Demographics
US citizen
California
competitive small private school (“high ranked” in stem)
Asian male
Intended Major(s)
physics (theoretical or applied, still haven’t decided)
GPA, Rank, and Test Scores
using UC gpa calculations for simplicity
Unweighted HS GPA: 4.0 (4.0 scale)
Weighted HS GPA (5.0 scale): 4.85 (sophomore+junior year avg) 4.7 freshman year
Class Rank: N/A
ACT/SAT Scores: 1510 SAT (800 math)
Coursework
14 APs, mostly 5s with a couple 4s here and there
will take 4 post ap college level courses in senior year
College course at UCSB about research worth 4 units
Awards
both AP awards
national merit semifinalist (PSAT thing)
Extracurriculars
Physics circle vice president
Varsity volleyball + club volleyball
Volunteering at a food bank
UCSB SRA summer program, did the physics track which taught college level applied physics and made a research paper with teammates. Semi competitive but a very rigorous program
MIT beaverworks this summer
Rock climbing club officer
Essays/LORs/Other
Essays will probably be decent to pretty good, I can talk about my life with tourettes syndrome.
Probably decent to pretty good LORs
Cost Constraints / Budget
preferably going to a public uni but parents are willing to pay for private uni if its a t25
Schools
Safety *
CSUs, UC riverside merced
Likely *
UC Santa cruz
Match
UCSB, UC Davis, UC Irvine
Reach
ED to either cornell or northwestern or nyu
UCLA & UCB
Probably will apply to most t30 for physics schools that have the common app
I think you’ve gauged your chances pretty well. However CSUs are not safeties if by CSU you mean CalPoly SLO. SLO is a top Physics program and is by no means a safety admit.
Hopefully you’re aware of the College of Creative Studies and its Physics major, which could be an excellent option for you. You sound like you might really like their “grad school for undergrads” approach Physics | UCSB College of Creative Studies UCSB’s physics program (at the grad level) outranks all other UC’s except Berkeley; and CCS could elevate the quality of the undergrad experience above even UCB’s. CCS requires an additional application.
There’s an awful lot of variability in environment among “T30 for physics” schools. It’s hard to imagine a single student liking all or most of them. Plus, “most” of any 30 schools means 20+ applications which seems excessive. I expect you can narrow down more than that.
If you’re very focused on physics and looking to minimize distribution requirements, you might consider the top Canadian U’s, which would be safeties with your record, since admissions are less subjective there. Lots of great climbing near UBC. Cheaper than US private U’s, and potentially more appealing than CSU safeties.
Given the terrific public U’s in California, I don’t know whether a binding app to a no-merit, $80K+/year private U is worth foreclosing on more affordable but equally-strong options. (And I don’t think you’d need ED to get into NYU, tbh.) Why not a top REA school instead of ED? MIT, Stanford, Princeton…?
Any interest in playing VB in college? Maybe a D3 school would appeal for the academic/athletic balance. MIT, UChicago, Caltech, Harvey Mudd…?
This was posted in another topic, and is oriented especially toward schools at which students have access to abundant research opportunities in physics as undergraduates:
If I had a 4.0 and wanted physics, I’d be applying to Arizona and you’d have an answer very early - and no need for the CSUs and UCR. UCSC very good as well.
Arizona - you’d get $32K off the $40K tuition and it’s one of the top programs in the nation. Other than a few reaches, you’d be done - and you say you’ll apply to most top 30 until you see the essays.
When your parents will pay for a top 25, top 25 is a US News or whatever publication overall - but not major specific.
This was my son last year with slightly lower stats. If you are happy with your in state safeties then I think you’re all good. My son would not have been happy with Merced, Riverside, or some of the CSUs for physics. He ended up applying to Arizona, Alabama, and Purdue out of state and was accepted to all. This took the pressure off while waiting on the UCs and Cal Poly. He ended up being rejected from UCLA, UCSB, and San Diego State, but was accepted at the other five UCs he applied to plus both Cal Polys. He’ll be attending Berkeley. I cannot stress enough the importance of the PIQs and activities and awards sections in the UC app. I think my son did as well as he did because he was able to demonstrate a passion for science in his application.
The big universities produce a lot of grads in absolute numbers, but there are a number of smaller schools that punch well above their USNWR rankings in their physics departments.
Unless your family has an extra 200K to burn, or is low enough income that you would get fin aid to match your in-state cost, there is absolutely no reason for you to apply to privates like NYU, or even Ivies, for undergrad. With a track record like yours, I’m sure you will do very well as an undergrad, and then wind up going to a top private or public institution for graduate studies, fully funded. Go where it’s cheap for undergrad. UCB, UCLA, UCSB, UCSD, UCI, UCD. Also U Az for massive merit money, might wind up even cheaper than in-state at a UC for you, what with your national merit status. BTW, make sure you apply to become a finalist, might lead to some additional merit money for you.
I wouldn’t even bother applying to Cornell, NW, or NYU. What are you gonna do when they accept you, and your parents have to pay 85K/yr for you to go there, as opposed to 30-40K for the Az or in-state options? And for what? You’re gonna wind up at the exact same places for your PhD as you would have, coming out of one of the UCs with excellent undergrad physics, or U Az on the cheap, too.
Seriously, you’re lucky in that you already have found something you love, that you’re good at, and you’re in a state with at least five highly ranked programs for it at large public universities where, if you decide you want to study something else, they offer tons of other majors. Save yourself the stress and the expense of applying to the highly selective privates which don’t offer merit money, or where you’d be unlikely to get merit money. Talk with your parents about it, and hear the relief in their voices as they tell you that they’d have been willing to pay for you to attend a private at rack-rate, but that they’re very happy that you can get a wonderful undergrad education at much lower cost at an in-state private, or at U Az.
You are very fortunate to have such great public colleges available to you at in-state costs. How do you feel about the size of your state schools and about staying in-state? Those are the main potential pitfalls I could see to your list, if you were wanting a more intimate experience or to go out-of-state. But if you’re happy to stay in California, then I think you’re all set.
If you’re interested (and skilled enough) for varsity college volleyball, these are a couple of schools you might want to check out. And at all but Stanford, you would be likely to receive merit aid (assuming you become a National Merit Finalist for USC).
Illinois Institute of Technology (IL): This Chicago school has about 3k undergrads. In the most recent year of data it had 1 person earn a Master’s and 6 earn a PhD in physics, so there should be sufficient depth here for you, too.
Stanford (CA): I imagine that no matter how T25 is cut (major, USNWR, etc) that Stanford would make the list. About 7600 undergrads.
Stevens Institute of Technology (NJ, just across the river from New York City): About 4100 undergrads, and in the most recent year of IPEDS data had 14 people earn Master’s in physics and 4 earn PhDs, so extremely likely to have sufficient depth for your physics wishes.
U. of Southern California: About 21k undergrads here, and National Merit Finalists get half-tuition scholarships and can compete for full tuition scholarships.
For other schools with physics majors and varsity college volleyball for men, here’s a list: College Navigator - Search Results. If you have other desires (like big schools out-of-state) then there are other possibilities, like Ohio State or Penn State. U. of Hawaii is another school that could be very interesting.
I’m not understanding where all the varsity volleyball chatter is coming from. OP mentioned it as an EC and never mentioned being recruited for it. D1 volleyball programs like Stanford and Hawaii are very high level and you just don’t decide in June before senior year to pursue this. Athletic recruiting is a whole separate process that can be years long.
OP, is this something you are interested in pursuing?
And more specifically: ED2 application deadlines are after ED1 results are out. This allows you to do a second round of binding early decision admissions if the first round doesn’t work out.
But not all schools offer ED2.
It was just a question (tacked onto the end of a much longer post), and not about D1. I saw both varsity and club and thought it worth asking whether playing in college was of interest. The answer was no, which was more likely than not, so end of discussion.