<p>My major is physics but I don't know how to choose among these so help guys=)
I have also UCSB Gatech U of Virginia and Purdue but I thought the ones in title are better so.</p>
<p>Oh, this is really a tough one. Seriously, I’m even amazed you’re able to drop UVa, Gatech and UCSB from your list. 
</p>
<p>Here’s what I think:</p>
<p>Academic Prestige - UMich = JHU (but only very slightly) > Rice = UCLA = CMU<br>
Campus environment - Rice = UCLA > UMich > JHU/CMU
Subject strength - UMich = JHU = Rice > UCLA/CMU
Facilities - excellent! and maybe they’re all pretty even
Teaching standard - I have no idea. My guess is Rice, UMich and JHU are equal on top of the list
Research opportunities/standard on your subject area - My guess is UMich, JHU, Rice and equal again on top of the list
Opportunities After Graduation - equal</p>
<p>Didn’t you get into Berkeley?</p>
<p>what are the finances like? that should eliminate a couple of schools. However if you’re parents are financially well off and wont have to take out massive loans or change their life stye of living just to finance your education then have them fly you to the schools and get a feel for them.</p>
<p>i think from all the schools listed rice’s environment sounds ideal(for me).</p>
<p>Well, UCSB is actually very good for physics. Anyway, I’d probably opt for UCLA first. If you want a private school with a “richer” environment, I’d go for Rice.</p>
<p>For what it’s worth, the Ph.D. rankings in physics are as follows (in 1995… but these don’t change much over the years) –</p>
<p>NRC Rankings in Physics </p>
<p>1 Harvard 4.91
2 Princeton 4.89
3 MIT 4.87
4 Cal Berkeley 4.87
5 Cal Tech 4.81
6 Cornell 4.75
7 Chicago 4.69
8 Illinois 4.66
9 Stanford 4.53
10 Cal Santa Barbara 4.43
11 Texas 4.33
12 Columbia 4.25
13 Yale 4.21
14 Washington 4.20
15 UCLA 4.18
16 Cal San Diego 4.10
17 Penn 4.09
18 Maryland 4.02
19 Michigan 3.96
20 Rutgers 3.82
21 Wisconsin 3.79
22 SUNY Stony Brook 3.76
23 Minnesota 3.76
24 Ohio State 3.75
25 Rochester 3.65
26 Brown 3.60
27 Carnegie Mellon 3.56
28 Johns Hopkins 3.51
29 Rockefeller 3.46
30 Purdue 3.44
31 Michigan State 3.43
32 Indiana 3.37
33 Cal Irvine 3.37
34 CUNY 3.36
35 Florida 3.35
36 Northwestern 3.31
37 Colorado 3.30
38 Boston University 3.28
39 Pittsburgh 3.27
40 Rice 3.25
41 Florida State 3.25
42 Duke 3.25
43 Brandeis 3.25
44 Virginia 3.23</p>
<p>As you can see, the actual rankings when one speaks of a very specific area can be surprising… you happened to have picked the exact area in which UCSB surprises those outside the field… as does Illinois.</p>
<p>Thank you for your posts,I’m an international student and I will get scholarship from my country so money doesn’t matter because probably it will be a full ride with any college.The thing is this schools are academically similiar and I don’t have the chance to visit any of them.I want a school that I can both live a city life and to feel comfortably and remote from rush of the city.I know it’s much more important to get in a good grad school and there is no huge difference among these schools about it.So it would be great if you can advise me about student life and which would be the best fit.And no,I was rejected by Cal(was my first choice:( )</p>
<p>Also I’m waiting for Stanford Cornell and Columbia but I don’t think any of these schools will accept me.</p>
<p>It really depends where you want to live. Do you want a diverse city? (Los Angeles, Baltimore) College Town (Michigan). Huge campus and student body (UCLA, MIchigan) Smaller place (Rice JHU) </p>
<p>Personally, I would choose between UCLA and Michigan.</p>
<p>That said, if you get into Stanford, Columbia or Cornell, I would readjust the list.</p>
<p>1) Stanford and Columbia (TOUGH choice I don’t know what I would do)
2) Cornell
3) UCLA
4) Michigan</p>
<p>I would prefer a rather small campus but a diverse city.Btw what do you think about rates of sending students to grad school,I mean my ultimate goal is to get into a top grad program.</p>
<p>Small campus/diverse city would likely be Rice. Stanford is a big campus but has a small feel.</p>
<p>In your case I’d opt for the privates, there will be more hand holding at privates than at state schools, which could make the difference in getting you to a top grad school.</p>
<p>I’m going to vote for rice, because the city rice is in plus the residential campus just adds to the experience.</p>
<p>small campus and diverse city is between Rice and JHU.</p>
<p>JHU’s prestige > Rice
Financially, Rice is stronger than JHU, though JHU reaps in a TON more research dollars than Rice and has just raised $3.74 Billion in donations towards improving everything.
For Physics, JHU has some amazing faculty members, as does Rice, but JHU has the dude who helped discover Dark Energy and is primed for a nobel sometime soon. Also, the facilities at both schools are amazing. You can’t go wrong.</p>
<p>Those you mentioned are all good schools in two different categories.</p>
<p>For public institutions, I think UCLA is better than UMichi for some reasons. (academic, weather, international name recognition, etc)</p>
<p>For private institutions, Rice = JHU > CMU is my preference.</p>
<p>I’m You, UCLA is not better than Michigan academically. </p>
<p>Internationally, both are highly regarded, Michigan slightly more in Europe and UCLA slightly more in Asia. I assume you come from Koera. In Korea, UCLA probably has a stronger reputation than Michigan. But where I have lived (France, German, the UK and the Middle East), Michigan tends to be more recognized than UCLA.</p>
<p>UCLA does indeed have milder weather.</p>
<p>UCLA > or = UMich > Rice > CMU > JHU
But I’m biased towards Michigan.</p>
<p>Based on your preference clarifications, I’d pick Hopkins. You’ll find more international students with whom to affiliate at Hopkins than Rice, the ranking is marginally better, and the weather is MUCH better. DC is not that far away and it’s a fantastic city.</p>
<p>^ Houston has better weather during the fall/winter than Baltimore…IMO.</p>
<p>^^ Baltimore better weather than Houston? Agree with UCB. Students aren’t at Rice in the summer which is the only bad time. Flip flops in February v. cold rain and sleet.</p>
<p>it’s humid all year round in Houston. IF you enjoy humidity, go there :)</p>