial strain. In today's job market, skills, real-world experience, and personal growth outweigh prestigious degrees. Parents should focus on holistic development and alternative pathways to help children build meaningful, succes