Hello, I’m Austin. I am currently a sophomore in high school. I am also currently interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in Astrophysics, but I would prefer to have some assistance in the process, even though I’m still a sophomore.
So, let me explain myself before I present the questions I have for you. I absolutely love science, and I love the cosmos. Just the infinite amount of unexplained mysteries that are associated with the cosmologic universe is astonishing.
I currently hold a 4.0 GPA in my current, standard HS classes. I will also be participating in a dual/concurrent enrollment program at my local uni (Oklahoma State University) my junior and senior year, and I will be self-studying AP math, science, and English. But, the problem that I always run into is the fact that absolutely NOWHERE in Oklahoma has astronomy/astrophysics internships, for HS students. The main reason I worry about it is because I would like to get into a school known for their Physics/Astrophysics programs (such as UC Berkely, Rice University, UT-Austin, etc).
Now my main question is, can I still get into a good school even if I haven’t participated in a tremendous amount of internships, programs, research, etc? Or, does it not matter as long as I show that I’m dedicated to my academic endeavors?
Yes, you really don’t NEED internships/programs/research for most schools. Just ECs that show your interest in astrophysics/STEM. The only places where research experience really becomes “required” is ivy-league schools/ HYPSMC (even at these schools you don’t NEED it, you’re just at a disadvantage if you don’t). While it certainly would help, it is still completely doable without research experience.
You can’t do what you can’t do. Colleges don’t punish you for living somewhere that doesn’t have those opportunties. Do the most with what’s available in your area, as long as it’s of interest to you. Does your school have a science research program? If so, join it and find a mentor who can help you. Good luck!
Even for HYPSM your are disadvantage ONLY if you live in a community or went to a high school that those activities are available but however you decided NOT to take advantage. That being said, in most places you can find ways to show your interest and do things. Might be an online class, a summer program etc. When you start your classes in Oklahoma state see what other opportunities are presented there. Talk to some of the professors, ask for advice. You might get involved in some other type of research. In any case just a focused study of math might be even more important than research. Even in the event that you go to an undergrad college not known for astrophysics nothing will be lost. By working hard on your math and physics courses and doing well on your GRE you can still move on to better programs and achieve your goals.
Why are you self-studying English, math, and science? What do you plan to study at OSU?
Also if you are not wealthy, please be aware that Berkeley and UT will charge you out-of-state tuition and save their financial aid money for in-state students. Here is a list of good schools for future physicists to consider (scroll down to the second set of rankings for physics) https://www.■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■/infographics/top-feeders-phd-programs (This list is per-capita, so small schools that create large numbers of PhDs for their size are favored. Many large state universities also have fine physics programs.)
Summer Science Program is the best known high school research program for Astronomy and Physics. You apply junior year and attend the summer before senior year. There are others as well.
@AroundHere I plan on taking English and Science when participating in the dual program. And no, I do not have money. But, I plan on getting scholarships. If not, I’ll probably go to Uni of OK or OK state, then go to a better school when doing the PhD.
If you are taking English and science in dual enrollment you don’t necessarily need to do AP on top of that.
If you plan on getting scholarships, please realize that most scholarships are tied to a particular school that is giving the money away. You need to focus your list on schools that give good financial aid.
For money based on great grades and test scores, there are some lists created by members of CC to help you get started at these websites:
The smaller, less famous places (like Lawrence and Wooster) on the PhD feeder school list are also known for giving scholarships to their top applicants.
If your family is low income based on the federal financial aid formulas, you can also apply to schools known for giving good need-based aid. First you need to understand if you would even qualify for enough need based aid by running the College Board EFC estimator (google it) then run Net Price Calculators on college websites to see how close your Net Price would be to your EFC.
There are very, very few scholarships that will help you pay for UT or Cal. You would have to win one of the top national scholarship awards which means being one of the top few dozen high school graduates in the US.