HI,
i got admitted to RPI. RPI is very known for engineering and CS degrees. Does anyone have any idea about physics undergraduate program? can you share your experience too. any Co-ops and internship opportunities?
Thanks.
By reputation, RPI would be excellent for physics.
RPI’s physics program is ranked 6th in the nation by USA today and top 50 for physics by US News. Personally, everyone I know that’s doing physics is nothing less than a genius. My friend Justin took Quantum Physics I his first semester at RPI and is now taking Quantum Physics II. In his junior year, he’s going to be taking classes in nuclear fusion. We have a lot of crazy physics classes at RPI… to say the least. My friend also is working at the particle accelerator part time. Another one of my friends who is also a physics major is doing research with a professor and is going this summer to CalTech to do laser research. I kid you not, these kids are freshman. It blows my mind every day to be around them.
RPI also has some crazy facilities which include a particle accelerator, one of the most powerful supercomputers in the world, the largest chemical centrifuge in the world, a very well known earthquake research center, and a nuclear reactor. A lot of astronauts have also graduated from RPI, with a least a couple being from the physics department. A girl from the department was also awarded a Fulbright Award very recently (a few days ago).
To quote some things from RPI’s website:
"According to USA Today, Rensselaer “only accepts top candidates. Science and math programs encourage students to develop analytical and problem-solving skills. The physics, applied physics and astronomy department offers an undergraduate physics program that allows students to learn fundamental laws along with new concepts in an interactive and hands-on environment. … RPI offers numerous undergraduate research programs that allow students to co-write and present findings that contribute to the advancement of the field. The average early career salary for an RPI graduate with a physics degree is $60,000, increasing to $92,000 at the mid-career level.”
“The Rensselaer Department of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy conducts both fundamental and applied research, often in collaboration with researchers from other Rensselaer departments, universities, industry, and the national laboratories. The department has received several national awards, including the Boeing Outstanding Educator Award, Pew Leadership Award, and Hesburgh Award.”
In terms of co-ops, NASA is a very popular one as well as various national laboratories. MIT, CalTech, and others also come and grab kids every year. Planetary Resources (the asteroid mining company) also came this year looking for physics majors. I’m not very familiar with what companies come specifically beyond that, but I know that there are a lot of opportunities available for physics majors in that regard. There are also many internships and research opportunities available for undergraduates at RPI as early as freshman year.
Links:
https://news.rpi.edu/content/2017/04/13/rensselaer-graduate-student-wins-fulbright-award
https://science.rpi.edu/physics/news/usa-today-ranks-rensselaer-6th-among-top-us-colleges-major-physics
http://biotech.rpi.edu/facilities/nuclear-magnetic-resonance-research-nmr
https://www.rpi.edu/dept/ne/public_html/RCF.html
http://www.nees.rpi.edu/
PM me if you have any specific questions and I can get you in contact with some kids I know!
For perspective, you cannot take Quantum Physics I unless you’ve already completed Physics I and Physics II. It’s a very challenging course.