<p>I'm going to apply SCEA to Harvard to major in physics. I believe I am a strong, well-rounded applicant. But I've been hearing things that keep putting me off. </p>
<p>First, Harvard only graduates 50-60 physics majors a year. </p>
<p>Second, college friends of mine told me their opinion of Harvard's 'type'. They want people who are set on changing the world! I'm not like that-- I just want a brilliant future in physics research. I have plenty of activities/ achievements that could make me look like a humanitarian/activist, but I don't want to pretend to be something I'm not. Nonetheless, I highlight my artistic side in my essays and try to talk very little about my passion for physics. </p>
<p>Third, it seems like almost all Harvard grads major in the humanities. For example, economics (I heard the majority major in that). I'm left wondering if I'll have the support of a community of young physicists like myself. </p>
<p>Does my passion for physics hurt me? Can anyone who applied for STEM reassure me that applying as a non-humanities major is okay? </p>
<p>As someone starting his freshman year at a one of Harvard’s few peer institutions, I can say that these elite universities are looking for a well-rounded class. They need physics majors, and many of the 60 physics majors whom Harvard graduates a year applied as physics majors. As long as you are truly passionate about what you want to study, and you reflect that passion in your essay, your love for physics or any other discipline can only help you.</p>
<p>Be assured that Harvard has a great physics program and desires to admit undergraduates who will concentrate in the field. My son was a joint physics concentrator for a while, and found the faculty welcoming, helpful, and involved (as well as really, REALLY smart). Don’t be put off by the size of the program. In fact, with a fairly large faculty in relationship to the student population, it’s easy to form personal connections with tenured faculty. The department is resource-rich, and they take care of their own.</p>
<p>You will not be at any disadvantage for applying as a physics concentrator. Harvard doesn’t pay much attention to the concentration choices of applicants, and the program is not so overpopulated that the admissions committee would feel the need to throttle back on the number of applicants admitted who express a desire to concentrate in the field.</p>
<p>If you manage to get in, and decide to attend, it is likely that you’ll have a great experience. My son knows many physics concentrators still (even though he changed his concentration to classics-only), and they’re having a grand time of it.</p>
<p>Don’t you want to change the world of physics? One could argue that the physicists of the manhattan project, or the guys who proved that the Big Bang happened, have done more to “change the world” or at least human understanding of it, than thousands of politicians or social scientists.<br>
And 50 of 1500 is a pretty decent proportion of college physics graduates. It’s a small major everywhere. </p>
<p>Really, Torveaux? “Many better institutions”? I looked at four different rankings for physics departments. Two had Harvard clearly first, one in the country (the NRC, using either of its competing methodologies), the other in the world (Shanghai University), and the other two had Harvard second by the thinnest of margins (QS and USNWR, where it was tied with four others).</p>
<p>There are lots of great places to study physics as an undergraduate, including colleges like Reed or Swarthmore that would not show up on graduate program rankings. The difference between the top physics program in the world and the 10th or 20th best would be imperceptible to an undergraduate in any event. But it’s pure silliness to imply that Harvard isn’t a tremendous place to be a physics student.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>OP: The name you are using has seriously negative associations. You may get more responses if you choose a different user name.</p></li>
<li><p>If Harvard graduates 50-60 physics concentrators/year – something I seriously doubt – that would put it among the largest undergraduate physics programs in the country. That’s about the number of physics majors at Berkeley, which has undergraduate classes roughly five times as large as Harvard’s. MIT only has a few more majors per class.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>Harvard’s undergraduate program is probably smaller than that, but large relative to its class size and, in absolute numbers, relative to almost every other university.</p>
<p>You can ask much more useful questions if you put in a bit of research work beforehand to have half a clue what you are talking about.</p>
<p>Goring, You’re getting good advice from seasoned members. Telling people to chill when you’ve been here for 3 whole days is unwise and not good etiquette.</p>