<p>I am very interested in attending a college that has an astrophysics major available to its undergraduates students. Unfortunately, I am not like the kid who posted below. I have not earned the straight As needed to even consider MIT, but I have taken accelerated math courses and have always received high math scores on standardized tests. Majoring in astrophysics would be ideal because I have a love for both physics and astronomy, and an insatiable desire to learn the most I can about them.</p>
<pre><code>I am an intern at two of my local observatories, and I am also trained to use all of their equipment. Could this help me get into a college, or would it be considered fluffy stuff added to a resume? Anyways, instead of looking at dream schools like Barnard, Berkeley,Wellesley, and Caltech what are some realistic options? I definitely want to go to a school strong in physics, but that offers a decent number of astronomy courses.
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<p>Currently, I am considering some of the Hawaiian schools for my realistic and fallback options. This is where I need some help. Would Manoa be the way to go? It seems to have a very strong physics department, but reasonable admissions standards. On the other hand, Hilo seems to be geared more toward astronomy. I do not think most colleges can even come close its location and opportunities. Is Manoa the more prestigious out of the two though? Are they even held in any high regards as undergraduate schools at all? What would be the better choice for the aspiring astrophysicist? </p>
<pre><code>Lastly, do Catholic colleges offering astronomy provide the same quality of education that schools without any religious affiliation offer? I know the idea of a quality college education can vary from person to person, but I want to know if they cover the same content in theoretical physics as most schools do. My interest for both astronomy and physics grew stronger from reading the works of Richard Dawkins, Ed Whitten, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Hawking, Schwarz, Greene, Kaku, and many other great minds . Would I be digging myself an early grave if I were to discuss these, similar ideas, and random thoughts of my own on a Catholic campus?
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