<p>So I'm an international student (Canadian) wanting to transfer to the US for physics, and there are a lot of nice physics schools like UCSB, but I just don't think I can justify paying over 50k per year, no matter how nice the school is. Can anyone recommend me some places with less ridiculous OOS costs and comparable physics programs?</p>
<p>Forget public schools and focus on private ones then try to get lots of aid.</p>
<p>Are the majority of schools pretty open to transfer students? It’s too bad really I think it would have been awesome to go to SB.</p>
<p>Why do you want to transfer? Are you planning to just do an undergrad?</p>
<p>What school is SB?</p>
<p>*Forget public schools and focus on private ones then try to get lots of aid. *</p>
<p>I doubt that someone who can afford to pay $50k per year would qualify for aid, much less “lots of aid.”</p>
<p>What are your stats?</p>
<p>^mom2, SB is UC Santa Barbara, I think.
Also, I’ve heard that UCSB isn’t necessarily good for undergrad, but is great for grad.</p>
<p>UCSB is a diamond in the rough when it comes to Physics. THere are 2 or 3 Nobel prize winners there. They also have the College of Creative Studies, a special program. It graduated one of the Nobel Prize winners this year, Carol Greider of JHU.</p>
<p>@starbright</p>
<p>I want to go to grad school in the US as well and I’m not happy with the physics department in my provincial university in Canada. I feel that it would benefit me to be in the states with a lot of profs I respect and be able to make some connections for grad school, while at the same time getting the ‘college experience’ that I don’t get here.</p>
<p>Where have you applied besides UCSB?</p>
<p>BTW…I don’t think you’re going to find a good school in physics that will cost much less than $50k per year for an int’l.</p>
<p>@mom2collegekids</p>
<p>I actually haven’t applied anywhere (gonna be applying for NEXT year) I’d just like to get an idea of where I should apply</p>
<p>I had just heard a lot of other people in the UCSB forums saying how ridiculous 50k a year was, so I was thinking I’d be able to find cheaper places. But from what you’re saying, internationals pay more than out of state students, so if that’s true then yeah.</p>
<p>How about the University of Florida? I have no idea how it ranks, but I have a friend in the Physics department and it looks to be about the same size as the dept. at UCSB. Probably similar weather if that’s what you want. Oos tuition is under 20K I think.</p>
<p>Gourman UNDERGRADUATE physics
top physics programs according to the Gourman Report, listed in rank order:
Caltech
Harvard
Cornell
Princeton
MIT
UC Berkeley
Stanford
U Chicago
U Illinois UC
Columbia
Yale
Georgia Tech
UC San Diego
UCLA
U Pennsylvania
U Wisconsin Madison
U Washington
U Michigan AA
U Maryland CP
UC Santa Barbara
U Texas Austin
Carnegie Mellon
U Minnesota
RPI
Brown
JHU
Michigan St
Notre Dame
SUNY Stony Brook
Case Western
Northwestern
U Rochester
U Pittsburgh
Penn State
U Colorado Boulder</p>
<p>*But from what you’re saying, internationals pay more than out of state students, so if that’s true then yeah. *</p>
<p>Not all publics charge int’ls more than out-of-state students. BTW…Do the UC schools charge int’ls more than they do OOS students?</p>
<p>I do not know of a single public university that charges international students more than OOS US students. Of course, international students have to pay for medical insurance (both at private and public universities) and for more expensive plane tickets to go back home, but actual tuition and Room of Board does not change for international students.</p>
<p>This said, I assume your family’s financial situation warrants financial aid. If that’s the case, you should target universities that give generous FA to international students.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the info everyone. At this point I’m not sure if any schools would let me in anyway! I have kind of a strange situation.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>Completely unnecessary for US graduate school. Now I can’t speak for your particular college or experience, of course, but if grad school is the main factor, you can easily go to a great Canadian school (for what, $6k yr in tuition?), work with faculty who are reknowned in physics, do research with them. They can then guide you into US grad school (writing the very important letters on your behalf). Also you likely won’t go to grad. school where you did your undergraduate degree.</p>
<p>Among scientists, there is no US/Canada border-- they are one and the same, often trained in one country, working in another, with coauthors, research etc. in both countries. Which country you go to grad school is not relevant (though of course, finding the right school for you on other dimensions may mean south of the border given the wide variety). </p>
<p>Send me a PM if you like and I can explain more.</p>
<p>@starbright</p>
<p>I do appreciate that…but it comes down to me transferring in any case, and if it’s affordable (or slightly more expensive) I’d think it’s worth it to go to the states.</p>
<p>On the list of physics schools collegehelp posted, UMinn and SUNY-Stony Brook are known to have lower OOS tuition than most state schools. You might want to look into those.</p>
<p>Transfer to a better physics school in Canada. Toronto, Waterloo, Alberta, and UBC all come to mind.</p>
<p>If you must look at the US, I second schrizto’s recommendations of UMN and Stony Brook.</p>
<p>UMN is pretty much the only one I can think of. It’s USD$25000/year OOS</p>