Some people use the term “spike”, it is basically what separates you from the other applicants to competitive schools. I want to study Physics at Harvard, Caltech(I wish), or MIT. I live in Wyoming, therefore I have less extracurricular activities available to me. I am going to be in 9th grade this year. I am enrolled in all advanced classes and will be taking an honors Spanish class. When possible(11th grade) I will be taking full IB classes as well as two science classes if possible(I haven’t talked to the school counselor yet). If I get excellent grades, ACT, and SAT scores my chances are still slim. This is where the “spike” comes in. Some people do research at a college(unavailable to me), some people compete in math/science Olympiad teams(my school doesn’t offer these), etc. How can I, considering my limited situation, make a “spike”? Being a physicist has been my life goal since 5th grade and I’m willing to put in the work. Any ideas? Thanks.
Win either an Olympic medal, Nobel Peace Prize, Pulitzer, Congressional Medal of Honor, or have your parents donate millions of dollars, become a celebrity, or find the cure for cancer.
There is no “spike” or “silver bullet” to admissions. Have a good GPA, great EC’s, standardized testing score, and write a stellar essay. Even then, it’ll be a coin toss.
See if you can develop a relationship with a professor at a university doing work in an area of physics interesting to you (nearby or not). Explain your rural living situation and your age, and let them know your field of interest in physics. Ask them if you can do some work over the summer when you’re a little bit older.
Other than that, a good EC might be to make physics equipment for nearby high schools for classroom use (different Faraday cages, repair equipment, etc). See if you can get some tutoring gigs as well.
Build rockets, fly model planes, etc. Do things that are related to physics that you love. Colleges will understand that you have less resources rurally than on the coasts of the US.
Best of luck and have fun!!
Also-I forgot about this- see if you can enter some physics contests. They’re just a google search away.
I graduated from Harvard. My “spike” consisted of grades and test scores in the top percentiles, and a desire to “save the world”, as evidenced by experiences, classes, etc. Try that.
There are many many excellent university programs for physics, not just the ones you mentioned. Additionally, you’ll undoubtedly need a graduate degree, so your selection of the “perfect” undergraduate college will not be your last decision.
As an FYI, I did none of this in HS and I did quite well in the admissions process. There is no magic formula to an acceptance, sorry to say. Pursue your passions, get good grades, score high on the standardized tests, nail the interview and essays, and let the chips fall where they may. Good luck.
My uncle went to Wyoming and then went on to get his PhD at Stanford. If you want a good physics job, you need a graduate degree anyway.
“There are many many excellent university programs for physics,”
Absolutely. The top schools don’t have a monopoly on physics or anything else.
@BrendanCB: You are not even in high school yet. When you do get to high school, pay attention in class, do your homework ahead of time, keep up on your reading, participate in ECs that are interesting to you. If you are the top student in your state, this might be a valuable hook to get you into a top school. Otherwise, be aware that there are a LOT of very good universities for you to choose from.
Be cautious about taking too many difficult classes at once – we get lots of posts on CC from students who took the hardest classes possible, including IB classes, and ended up with B’s and C’s.
Also, you might want to minimize your time on CC for a while – this web site won’t help you keep ahead in your classes, have fun ECs that you care about, or be a well balanced happy kid.
Start a physics club at your school. Do physics demos at elementary schools. Run summer contests in your community (e.g., model-rocket launches) and raise money for charity. Get your school to enter contests. Participate in science fairs. Take a university physics course. Join a professional society as a student member. Self-study well beyond the high school curriculum. Do something creative and useful with your passion. Good luck.
“My uncle went to Wyoming and then went on to get his PhD at Stanford”
When I was a graduate student at Stanford, there were students there in the same program with me who had gotten their Bachelor’s degree at a very wide range of universities, most of which were not “famous” or “highly prestigious” schools. Quite a few had gone to their local state school. This didn’t stop any of them from doing graduate work at Stanford.
Team America Rocketry Challenge.
2 eggs to 800 feet in a 45 second flight. Every second over or under adds points. Every foot over or under adds points. Lowest score wins. Winning scores are in the teens, as I recall. Broken egg is a DQ.
Best 50 teams go to nationals, top from there go to worlds.
Should be lots better than a physics club. And fun! So even if Metro In Town doesn’t happen, you’ll learn gobs and maybe have some awesome experiences
In addition to the “Applying Sideways” MIT blog post, you might read “How to Be a High School Superstar” by Cal Newport. It is not about just getting high grades; it’s about doing things that interest you.
Also, be aware the CU Boulder just south of you has a great physics department!
Try to place very high in Science Olympiad or enter the Siemens competition or become a Google Science Fair winner. Win a prestigious competition where there are very few winners. Or publish research and present it in an international conference.