<p>Hey guys, I was just accepted to Kettering University in Michigan for Applied Physics! I really like the school because of its co-op experience, you spend one quarter of the year taking classes, the next in a co-op with a company, and the rotation continues. However, I was wondering how good this is for grad schools, which I'm assuming I will need to attend to have a chance of employment in Applied Physics. Can you all do me a favor and check out the program website to see if it is up to par in terms of preparing for grad school?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.kettering.edu/academics/d...pplied-physics%5B/url%5D">http://www.kettering.edu/academics/d...pplied-physics</a></p>
<p>Also, has anyone heard of Kettering before? Everyone I've talked to seems to have never heard of it, but it looks pretty legit. Thanks!</p>
<p>It used to be GMI (General Motors Institute), so some people may know it from that. I believe it has a good reputation in industry. I have no idea how it is viewed by graduate programs.</p>
<p>It is one of the primarily undergraduate <a href=“http://theaitu%5B/url%5D”>http://theaitu</a> universities. I think that Rose Hulman and Harvey Mudd have a higher reputation in this category, however, when I make admission decisions for my school’s Ph.D. program in physics, I look primarily at the students research experience (not co-ops and internships), the courses they have taken (2 semesters of Quantum and 2 semesters of senior-level E&M are what the most challenging programs offer) and then the GPA and GRE scores. We don’t really care what university it is but what the student has studied there.</p>
<p>The advantage that students have at a research university is that they can become involved in funded project research alongside graduate students. This gives them a slightly different insight into what going to graduate school might be like. However, with the availability of REU programs all over the country, you can get solid research experience of this kind in the summers no matter what your university is like.</p>
<p>All of what I have been saying is for a Ph.D. program. Things are slightly different for a professional masters. In that case, getting a job for a bit of time and then going to a Masters program is a good path to take. In this case the co-ops and internships are extremely valuable. </p>
<p>It all depends on what your goals are and there is no single “right” answer.</p>