Hello all,
This is my first post after years of stalking CC during my high school career. I was recently accepted to Emory University, and am deciding to join the Class of 2021. However, I do have a few questions about Emory’s academic offerings in both Mathematics and Physics since I am not able to garner much information from Google. I am aware that Emory is highly regarded as one of the top institutions for Biology and Chemistry, but what about the other spectrum of the sciences?
What are both subjects’ reputation at Emory? Are they highly reputable in academia and industry, or otherwise? Are the Physics and Maths instructors great at teaching, and do they assist undergraduates at a personal level, such as offering research opportunities? Finally, how well are Emory placement rates in graduate school in both disciplines?
@CivilTyranny : Physics is better at teaching to physics majors in my opinion, though both are considered weaker and physics is less popular disciplines than other sciences. I do not think teaching is as effective in math because of its size (this one is basically so subscribed to that it is stretched to its limits). If you love pure math, maybe use your AP credit and exploit a more challenging route. Students doing this have had a lot of success: http://college.emory.edu/main/php/news-modal.php?sid=2445d7c80ae720987c22aab74c0234bb
Even this almost Olympic level swimmer at Emory has had lots of success with math: http://news.emory.edu/stories/2016/06/er_swimmers_olympic_trials/campus.html
So at least you will be among top talent. You will just need to be a bit more independent to get the most from actual math courses and maybe take graduate courses or attempt to accelerate to advanced electives as early as possible. You can also consider a masters degree in it
Either way: You will most certainly place well for graduate school (especially physics-though note that Emory has a materials/biophysics slant but there are indeed lots of opps outside of that) and both are excellent at providing research opps. Physics is really cozy so if you are performing solidly, you will get great mentoring and you will be clued in on research opps either on-campus or REU programs (math not as nurturing but definitely looks out for talent and actually has one of the best REU programs in the country due to Ken Ono). I know this from the many friends I’ve had.
If not, maybe try QSS major which, at the upper division and intermediate courses tend to get better teachers from math and other departments.
*Both take care of students who show more aggressive interest in the subject. More popular depts tend to let talent fall through the cracks and not “prime” them as much, so in that sense I think those two have an edge.
@CivilTyranny
Some interesting articles about Ken Ono - a high profile mathematics professor at Emory University (previously at the University of Wisconsin).
https://www.quantamagazine.org/20160519-ken-ono-mathematician-inspired-by-ramanujan/
http://www.davidsongifted.org/Search-Database/entry/A10326
I concur with @bernie12 that a lot of the research in the physics department at Emory (whether at the Oxford or Emory campuses) is in the area of biophysics (physics as applied to biological systems).