<p>Columbia University
Stanford University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
University of California - Berkeley
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champagne
New Jersey Institute of Technology</p>
<p>Comments:</p>
<p>Columbia, MIT, WPI, and NJIT are definitely on my final list, but I'm still learning more about Stanford, CalTech, UC-B, and U of I. Also considering other schools like Northwestern. I plan on majoring in Applied Physics, Engineering Physics, or Physics. I hope to concentrate less on theoretical physics and more into applications of physics. Any suggestions of schools? I'm from NY and prefer either West or East coast, warm to NY weather.</p>
<p>The first schools that came to my mind were Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech, because of the similarity of these schools to the others on your list.</p>
<p>For physics, I’d also suggest looking into Cornell, the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Chicago. Also, the University of Wisconsin.</p>
<p>Columbia University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
California Institute of Technology
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
University of California - Berkeley
New Jersey Institute of Technology</p>
<p>Most likely I will need some amount of financial aid, not sure on the exact amount though. </p>
<p>Been looking at other schools also (University of Michigan, UCLA, USC, Northwestern), and I’m hoping to get recruited by some of the top schools on my list.</p>
<p>How do you think you would compare to the students at Caltech or MIT? Would you be content being in the bottom 50% of classes at a school like that? If not, look at more schools where you would fit in the middle 50%. Since you are a sought-after minority, you do have very good chances at the top 20 schools, but right now your list has a nice top and a solid bottom, but no middle. Take a look at Rice, Cornell, Northwestern - they aren’t on the east or west coast, but we are pretty nice here in flyover land.</p>
<p>I am a state ranked cross country runner. At MIT I would be in the middle 50%, but toward the lower end. Caltech, i’d prolly be near the lower end of the class. I really don’t care where I am at the school, as i would love to have such a great academic community. I like Rice and Northwestern, but don’t know enough about them yet. Cornell I like, but I hate the location, haha. Yeah, my list needs a middle, but I considered UC - Berkeley to be high middle and U of I to be a high middle (match) as well.</p>
<p>In general you won’t get any FA from the state schools (esp UCB). That could be different if you are recruited for running but that depends on how good you are compared to their teams. If your coach has connections s/he should be reaching out to those schools now (assuming you are a senior).</p>
<p>**Final College List:<a href=“Have%20started%20applications”>/B</a> In order of preference</p>
<p>Columbia University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
University of Illinois - Urbana-Champaign
California Institute of Technology</p>
<p>Colleges Considering: No particular order</p>
<p>University of Southern California
University of California - Berkeley
University of Pennsylvania
Stanford University
University of Maryland - College Park
University of California - Los Angeles</p>
<p>I plan on studying engineering/applied physics when applicable, and physics where that is not offered. I’ve weeded through a long list of colleges that are standouts for physics and this is what I have left. I need more matches on my list, so I’m uncomfortable with adding another reach, such as Stanford or UPenn to my list. Any tips?</p>
<p>I’m doing EA at WPI and the priority app for UIUC, and I’ve already applied to NJIT. I wanna do regular decision for Caltech, MIT, and Columbia to give me more time to perfect the essays and get my midyear reports, which will help my GPA and upward trend (hopefully =P). </p>
<p>I consider MIT, Columbia and especially Caltech definite reaches. I got a 1470 / 2110 SAT I and 780 Physics SAT II / 740 Math 2 Sat II, 3.8 GPA UW</p>
<p>University of Pennsylvania has been removed from my list. UCLA only offers Physics and Astronomy, so it may be the next to go. USC is expensive and might go aswell.</p>
<p>I will most likely apply to RPI, because it is a Common App user. I’m not crazy about the school but it is a good one. University of Southern California I decided was too expensive for me.</p>
<p>University of California - Berkeley
University of California - Los Angeles
University of Maryland - College Park
Stanford University</p>