This jibes with Brian Caplan’s theory that education is primarily about signalling. You can usually enter lectures (or view them on youtube) for free, unlike movies, or gyms, for example. What you’re paying for is primarily the certificate, not the experience. And secondarily, the contacts, research experience, and references. The certificate doesn’t benefit much from including more classes (possible exception being if it gets you a second major). But the research experience and references do benefit from fewer classes. So doing fewer classes is often a big win. My impression of stats grad school totally matches Dan’s assessment.
This jibes with Brian Caplan’s theory that education is primarily about signalling. You can usually enter lectures (or view them on youtube) for free, unlike movies, or gyms, for example. What you’re paying for is primarily the certificate, not the experience. And secondarily, the contacts, research experience, and references. The certificate doesn’t benefit much from including more classes (possible exception being if it gets you a second major). But the research experience and references do benefit from fewer classes. So doing fewer classes is often a big win. My impression of stats grad school totally matches Dan’s assessment.