Columbia vs. Williams (Physics Major)

Hello! I was recently accepted to Columbia University and Williams College and would like input on which college would be better for studying undergraduate physics. Financials are out of the picture as they look like they’ll end up about the same (I have a couple offers with better financials from smaller LACs if I need to go that route).

Specifically I’m interested in research opportunities, grad school placement, and the ability to accelerate in the major (I should be coming in with AP Phys C: Mechanics and E&M and Cal BC under my belt, so I’d like to know how they handle advanced students), but any information you can offer would be hugely appreciated.

Thanks!

Are you a city mouse or a country mouse? Both are outstanding academically.

The differences between these two are typical when comparing LACs and universities:

  • Smaller classes and more direct prof contact at Williams. And more outdoor activities are available.
  • More classes and specialized majors to choose from at Columbia. And more city-based opportunities are available.

The jury is out regarding research: some say LACs have the edge because there is less competition for spots – no grad students vying for those research positions – while others point to the fact that more cutting-edge research takes place at U’s and they have much larger research budgets.

So there are those fundamental “LAC vs. U” academic differences, and the obvious difference in setting.

When the Columbia professor hires research assistants, are grads or undergrads preferred? Or is there a shortage of grad students to hire?

Williams is known for a high rate of future social science PhD earners, but physics? Columbia?

Two terrific choices! You can’t go wrong here.

If you have a specific area of interest within the field of physics, you might check out the online catalogs for both. You might also contact the physics department head at each college to ask the questions you asked in your post. I do not know some of the answers, but they will!

For 25 years, Williams has had the most professors receiving National Science Foundation research grants of any liberal arts college, and, for 20 years, its alumni have won more Apker Awards for undergraduate physics research than any other college, period (as per their admissions brochures). 200 paid science research positions are offered on campus every summer— a high percentage of the 2000 students total.

If name recognition by the average person on the street matters to you, pick Columbia; if only grad program and employer recognition matters to you, either does equally well.

The college experience at a large, urban university will be decidedly different from that at a small, rural college. Consider in which environment you will feel more “at home” for the next four years.

Congratulations on being able to choose between two outstanding colleges!

As TheGreyKing noted, Williams has a tremendous record of placing students into elite physics grad programs. You can get a sense of what the typical graduate looks like here:

https://physics.williams.edu/people/graduates/

In just the last two years, physics grads have gone on to pursue graduate studies at Cambridge, Harvard, Princeton, MIT, the University of Edinburgh, among others. Not too shabby!

The Apker awards speak for themselves, five Williams alums have received the award over the past 20 years (out of 40 winners from every college and university combined!).

https://communications.williams.edu/news-releases/10_13_2015_apkeraward/

In addition to a great physics program, Williams has perhaps the best undergraduate math department in the country, and of course high level math and physics are closely intertwined. You definitely can’t go wrong picking Williams for Physics.