I am going into my junior year of high school and have begun the college search. I got a 184 on the PSATs and have a cumulative GPA of 4.1667. I am taking 5 APs next year and 6 or 7 APs senior year. My interests are mainly in the natural sciences like chemistry and physics. I have a few questions: what exactly should I major in? Is there any field in those areas that are currently thriving or that I should look into? Should I look into graduate school? If so, is it worth it to go to a big school with high tuition (i.e. Johns Hopkins) for my undergraduate? Or should I go to a (relatively) cheaper school like University of Maryland College Park? Where would I go from there for graduate? Would it be worth it to look into schools like Cal Teach or MIT?
P.S. I live in the Baltimore area and am touring Johns Hopkins this summer.
Regarding one of your questions, be aware that a couple of dozen colleges offer a major in chemical physics. Of the many schools that could be appropriate for you, these should definitely be considered.
Worth it depends on what your family can afford. UMD-CP is a terrific state u, so you’re lucky to have that option.
It’s many MD STEM students’ first choice.
Assuming you can afford tuition at private schools, the next question would be what kind of learning environment would you prefer. There are tech schools, liberal arts colleges and private universities (like JH) that have excellent chem and physics depts, so it’s really a matter of what kind of education you want, what kind of environment suits you best and what part of the country you want to be in. Top grad schools take kids from all of these schools (tech, LAC and Uni), so you don’t have to feel pressured to choose one type over another for that reason.
You should add Harvey Mudd college if you like small college. Only offer Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Math and Physics major. Class 2018 student fact SAT CR 670 - 770 Math 740 - 800 Writing 680 - 760 SAT 2 Math 2 760 - 800 ACT 33- 35 Admission rate was 13% this year.
Re majors: You don’t need to decide until the end of your sophomore year of college- that’s two years of taking classes, talking to profs, checking out what the big questions are in each field and assessing your own level of interest and aptitude at the college level. You will be exposed to areas of STEM that you’ve never had exposure to before so why pressure yourself to pick something now? You can apply to college ‘undecided’ - most people do. Or choose whatever seems likely as an ‘indication of interest’ - you won’t be held to it. Schools know that most students will change their minds at least once and sometimes more, which is why you don’t declare a major on day 1.
As for ‘what’s hot’ in your areas of interest - just google it. Talk to your faculty. Check out the research that’s going on at your future school and elsewhere. A few years ago it was nanotechnology, genetics, climate change, neuroscience…
Technically you don’t have to choose a major until the end of sophomore year of college, but in many STEM majors it’s almost impossible to graduate in 4 years if you don’t start right away. There are too many required courses with strict prerequisites. Sometimes you can take courses over the summer, but scheduling can be very challenging the longer you wait to declare.
With your interest in the sciences, going to a school with a strong curriculum, but making sure you sign up for science courses starting day one, will give you a chance to explore options while getting started in the science right away. If you realize you’re in the wrong major, you can switch.
Larger schools are going to offer a wider choice of courses. Smaller schools may have fewer exotic high level courses but have other benefits related to access to professors and equipment. Look for schools that have lots of kids present at national undergraduate conferences and that have kids winning Goldwater scholarships.
Any decent job in Chemistry almost always requires graduate level studies, so if you have a less expensive option with good academics, that’s a smart option to pursue.
Here’s my two cents:
If you think you may want to pursue graduate education, it may be a good idea to make sure your undergrad is affordable. That way you can start your “adult” life with little debt. It’s not necessarily the only way to go about it, but it’s the way I chose.
Also, don’t worry about your major. I don’t want to sound condescending, but you have actually very little idea what you’ll want to do in 4 years or even in another year. Take classes that interest you. And if you sign up for chemistry or physics as a major, they are broad spectrum majors. You can tailor either to be more like the other. I’m a biochemistry major and I never changed my major but what I thought I wanted to do coming out of high school is IN NO WAY what I’m interested in now. For example, you’ll have to take all the same basic classes for either of the 2 majors, but if you were interested in organometallics, you could take a class in that. If you were interested in theoretical physics, you could take a class in that. As long as you have the prereqs, which you most likely will, you’ll be fine. Don’t freak yourself out about making a decision that you will change in some way with 95% certainty. Think about it… high school science IS NOTHING LIKE REAL SCIENCE. What if you hate it? What if you love something else? Just pursue your passions and go to a school that fits your personality and needs as well as having multiple options in case your mind.
However, if you are interested in chemistry and/or physics, you need to start taking the prerequisites in frosh year to avoid being behind if you choose one of those majors. Typical schedule:
First semester:
Math: calculus 1 (or higher level if you have AP credit)
Chemistry: general chemistry 1
Breadth or prerequisite for other potential major
Breadth or prerequisite for other potential major
Second semester:
Math: calculus 2 (or higher level)
Chemistry: general chemistry 2
Physics: calculus-based physics 1 (usually mechanics)
Breadth or prerequisite for other potential major
Students starting in a math course higher than calculus 1 may be able to start the physics sequence in first semester rather than second semester. At some schools, AP credit for chemistry or physics C may allow starting in a more advanced chemistry or physics course. Students with AP credit should try the college’s old final exams of courses that may be skipped to check their knowledge against the college’s expectations.
Thanks! I will have taken Calculus BC by the time I graduate, in addition to AP Chemistry, AP Physics 1, and AP Physics 2. Unfortunately, the only physics offered at my high school are algebra-based.
Note that general chemistry and organic chemistry courses tend to be large and filled with pre-meds, although some schools have separate sequences for chemistry majors versus biology majors (most pre-meds take the latter). Math and physics courses for physics majors can be quite large if they are shared with engineering majors.
