Best school for a physics major!

College Search & Selection
1

<p>I posted this accidentally in the Science Majors forum, and I can't remove it from my phone, so I'll just post it here now!</p>

<p>I love physics! I took honors level junior year, and I am taking AP next year. I've loved it for years before though, from watching television shows about the universe to reading books by Stephen Hawking. I'm pretty good at math, but I can't memorize anything, I can usually figure it out though.
So, what I'm trying to ask is: what's a good school for a physics major with my stats?</p>

<p>Superscored SAT: 730CR 720M 800W (should I retake?)
GPA: 4.31W/3.87UW (top 5% in class, my school doesn't rank)
Decent extracurriculars, president of a few clubs; lots of community service.
I can get great recs from counselor, math teacher, physics teacher, and English teacher. </p>

<p>I'm also probably going to become a National Merit Finalist (eventually...)</p>

<p>So I want to go somewhere where I can get a full ride. I might get some financial aid, but it's doubtful.
I've visited Princeton, MIT, BU, and NYU. I didn't like NYU, but I mainly went there because my friend was interested. I liked Princeton the most, but as you all know, they don't offer scholarships. BU is my next favorite, and they have the trustee scholarship - I'm just not sure if I could receive it.
My mom loved MIT, and wants me to go there, even if I have to take out loans. (she was the one who wanted me to accept a full ride in the first place - now she changed her mind)
I've received letters in the mail from U of New Mexico saying that they could give me a full tuition for NMF status. I went to a Duke TIP program at Texas A&M after freshman year, and liked that campus too, and I know they give money for NMF too. </p>

<p>I'm not interested in Alabama at all. :( </p>

<p>I really liked Princeton because of their traditions and the kind of secluded campus. </p>

<p>I didn't like NYU because it was really urban. I think a lot of it for me is the appearance of the campus, I need to feel comfortable there. I like European/old style architecture and lots of trees! :)</p>

<p>I also want to be near a larger city, at least within an hour or so (by train or bus). </p>

<p>So yeah, any suggestions will be truly appreciated! Thanks in advanced!!</p>

2

<p>I know two physics majors who were very happy at WashU( St. Louis).</p>

3

<p>Johns Hopkins has a great physics dept.</p>

4

<p>While some of the top 20 schools like WashU and Duke have merit scholarships, they are highly competitive. If merit money is required, focusing on these is as much of a high risk strategy as it would be to focus on HYP for admission. You are probably better served to look through the threads on schools that give good merit scholarships. Also, take a look at the physics department at your state’s flagship university.</p>

5

<p>You might be a candidate for a large merit scholarship at Fordham --the school is in NYC but it has a beautiful gothic campus at Rose Hill.</p>

6

<p>In terms of your SAT score, I would retake just to get the math score up. If you’re going to become a physics major, then colleges expect you to have very good math scores.</p>

<p>Have you considered CalTech or any of the UCs?..I know the UCs don’t offer many scholarships for out-of-state students but they do have very strong science depts</p>

7

<p>Texas A&M will give you lots of money, including a waiver of the additional OOS tuition, if you make NMF and designate Texas A&M as your top choice.</p>

<p>Some more of the usual lower list price suspects if cost is a concern:</p>

<p>Minnesota
Ohio State with National Buckeye money
Stony Brook
Iowa State
North Carolina State</p>

<p>If money is a really big concern, you want to look here for safeties:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/financial-aid-scholarships/1348012-automatic-full-tuition-full-ride-scholarships.html&lt;/a&gt; (scholarships for GPA and test scores)
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/649276-nmf-scholarships-updated-compilation.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/national-merit-scholarships/649276-nmf-scholarships-updated-compilation.html&lt;/a&gt; (if you make NMF)</p>

8

<p>Folks…it’s doesn’t do much good to suggest schools like WashU, the UCs, Cal Tech, or JHU if the student needs lots of merit scholarship money. </p>

<p>*I posted this accidentally in the Science Majors forum, and I can’t remove it from my phone, so I’ll just post it here now!</p>

<p>I love physics! I took honors level junior year, and I am taking AP next year. I’ve loved it for years before though, from watching television shows about the universe to reading books by Stephen Hawking. I’m pretty good at math, but I can’t memorize anything, I can usually figure it out though.
So, what I’m trying to ask is: what’s a good school for a physics major with my stats?</p>

<p>Superscored SAT: 730CR 720M 800W (should I retake?)
GPA: 4.31W/3.87UW (top 5% in class, my school doesn’t rank)
Decent extracurriculars, president of a few clubs; lots of community service.
I can get great recs from counselor, math teacher, physics teacher, and English teacher. </p>

<p>I’m also probably going to become a National Merit Finalist (eventually…)</p>

<p>So I want to go somewhere where I can get a full ride. I might get some financial aid, but it’s doubtful.
I’ve visited Princeton, MIT, BU, and NYU. I didn’t like NYU, but I mainly went there because my friend was interested. I liked Princeton the most, but as you all know, they don’t offer scholarships. BU is my next favorite, and they have the trustee scholarship - I’m just not sure if I could receive it. *</p>

<p>As you know, most of those schools won’t give you much/any merit and as you said, you won’t qualify for much/any aid.</p>

<p>HOW MUCH will your parents pay each year?</p>

<p>When your mom says, “take out loans,”…does she mean that SHE will take out those loans and pay them…or YOU will have to take them out and pay them back??</p>

<p>Does your mom know that SHE would have to qualify and co-sign those loans and be responsible for them if you don’t pay them?</p>

<p>Does your mom have some warped idea of how much you’ll be earning upon graduation? MIT grads don’t start at some super-salary. </p>

<p>??? You’ll consider full tuition at U New Mexico, but you won’t consider Alabama which is much higher ranked and gives a larger NMF scholarship??? why? Bama has a brand new mega-sized Science Complex. Are you letting some kind of odd stereotypes get in the way?</p>

9

<p>*While some of the top 20 schools like WashU and Duke have merit scholarships, they are highly competitive. *</p>

<p>Exactly, and that’s why those schools shouldn’t really be recommended. Maybe apply to one or two “just to see,” but a 1450 Math +CR SAT isn’t going to get anything from those schools.</p>

<p>I can’t think of any top 50-60 schools that would even give full tuition for a 1450 M+CR.</p>

<p>If you want a chance at MIT (and your PARENTS will be responsible for the loans), then your Math + CR needs to be much higher.</p>

10

<p>Look at University of Colorado at Boulder. Amazing physics program, fun college life. For your stats, they will give you money.</p>

11

<p>mom2 posed some good questions and I’d just like to expand a bit there. You need to be crystal clear on your financial situation before you go further.</p>

<p>First, ask your parents to use an online calculator to determine how much need based aid you may be eligible for. Then sit down and talk seriously with them (or with your mom if your father isn’t involved) and talk about about if loans are really what you want to take on to make up the shortfall. Private colleges can over $240,000 which is an extreme hardship for a family or an individual, so look at the hard, cold facts and don’t get swept away by enthusiasm for prestigious colleges that you can’t afford. It’s bound to end in heartache.</p>

<p>The good news is that there are several excellent colleges and universities that offer merit aid for high achieving candidates like you. Often they are not household names and may be smaller or located in parts of the country that wouldn’t be your first choice, like rural communities, the Midwest, the South. If you are female, all women’s colleges also offer terrific values.</p>

<p>To start I would look at Grinnell, Rhodes. Smith if you are female.</p>

12

<p>Please see my post on your other thread</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/science-majors/1356876-best-school-physics-major.html?highlight=physics+major[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/science-majors/1356876-best-school-physics-major.html?highlight=physics+major&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;