Changing Major Interests Mid-Admission Season

Applying to College
1

Hey CC, its almost spring and time for colleges to release their admissions decisions, which I’m really excited for. But, I have a problem. When I started my college search, I wanted to study economics and wanted a small school, where the education was personal. Now still want to have a small personal education, but I don’t want to study economics anymore. I would much rather study physics, which us caused by my taking of AP Physics II (highest level offered at my school) this year. I feel challenged by physics in a way that no other subject ever has and i’ve become really interested in it. This is where my problem comes in; while i did apply to schools that offer Physics majors, i feel that the inherent nature of physics causes it to suffer at small institutions, maybe due to the lack of capital to fund labs and thus attract faculty. Apart from Reed College and few other top liberal arts colleges, physics doesn’t seem to thrive at small schools. or am i wrong? Does someone have an experience that is different from my belief about liberal arts schools and science?

So here is my question, as i don’t want this thread to become just about me; What is your advice for someone who planned on one thing, but ended up wanting to do something different? Also, whats your opinion on liberal arts colleges and sciences in general?

Thanks for taking the time to read and reply guys.

2

That was the primary reason why my GC stressed on the fact that students should choose a college that offers a wide array of disciplines across the board. Just like you, apparently many students change their interest and pursuit, either forcing the students to transfer to another college or simply switching to another department.

Luckily, you have not matriculated anywhere just yet. Of the colleges you have applied to and got accepted, I would rearrange the interest level based on the strength of STEM (physics) or if it isn’t too late, you may be able to apply to other schools that have a strong physics department.

3

It’s true that large research Us generally have more invested in labs and more classes available, but LACs can be fine for sciences. http://www.reed.edu/ir/phd.html

4

Another possibility is a 3-2 engineering (or physics program)…

http://www.thecollegesolution.com/considering-a-3-2-dual-engineering-program/

5

But check out all the details on the 3-2 program. It’s another year of college costs, and it may be difficult to get the GPA required for the +2. Students also frequently don’t want to leave the friends they’ve made after 3 years to head to another school.

6

As almost every college you’ll visit will say at an admissions briefing, the most popular freshman major is “Undecided.” You are expected to change your mind at least once. Once you’ve received your notifications, look into the Physics departments at your possible colleges, and take it from there. Most liberal arts colleges have Physics departments adequate for the demands of undergraduates.

7

You’re going to change your mind again. That’s why choosing a college based on a major is risky, unless you’re absolutely sure.
However, many LACs have fine Physics departments for kids who are taking AP Physics 1/2 in high school. If need be, go study abroad at a university that offers lots of physics classes (in the UK, Australia… unless you’re bilingual) to complete your courses, but you should be okay since you’ll be starting with the first course in the first year sequence.
Your first year you’ll have general physics, and then you’ll reconsider whether you want to go on or not. Perhaps you’ll find economics equally exciting, or will find yet another subject you love.

8

you can search on the forum for previous posts discussing physics at a LAC, such as this one: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/williams-college/731550-physics-and-liberal-arts-colleges.html

9

You can always transfer to another school as declare major in sophomore year after transfer. You may also take some summer class at a CC if your college does not offer the introductory classes for Physics major.

10

^I don’t think there’s any LAC that doesn’t offer the introductory classes for Physics majors though.

11

A small LAC can be great for science. Knowing the type of college you prefer is helpful. If you went to a large university, no matter what your major, you probably wouldn’t like it as much.

12

The core physics major course work is fairly standardized. After the introductory frosh/soph calculus-based physics sequence and accompanying math courses, the junior/senior level courses are:

  • Quantum mechanics (often 2 semesters)
  • Electromagnetism and optics (often 2 semesters)
  • Mechanics
  • Statistical and thermal physics
  • Advanced lab

You can check the course catalogs and schedules for the presence of these courses and how often they are offered at each school. Faculty rosters and their research interests can also be found. Of course, larger physics departments are likely to have additional advanced physics electives.

13

What MYOS1634 said. That is the gift of the LAC. When you get your acceptances choose the one that feels best to you, not for the major.

As ucbalumnus points out, the “physics major” is very standardized: virtually all of the accredited colleges have agreed a set curriculum that will satisfy the requirements of the accredited grad school programs. So, unless you choose a terribly weak college, a physics major will cover all the bases. The difference will be the range of extra/optional courses available and of course the standard of teaching- but that is variable within colleges as well as between them.

That said, if you are torn between the colleges you have to choose from, there are a couple of things that you can think about.

First, many LACs have undergraduate grants for summer research, which are a great way for students in quite small LACs to have a hands-on experience.

Second, if you continue to be interested in physics (or another science), the NSF-funded REUs (which give 10 week paid research opportunities over the summer to undergraduates) prioritize students from smaller schools whose opportunities in their home college are more limited.

As an example, my D2 is currently in her second year at a very small (2500ish) LAC. Last summer she did paid research work on campus; last week she was in San Antonio at the National Physics Conference (paid for by the college), where she presented the research that she did; that week she also found out that the paper of the research (forwhich she is a co-author) had been accepted for publication.

Third, if possible go to the re-visit days colleges that are in your top 3, and make a point of talking to the physics people. One thing about a small school is that there won’t be as many people in each department, so the more important difference may be how you interact with them. Be cautious with this one- sometimes first impressions can be misleading! but if you get a strong positive or negative feel, that might be useful information. Also, remember that physics is very very mathy, so look at the math side as well.

Right now “STEM” is a big deal, and a lot of colleges are beefing up their science offerings. As viphan, look at your options and see how they do for physics/sciences. But don’t build your whole college choice around a major for which you have taken one class.