Safety school for physics (undergraduate)

<p>Hi, can someone recommend me some safety schools for physics? It would be preferred if the school also had a good math department.</p>

<p>GPA (Unweighted): 4.00
My SAT: 2280 superscore composite (800 Math 750 Critical Reading 730 Writing)
SAT II: 800 Math 800 Physics
8 AP exams taken so far. 4 or 5 on all AP exams
Bad extracurricular activities. I'm a member of some clubs but I discovered them in 10th and 11th grade. I'm not in any leadership positions. I tutor a lot though.
I'm Asian. Permanent resident.</p>

<p>I would prefer if there is no essay required to apply. (If the college uses common application, no supplement)</p>

<p>Okay thanks for reading and replying if you do.</p>

<p>bump ``````</p>

<p>Canadian schools are safeties for you. They are strictly numerical. You got the numbers.</p>

<p>McGill University
University of Toronto
University of British Columbia</p>

<p>University of Wisconsin-Madison doesn’t use the common app, and has 2 essays, but you can write them in an hour and they won’t matter anyway because you’ll pretty much be an automatic admit. You can apply in September and be admitted in October. This seems like the ideal safety because you’ll have an acceptance to a great school before the next application is even due. </p>

<p>Northeastern, Case Western, and RPI do not have essays and should be safeties.</p>

<p>UC Davis is a good safety I think. They love Asians here for some reason :P</p>

<p>Thank you. I will look into and consider all those schools.</p>

<p>How much can you afford? What’s your home state?</p>

<p>My home state is Colorado. I can afford any amount as long as it’s not ridiculous and appropriate to the school. An extreme example: I wouldn’t pay $54000 a year for community college, but I could if the school was Harvard.</p>

<p>Basically, my family makes enough money that I probably won’t receive financial aid. I can afford any college in $55000 annually or under but I won’t spend any more money than I have to.</p>

<p>I would think your local state schools like U Colorado Boulder might be good since it’s in state and would be cheaper.</p>

<p>UC Davis will cost that much. Your call on whether that’s ridiculous.</p>

<p>As an international student those Canadian schools will likely cost you between $15k and $30k. Look at McGill in particular because it seems to have low prices for internationals. I believe that after health insurance, an arts degree at McGill is between 15 and 16k.</p>

<p>@Erin’s Dad: Isn’t $55 000 ridiculous?! You could buy a luxury car for that, heck for the $220 000 price tag of the degree you could buy a house!</p>

<p>Your instate flagship, CU Boulder is well regarded for physics across a wide variety of subfields ranging from geophysics to condensed matter physics. It would make an outstanding safety and is much more cost effective than other potential OOS safeties. There is an essay, but you could probably write in Swahili and still get in.</p>

<p>Might look at Holy Cross -very good physics department and nice campus not too far from Boston. HC offers good financial aid.</p>

<p>Lawrence would be a true safety with good merit aid. Reed if it appeals to you (visit to be sure) and you can afford it. Carleton is likely a match for you if you don’t already have it on your list, and they have pretty good physics.</p>

<p>CU - Boulder would be an obvious one.</p>

<p>Other than in-state public schools, Stony Brook and Minnesota are obvious lower cost choices (between $30,000 and $35,000 per year for out-of-state) with good reputations for physics. Hawaii - Manoa offers the WUE discounted tuition.</p>

<p>University of Illinois and University of Michigan - although both on the expensive side - are strong in Math and Physics.</p>

<p>UC Santa Cruz is strong in Physics.</p>

<p>As mentioned Lawrence University. It is a top 10 undergraduate producer of Physics PhD’s and the Asian demographic is likely a plus. You will have good access to research projects with faculty, funded summer programs and it is required for a capstone project. If you are accepted, you can learn more about the school by attending a Feb physics workshop where the department shows itself off in an attempt to attract your acceptance.
[Lawrence</a> Physics Workshop (21-22 Feb 2014) | Lawrence University](<a href=“http://www.lawrence.edu/academics/study/physics/physics_workshop]Lawrence”>Lawrence Physics Workshop | Lawrence University)</p>

<p>Another vote for Lawrence.
For one of the above-mentioned OOS public universities, you’re likely looking at $40K-$50K / year. Full sticker at Lawrence is about $50K. However, for 2012-13, 117 Lawrence freshmen (out of 412) received merit aid averaging $17,324. You’ll get more personal attention at a school like Lawrence (probably for a much lower cost.)</p>

<p>Thank you. I am a semifinalist (maybe finalist) for National Merit Scholarship from PSAT. I wonder if that changes anything.</p>