Hi everyone! I was admitted as an undergraduate transfer student to MIT and Harvard College for Fall 2015. I am now stuck deciding between the two. Which one do you think is better for studying experimental condensed matter physics or just physics in general?
As an undergraduate you will be studying physics in general with possibly a course in condensed matter. You will not specialize in it apart from any research you might get involved in. This kind of specialization is for graduate schoo, specifically a Ph.D.
That being said, congratulations! Both programs are perfectly fine for physics and will provide you with a strong background plus opportunities to get involved in research. You can comfortably choose either one.
Aren’t those two colleges near each other (geographically)?
Yeah, basically next door…
Thank you for answers! Do you think there are any other factors I should consider before making a final decision?
Student life, undergraduate curriculum, etc. Despite being a few blocks apart, the two are quite different.
Would you mind telling more about them? I’d love to visit the campuses but I am international so it’s rather complicated.
MIT is a technical university. It has a smaller student body and most of the students are in an engineering or science program. Harvard has a larger undergraduate student body and while it has engineering programs they are a smaller fraction of the student body. It is more of a liberal arts kind of university.
MIT does have significantly heavier general education requirements than Harvard, does, however. Look them up to see how suitable the overall requirements at each school are for you.
Subscribing to hear other informed input. I’m curious about sub-field strengths for the respective physics departments. Both should have formidable physics facilities, but MIT may have an edge there. Also curious about cross-registration for physics.
As an undergraduate, physics sub-fields are more or less irrelevant. Cross-registration is as well since both universities offer the full undergraduate menu of courses. What you mention is far more important for graduate students.
May I ask what your stats are, Curraniti? Getting in as a transfer to Harvard and MIT, wow I didn’t even know that was possible! Good job!
MIT’s student body is composed of science, engineering, and math majors, for the most part.
Harvard has way more liberal arts majors. Fewer STEM majors.
I think MIT has a fair variety of liberal arts classes though, in case you’re ever interested in taking a few electives in that kind of stuff. Harvard of course has the full pallet. I think it depends on what you want. If you want just a focus on physics, perhaps MIT will be a better environment. Being surrounded by like-minded individuals might be better for exchanging ideas surrounding your topic. Meanwhile, if you want to branch out and try a bunch of other subjects as well, perhaps Harvard will help you get other points of views beyond just STEM.
A quick search of MIT Physics Dept Research and Harvard Physics Dept Research shows that they both have research areas in experimental condensed matter & theoretical condensed matter. Seeing as they’re both next door to each other, I’m willing to bet there’s a lot of collaboration between the two faculties.
http://web.mitDOTedu/physics/research/abcp/areas.html
https://www.physics.harvardDOTedu/research/facresearch
(substitute DOT for .)
Look at the facilities the two schools have. For undergraduate I doubt you’ll ever truly reap the full benefits of such programs unless you get involved in undergrad research. You can also try giving the schools’ respective physics departments a call to ask them about their condensed matter programs, explain that you’re an international student and can’t come to visit the schools. Sometimes schools send representatives over seas to meet with international students (not necessarily to meet with an individual student, but to attract students, orientations, things like that.)