<p>I noticed that several ppl have astro-related sns, and others have astro-related ecs. Just wondering how many other ppl there were out there like me.</p>
<p>Astro+me- I’ve applied to harvard, berkeley, and penn state, based on undergrad astro program rankings according to an excellent astro prof here. I’ve loved astro for as long as I can remember, and officially declared it as my future major and started my college search based upon it as a major in 8th grade. I’ve done science olympiad since 7th grade, and medaled in states in the astro event each year. Because of this, I know my horizons and astronomy today books inside out-- I can find any topic in 5 seconds without the index. Since I live 5 min from Penn State’s campus, I’ve been very involved in activities there. I started out working at astrofest, the dept’s annual outreach program, and later wound up getting to do research. My main concentration has been on the lyman spectra of quasars.</p>
<p>astro+psu- I really like what psu has to offer. After working next to five undergrads for three months, I can tell that it would be a wonderful environment to spend my undergrad years in. Undergraduates not only get to do leading research, but get paid to do it. Almost all undergrads leaving here have been a primary author on a published paper. Because there are relatively few astro undergrads, each receives a lot of attention and can do research in almost anything they desire. The major downfall of psu is that while astro is very strong, its other departments are not, and its atmosphere is not so condusive to learning.</p>
<p>astro+berkeley- I keep hearing bad things. don’t think I’ll be going there.</p>
<p>astro+harvard- I wish I could say I knew as much about astro at harvard as I do at psu. Obviously, they are an outstanding research institution, and one of what I consider to be the big six astro publishing schools (the three above, plus cal-tech, mit, and princeton, which I hear to be more grad school oriented). What bothers me is that for the astro classes don’t act as prereqs for other astro classes, so I’m wondering how they can really connect. I mean, you obviously have to have physics to go into astro, but there is no way that physics alone can teach you everything you should have to know for an upper-level astro course. But the ultimate bonus about harvard is obviously the people who attend it, knowing that I could learn a lot from my peers. Plus there’s the fact that harvard is strong in every subject.</p>
<p>don’t take the above as an “I don’t really want to go to harvard” comment, because I do really want to go to harvard, I just want to know that wherever I go to school I will get the best astro education out of it as possible. I’m just hopeful that harvard can combine the best of both worlds, a wonderful atmosphere and a terrific astro experience. </p>
<p>anyway, this post is enough about me, b/c I want to learn about other astro ppl out there. It just seems like whenever I try to find ppl my age as obsessed w/ astro as I am, I never succeed.</p>