How strong is physics dept at brown?

<p>the topic basically does it all. I am currently a student at a US college. I am considering transferring to brown. I am a prospective physics major so I want to transfer to a college with a strong phys dept. ~ Also how are the research opportunities? As a undergrad how likely is it that u’ll be involved in a research…n i don’t mean only summer research. my current college has a lot of research opps…i’m only a freshman rite now n i have already started working under a prof. i love my current coll n I want to transfer mainly due to financial reasons…my fin aid is not good enough…so its a little hard on my family! but i’m just a little worried that i might not get as many opportunities at any other unis as i get here. from all that I know brown’s a great uni n i love everything 'bout it. I just wanted to know first hand about it’s phys dept n research opportunities as an undergrad. thanx in advance</p>

<p>100% of Brown Sc.B. students have to take two semesters of research for credit in order to graduate. I've never met anyone who spent less than 1.5 years in a lab and most spend more like 3 years in a lab.</p>

<p>Check out the department webpage to see the areas of interest that physics professors are currently doing research in.</p>

<p>There are about 10-15 concentrators in physics each year and approximately 25 professors in the department.</p>

<p>thanx for the reply! it's good to know that my worries were unwarranted. ~ There are a few profs whose research i'm interested in. Should i contact them? if yes, with what type of questions? if I just say that i am interested and ask a few questions won't it look like i'm contacting just for the sake of trying to increase my chances? Also, i am a freshman but technically a sophomore or so u can say....i'll have 68 credits by the end of this year( i have 32 credits from a-levels) Brown's website says that you cannot apply with more than two yrs worth of credit....does that mean that I don't qualify to apply at all? i don't know if brown also counts A level credits towards the credits reqd for graduation n even if it does i have no plans to graduate in 3 yrs...will that make any difference?</p>

<p>You won't be able to transfer in more than two years worth of credits, from my understanding. A levels can be used to place out of classes but nothing counts as credits towards graduation.</p>

<p>If you'd like to email them, feel free, I'm not sure to what extent it can increase your chances. I think your best bet is to contact them if you intend on visiting and ask them if they have any recommendations for what you should see while here or if you could possibly meet with them to discuss some of your questions about the program. Sometimes you'll ask the right professor and even get a walk around the lab, etc. It's a nice thing to cite in an application to demonstrate interest, but how much it will affect things is hard to say as with anything else.</p>

<p>I think physics is pretty strong at Brown, but I'm not qualified to compare it. I do know that research opportunities are very strong at Brown, even as a firstyear (they don't say freshman there.) My D has worked in research almost every semester since 2nd semester fman year, first in physics, then in CS. That includes paid work, summer paid work, 2 summer research grants, 3 independent studies, 3 semesters TA (a respected, and paid position.) </p>

<p>And summer after first year, she got to go to the FERMI lab as reward for work.</p>

<p>Also one of her friends got a fellowship to Berkeley out of the physics dept.</p>

<p>But you don't seem to have a good reason to transfer. Brown is very expensive, it can't possibly cost less. </p>

<p>and they have very few accepted transfer students.</p>

<p>as a prospective student i once received a packed from brown bragging about their math/science programs. from what they claim, physics is among their very most impressive departments</p>