Hi Everyone,
It has been a grueling couple of months and kind of glad that it is over now (well, not quite… ). I would like to major in Physics and here are the choices I have:
Purdue - aid
U Minn - aid
NEU
Wailisted:
UIUC - I feel this may come thru
Brandeis
Case
Wisconsin Madison
NYU
The money is not to much of a problem, my parents will support me wherever I decide to go.
Would like your input on the choices I have including the waitlisted ones.
Thank you very much
Sami
Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, in that order according to the research physicist I am chatting with
Thank you for your response @fauve . My parents would like me to consider NEU or Case(if I get off the WL) list because they are private and according to them, I have a better shot at grad school from the private institutions than the large public schools. Would you have any input to that argument ? However my top choices are very much in line with your recommendations .
According to my ‘expert’ you want to go to the most highly ranked physics program and Illinois is in the top ten and Wisconsin is close to that, NEU and Case are reasonable second tier in physics, while Illinois and WI are top tier in physics. Being private will not make a difference in grad school applications in physics unless they are more highly ranked in the field, which in this case, they are not.
For privates, Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Princeton, CalTech are top-ranked in physics.
Your response makes me feel a lot better. I have presented the same argument to my parents but their main worry is for me to be able to keep my gpa in large schools which is a critical aspect of my grad school application packet. I am really hoping that I come off the WL for either Illinois or Wisc Mad. Thank you very much for taking the time to get back to me.
You’re welcome.
While the GPA is very important, the undergraduate research experience is equally important. Whichever path you choose, use office hours to meet with professors, find the best experiments to join, and keep up the GPA.
Thank you @fauve . Hoping to do all of that in college.
None of the schools in your list are in the top 10 for producing students going on to Physics PhDs.
http://www.thecollegesolution.com/the-colleges-where-phds-get-their-start/
They do all happen to be private schools in the top 10. But that does not mean you can’t get there from a public university, plenty of students do. I agree that undergrad research experience is key.
Was accepted to Reed class of 2020. Any thoughts on how this changes my list? I have obsessed over Reed the past couple of years and now it is decision time and I am completely confused. How will Reed provide me the undergrad experience that grad schools look for? Reed’s location definitely seems like a disadvantage when you compare with Boston . Any inputs will be much appreciated.
http://www.finaid.org/calculators/awardletteradvanced.phtml
Run the numbers with your parents.
It really, truly is OK for you to contact the various Physics departments and ask them which graduate schools their students have gone on to in recent years, and which research internships their students have held during the summers.
If you have a specific sub-field of Physics that interests you, spend some time reading through the courses offered at each place, and the research each professor has been involved in.
Thank you for the suggestion @happymomof1 . It is time I start digging into the details of each Physics department regarding grad school placement and reserach internships offered. Don’t really have a sub-field in mins as yet but will certainly look into the courses offered by each department.
The financial aspect is a big part of college decisions and will be spending time with the parents to understand the numbers. Thank you again
Show your parents the chart I linked to. Reed is hands down the best at placing students into Physics PhD programs of the choices you have. If you like the school (have you visited? You should before accepting) and your parents can afford it, I think your decision just got easier.
Also talk to your parents about correlation and causation.
It isn’t private schools that get you into a PhD program…(causation)
It is because physics PhD students are very smart people and elite private schools attracted very smart people.
Being a standout at a public school will also help you to get into a phd program.
@intparent - I was considering doing ED to Reed but changed my mind last minute. I loved the school when the visited last fall. However the ‘counter culture’ did jump out at me. At this point in my life, I am very sure of grad school/PhD. But my parents are worried that I may find Physics too difficult to pursue and Reed has pretty limited choice of majors. I come from a very competitive school so I believe I should be okay dealing with the intense academics at Reed. My parents are worried that Reed is not mainstream and so they are very hesitant. I am very confused. I am looking forward to RAD to clear my confusion and make a decision one way or another.
Thanks @bopper . Good point about smart people majoring in Physics and ultimately proceeding to the PhD track. Never thought of that.
Look, if you couldn’t handle the academics, the school would probably not have admitted you. It’s not THAT hard… if it was, nobody could do it. And, honestly, if it isn’t hard, what is the point of doing it?
I don’t understand how we have a limited choice of majors lol. For a tiny school I think we offer a substantial number of options… I literally have wanted to major in everything. If not physics, then what? Comp sci? Math? Economics? You could do a lot…