<p>i have a 3.36 GPA and so far ive only taken the ACT, and got a 32.
Im looking for a private univeristy in new england somewhere.
I really want to the university to offer physics AND astronomy, or astrophysics. Also, i want a more urban setting.
the problem is, the only colleges that offer either option are the really prestigious ones, like MIT and Carnegie Mellon.
And i don't think i can get into those given my GPA. </p>
<p>what should i do? i really want to major in astronomy as well as physics, and i know you dont necessarily have to, but i really want to. </p>
<p>there are many other schools that offer astronmoy, but they arent in new england.</p>
<p>and i wanna go to new england, lol.</p>
<p>im being stubborn, but this is my college choice. i will be going here for at least one year (i might transfer of course.)</p>
<p>blanca23 -- please keep in mind that students change their mind about specific majors more often than not... if you make your college choice strictly on the convergence of New England, Astronomy, and Physics, and this convergences of criteria forces a compromise in quality of college, you are risking disappointment when one or more of the three criteria turns out not actually to be to your liking. </p>
<p>It's not that you're being stubborn, it is that you're being too narrow.</p>
<p>81 schools listed for astronomy/astrophysics in the US news and World Report- ULTIMATE COLLEGE GUIDE 2008. (Huge book that has lists of majors and schools in each along with lots of other useful information.) Get it at your library or purchase it at Borders or online. </p>
<p>You may be limited by GPA (great ACT!!) and may not find a good urban, east coast fit. Don't be discouraged. Lots of great schools you may like once you check them out.
Good luck.</p>
<p>OneMom has a good idea: here is Wellesley's astronomy website: Wellesley</a> College Astronomy - Home How are you with a school 98% female? As for urban, you'd have to travel 30 minutes to get into Cambridge, MA.</p>
<p>You are only limited if you want both astronomy and astrophysics, and astrophysics would be the more limiting requirement by far. Typically astrophysics is a graduate level program. The physics prerequisits for that field (plasma physics, relativity, quantum mechanics, nuclear physics) are sufficiently rigorous that it is difficult to take many course in astrophysics until your senior year, unless you can skip a ton of intro classes through advanced placement.</p>
<p>Your GPA reads low, but may represent a hard unweighted course load. Your ACT suggests good ability. Schools that meet your requirements (note I am counting largish towns as "cities" and treating New York as equivalent to New England.)</p>
<p>Tufts (Astronomy is offered by the Physics Department)
Boston University
Wellesley
Dartmouth (but the town is small)
Smith (All five member of the five schools, but Smith is the only one at a significant town.)
Colby (Astronomy is offered by the Physics Department, largish town)
Wesleyan Univ. (small town, but good connections to bigger ones)
Connecticut College (minor in astronomy)
Yale
Brown (Astronomy is offered by the Physics Department)
Cornell
Rensellear Polytechnic Institute (Applied Physics with Space Science Concentration)
University of Rochester (Astronomy is offered by the Physics Department)
SUNY Stony Brook
Barnard
Columbia
NYU (minor in astronomy)</p>
<p>I'd have to throw a vote in for our astronomy program at Stony Brook. We're decidedly suburban, but there's a train station on campus, so it's very easy to pop into New York if you'd like to.</p>