Columbia vs. Caltech (Physics)

Colleges and Universities A-Z California Institute of Technology
1

<p>I recently committed to Columbia, only to be accepted from Caltech's wait list. I plan on majoring in physics with a strong emphasis on mathematics. Columbia hosts a strong physics department (albeit small), but Caltech has always seemed to be one of the few undisputed champions of physics (along with MIT, HYP, Stanford, and in some opinion Harvey Mudd). </p>

<p>TL;DR These schools are really different. Is the academic advantage at Caltech substantial/worth the loss of Columbia's social and cultural advantage? How well do each place at top physics graduate programs?</p>

<p>Graduate school preparation and placement as well as undergraduate research availability and quality are the primary factors in my decision making process. </p>

<p>My fears about Columbia can be surmised as the following: humanities and a reduced emphasis or priority for the sciences on a curricular and institution-wide level. Essentially, is the Core going to detract from my preparation for an academic career in a very strict discipline, and is/are the physics department/students an appendage to the much more humanity, economic, foreign relation etc.-centric Columbia at large? </p>

<p>My fears about Caltech are very different. Caltech satisfies the possible drawbacks at Columbia with firm, unquestionable inherency as a tech school. However, how socially paralyzed is Caltech? Not due to shyness etc., but due to workload and location? </p>

<p>(Quick note; I'm not anti-Core. I don't want to become culturally illiterate and I really enjoy literature and philosophy but only as a mental hobby. I just don't want to know the main ideological premise of the Iliad instead of an additional semester of math.)</p>

2

<p>Are you already accepted from Caltech waitlist?</p>

<p>Mind sharing you stats please? Also what all did you send them?</p>

3

<p>This is a no-brainer to me. Cal-Tech is far superior for physics. If all else is equal financially, take the spot at CalTech.</p>

4

<p>“Graduate school preparation and placement as well as undergraduate research availability and quality are the primary factors in my decision making process.”
Simple answer, Caltech. I also private messaged you. :slight_smile: </p>

5

<p>Take the one which is financially better for you. Since you are planning to go to graduate school, it will be more important where you get your Ph.D. than where you get your B.S. The undergraduate physics curriculum is pretty much the same anywhere in the country and both your choices offer great research opportunities. </p>

<p>When graduate programs look at applicants the undergraduate institution is not as important as the student’s academic abilities and research experience. We have had students from our physics program at Illinois Tech get into highly selective programs.</p>