Other possibilities relating to interest in MIT, CalTech

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hello everyone,</p>

<p>I ran across this site, and found it to, quite frankly, be amazing. I've been looking around for a good 20 minutes, and I decided to post to see what kind of response I can get from you guys on my college decision process.</p>

<p>Starting from the top, I have been working very hard during my junior year of high school to make sure that I look like a good choice for my top schools. Unfortunately, I like to set the bar nice and high; my top choices are MIT and CalTech. I have been obsessing over MIT for about a year and a half now -- if MIT accepted on interest, I'd be accepted in a heartbeat. Because I have set my standards high, I have been advised to (and I think it is best to) have a good list of other schools that would interest me that may not be as demanding in the acceptance process. </p>

<p>As of now, my interests lie in mathematics, physics (modern physics strikes me as particularly interesting), and computers. I am definately a nerd; I spent almost 2 hours on Friday before going to a party researching hydrogen bombs and fusion on Wikipedia. I, prospectively, will have taken 4 years of high school math, and 2 years of college math by the end of my senior year, including both Statistics and Calculus AP next year. (What can I say, I like math.) I also have taken a first-year physics course, and intend on taking another physics course next year at a local community college out of my own free will, if that says anything about my interest in physics. I am also very interested in computers, though I don't know if that will be an interest to major in. I honestly don't know what I would like to major in, since I don't believe I have a feel for all the majors that are out there.</p>

<p>After weeks of searching around and listening to what people have to say about various colleges and universities, I have made a small list of places that I would like to apply to (or would like to consider applying to). That list would be (in order of interest):</p>

<p>MIT
CalTech
Harvey Mudd
Stanford
UPenn
UC Berkeley</p>

<p>There are a few in there that I don't think fit me perfectly (Stanford and UC Berkeley), but the rest I believe would be good choices to fit my interests. Now, I come to you guys to give me a little advice about universities that might fit me, or universities that I have shown interest in that wouldn't fit me. Any information is awesome; I really love to talk about colleges and what I could be doing in the future, and I would like to have some safety schools if I am aiming too high.</p>

<p>Discuss. :)</p>

<p>(Thanks! If anyone would like to contact me, throw me an email: <a href="mailto:kajitox@gmail.com">kajitox@gmail.com</a> )</p>

2

<p>Doesn't fit:</p>

<p>UPenn
and if you're out of state I wouldn't recommend Berkeley.</p>

<p>Consider maybe:</p>

<p>Chicago
Carnegie Mellon
Columbia
Rice
Cornell
Harvard (can cross-reg w/ MIT)</p>

<p>this is just based on your academic interests (math/physics/comp sci), now if you had an idea of what you'd like in a school personality-wise, you can probably strike a bunch of schools from that list.</p>

3

<p>Based on the vivid description of yourself, I'd say you're right on track with MIT, Caltech. The thing is, you obviously love science and academics is the most important thing in choosing your school. Harvey Mudd is superb in engineering, but I dunno if it can outdo either of your two prior choices in physics. As far as academics are concerned, I think your list is fairly accurate. I'll tell you that although you may have done so already, to get accepted to any of the top 4 choices, you're gonna need somehting like research or internship to really distinguish yourself. However, given your description of yourself I'd doubt that you haven't taken care of this already. I don't really know how you feel about the social life at the school you choose, how relevant is it to you? Anyhow, good luck, you should be fine wherever you go, because even at #5 on your list, there's more than enough potential for you to rise above the "crowd" and make yourself a stand-out even though Berkeley might not quite be where #1, 2, 3, 4 are.</p>

4

<p>Wow you sound a lot like me two years ago. I also obsessed over MIT for a while until I saw the light that is Caltech ;-). </p>

<p>I'm a current physics major at Caltech (the current preferred spelling fyi), but I applied to (intending to major in physics then):</p>

<p>Caltech
MIT
Princeton
Harvey Mudd
Stanford
U Chicago
Northwestern (semi-safety)
U Colorado, Boulder (safety, in state)
Colorado School of Mines (safety, in state)</p>

<p>They're roughly ordered in my preferences then, and they're what I felt to be the top schools in undergraduate physics education (for me at least). I also meant to apply to Berkeley (OOS), but I really hated their application - it was very constricting, and so I never finished it. </p>

<p>I suggest that you check out all of the departments online and look at the research groups. See which ones really interest you.</p>

<p>Also, if there's anyway you can arrange to do some research this summer (perhaps at the college where you took classes - beg a professor or something), that will really help you get into MIT/Caltech. </p>

<p>If you have any questions about Caltech (or physics I suppose), feel free to PM me.</p>

5

<p>I'm sure that MIT and Caltech are this way with these specific programs, but HMC particularly has a very successful Engineering, Math, and Physics program. (I didn't include Chemistry because I think it is evil.)</p>

<p>Everyone at HMC is required to do research/clinic. I feel that although HMC does not have the extensive resources as larger schools, it has by far the most facilities available per undergraduate capita. In physics, this means that you will most likely be assured a spot working in NMR laboratories.</p>

<p>In mathematics, we have an abnormally high level of success in the William Putnam Pure Mathematics Competition and take home the highest honors (for 9 years now...10-12 teams get this) in the MCM Applied Mathematics Competition. (per capita of total student body, we represent 30-60 times MIT representation in the top 12)</p>

6

<p>Try Carnegie Mellon....maybe Columbia? You are reaching high, so why not?
I have been obsessing over MIT also.</p>

7

<p>Physics and Math eh?</p>

<p>California Institute of Technology
Columbia University
Cornell University
Harvard University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Princeton University
Stanford University
University of California-Berkeley
University of Chicago
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Yale University</p>

<p>Although CMU is excellent in CS and Engineering, it is actually not that great in Math and Physics.</p>

8

<p>First off, thanks for all the responses!</p>

<p>I have heard quite a bit about internships and "research", and I am wondering what you guys mean by research. </p>

<p>As for internships, I am applying for an internship at California Lutheran University (about 1 minute from my home...walking) and I would love to be able to have that to distinguish me, however the person that is in charge of it informed me that it is a 50+ hr/week committment, and I'm not sure how well I could fulfill that.</p>

<p>If I am looking for other internships, where else do I look? Perhaps at my father's job?</p>

<p>Thanks again!</p>

<p>EDIT: Also, I am in California, so a California school would most likely be my backup. If you need anymore background in order to narrow down the list a little better, feel free to ask!</p>

9

<p>Apolloae,
This was my son's list:
MIT
Caltech
Harvey Mudd
Stanford
Princeton
Rochester Institute of Technology
Rensselaer Polytechnic
Sonoma State
Cal Poly San Luis Obispo</p>

<p>He had good results, and I think it helped a lot that he had research experience (and was an Intel Semifinalist with a project, among other ECs). Sonoma and Cal Poly SLO were his safeties -- Sonoma has a GREAT undergrad astronomy program (GLAST research under Dr. Kominsky), believe it or not. CP SLO was a big disappointment (lost our check, lost parts of app, and finally Son told them 'forget it'). The first returns were Rensselaer and RIT with nice fin. aid, and Son would have been happy to attend either. We were excited about Harvey Mudd -- it's a super undergrad college. His interest in Caltech diminished when he found out that their CS major is rudimentary, Stanford and Princeton he liked okay, but MIT beat everything. I asked Son why, and he said "It's the people." It's true -- students, profs, admissions and other admin, researchers, everyone seems really great in a lot of ways.</p>

<p>I wish you the best of luck.</p>

10

<p>Thanks for your insight, I am definately going to make a few changes to my list, this has helped me see other schools that I probably would have overlooked.</p>

<p>However, I am still wondering what this research project is...since it's an idea that I might want to work on...</p>

11

<p>Best advice, is...if there is no research class at your school, find a national science fair to enter perhaps in your area or further away depending. This will show that you have the initiative to work, and the motivation to make things happen. If you do well in the Science Fair, this will help tremendously.</p>

12

<p>Alright, I have asked my father and his job does provide internships; he happens to know someone that takes in interns frequently, so I might have a link there.</p>

<p>Thanks a lot to all of you, I'm sure I'll be back to pick at your brains soon!</p>

13

<p>Here are three that others will probably never tell you about:
Reed (only undergrad run nuclear reactor in country)
Notre Dame (Has three particle accelerators awesome in nuclear physics)
U of Washington (great large school with hella resources in nuclear physics)</p>

14

<p>consider Olin school of engineering</p>

15

<p>The list of top future-PhD-producing schools for your fields:</p>

<p>Math&CompSci Sci&Eng Physics</p>

<p>1 CalTech CalTech CalTech
2 HarMudd HarMudd HarMudd
3 MIT MIT MIT
4 Reed Reed NM Institute of Mining
5 Rice Swarthmore Reed
6 Princeton Carleton U Chicago
7 U Chicago U Chicago Princeton
8 CarMellon Rice Carleton
9 StJohn's Princeton Marlboro
10 Pomona Haverford Rice</p>

16

<p>Oh yes, don't forget about Olin...that is a great school.</p>

17

<p>but OP is not an engineering prospective. =\ olin is a terrible choice for non-engineers.</p>

18

<p>Gourman Report ranking for physics:
Caltech
Harvard
Cornell
Princeton
MIT
UC Berkeley
Stanford
U Chicago
U Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Columbia
Yale
Georgia Tech
UC San Diego
UCLA
U Penn
U Wisconsin Madison
U Washington
U Michigan Ann Arbor
U Maryland College Park
UC Santa Barbara
U Texas Austin
Carnegie Mellon
U Minnesota
RPI
Brown
Johns Hopkins
Michigan State
Notre Dame
SUNY Stony Brook
Case Western
Northwestern
U Rochester
U Pittsburgh
Penn State University Park
U Colorado Boulder</p>

19

<p>Very nice list, I'm glad it's corresponding with where I'm interested in going. Now the problem is finding internships. Where are popular places to look to getting an internship at?</p>

20

<p>wait, collegehelp, why is HMC not on that list?</p>