<p>Hi! I will begin attending the College of William and Mary in the fall, where I plan to major in physics, with the intent of going into research, probably in quantum physics or astrophysics. However, I have begun to worry that, because I'm not going to an Ivy League or something of that tier (e.g. MIT, Cal. Tech, Stanford), I will not be able to get into high-caliber research after graduate school. Is this a reasonable worry, or do you think WM will be enough to send me where I would like to go? Thank you!</p>
<p>Your undergraduate school barely even matters after you get a doctorate. People will see the name on your grad school diploma long before they see your undergraduate degree. Your academic abilities and knowledge of the field will be a far bigger factor in your research options than will the name on your diploma.</p>
<p>Greetings Physicsguy12</p>
<p>I made this account just so I could offer you some advice. </p>
<p>The prestige of a physics university is only one factor when graduate school’s review you for potential admission. In the grad setting, you app will go to a board of professors, possibly a few senior graduate students and associate faculty. They understand (even the most competitive programs) that not everyone can attend a top 20 university. </p>
<p>But, as in all things, there is also only so much room and money. I strongly advise you to look into a REU program in addition to your on campus research. </p>
<p>On campus opportunities: [William</a> & Mary -*Research and Scholarship](<a href=“http://www.wm.edu/research/index.php]William”>Research & Scholarship | William & Mary)
Off Campus opportunities: [US</a> NSF - REU - List Result](<a href=“Search Results for REU Sites | NSF - National Science Foundation”>REU Sites | NSF - National Science Foundation)</p>
<p>Find a field that interests you that is available, and contact that professor directly. Honestly, they’re always looking for capable and free labor. Try to stick with one project (one professor) for a period of time. They need dedication and hard-work more than genius. It’s incredibly frustrating to spend time training someone, mentoring them, and have them leave without giving anything in return. </p>
<p>Ideally you’d like your name on paper. To do that, you must prove you’re capable of handling independent work. It’s rare that a undergrad has a first-name paper, but getting one solidifies an otherwise weak app.</p>
<p>Additional advice: </p>
<p>Get STRONG letter of rec’s. I mean strong. Ideally a prof you did research with. </p>
<p>Your letter of purpose will be incredibly important. You have time to think on that ;)</p>
<p>Score high on the pGRE. While it’s not a deciding factor, it’s the only standardized data that is available to show how x student compares to y student’s knowledge irrespective of institution. There is ample online study material available. It’s a challenging test. </p>
<p>Maintain a high GPA <3.5. Especially if your university doesn’t have a strong reputation in physics (top 20), you’ll want to show that what was thrown at you was no problem.</p>
<p>Try to take some graduate courses if possible.</p>
<p>Like the poster above me said, undergrad isn’t nearly as important. However, you’ll need to play your cards well to make the leap into LAC to research heavy grad school. Bottom line: They want to be sure you’re capable of producing papers. Make sure they know you can. </p>
<p>Cheers!</p>
<p>I went to UVA undergrad and got into multiple top 5 grad schools for physics. Some of the people I met on the open houses were going to colleges I have never heard of. Do well in your courses/pGRE, do some research/REUs, and get good recs. You’ll be fine. Being at a “lower tier” school just means you have to look for opportunities yourself instead of having them pointed out to you because of all of the other high-achieving students in the same department.</p>
<p>Having some research experience as an undergrad as well as three solid letters of recommendation will help you get into a good grad school (don’t forget good grades and a good statement of intent). You can do interesting research at many grad schools, not just the HYPSM’s. Do well in grad school, and if staying in academia is your intention, get a good post-doc.</p>
<p>You’re just starting your undergrad degree, you’re worrying about post-grad school stuff way too early.</p>
<p>Thank you all so much for your advice, I feel a bit better now!</p>