undergraduate in Maths and physics

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hi,</p>

<p>I'm from India and I've just graduated my secondary school. I'm planning to attend a BS Physics (and/or BS Math) course in the US for the Fall 2008 semester. The following is my basic academic profile:-</p>

<p>GPA - 3.85</p>

<p>SAT:- </p>

<p>Critical Reading - 570<br>
Math - 690<br>
Writing - 680</p>

<p>Total - 1940</p>

<p>I'm basically looking for good education worth the money I'm paying. I don't plan on getting into the "top most" schools. I just want to attend a university that will help me in my path of discovery, give me exposure to and make me feel comfortable in the academia while letting me mingle with other intellectually curious minds in an active environment. As for the specifics, I'm looking for a school with:-</p>

<p>Academically stimulating atmosphere,
Less outrageous tuition fee (somewhere around $25,000 or $30,000 OR lesser!)
Good amount of funding/scholarship from the university,
Good amount of emphasis on pure sciences and research in it,
Medium stundent body,
Decent student to faculty ratio,
Decent amount of reputation,
Good exposure to research</p>

<p>By the way, though I didn't have much information about them, I already applied for the following universities (and even got admitted in the first four):-</p>

<p>Illinois institute of technology, Chicago
Old Dominion university, VA
Montana State university, Bozeman, Montana
Polytechnic university, Brooklyn, NY
University of Alabama, Huntsville, Alabama</p>

<p>Is the above list of universities right for my needs?</p>

<p>Also, can any experienced person please give me a list of universities (apart from the above mentioned) that I should be keen on?</p>

<p>If you have any idea, can you also tell me what realistic expectations I should have if I'm gonna study in the US?</p>

<p>Regards.</p>

2

<p>I'm not sure it meets your financial considerations, and it's pretty prestigious, but U of Chicago sounds like the sort of academic climate you want.</p>

3

<p>I just went through the University of Chicago website. It seems like the sort of place made just for me! Too bad I didn't know of this university before. I have to submit my complete application within 12hrs....which is nearly impossible. Too bad.</p>

<p>Now, all I can do is look for other universities just as this one but with a rolling admission process. That would be most perfect. But, are there options? If there are, I would be very happy to know.</p>

<p>Thanks for your information though, jessiehl.</p>

<p>PS - I feel so bad right now <em>sigh</em></p>

4

<p>ugh! Its so unconventional, so insightful and so unique!! I can't believe I've missed this school!! </p>

<p>Is there any other university that is similar to this one? If so, please let me know as soon as possible.</p>

5

<p>I think Rice University sounds like a great fit for your interests. But I think the application deadline is TODAY!</p>

6

<p>Look into the University of Missouri-Rolla...they just changed thier name to Missouri University of Science and Technology. they're a strong math/science school.</p>

<p>Missouri</a> University of Science and Technology</p>

7

<p>The application deadline for most private schools have passed; you have to be look at almost state schools exclusively if you need rolling admission.</p>

<p>U of Chicago is a marvelous school; I kinda felt bad about not applying too.</p>

8

<p>U of Chicago is one of those places I would love to be in right now. I can't believe I missed it. Just the application process is so unbelievably awesome. It tells me how good my four years in there are going to be like. </p>

<p>I don't know...I find it so good that I might just consider spending a year here in a local university and then applying for it next year and going there (instead of going to another university in the US right away). It would be an awful awful waste if I don't get selected though. </p>

<p>I still can't believe I missed the chance just because I didn't look well enough.<em>darn it!!</em> </p>

<p>Anyway, what about the universities that I've already applied for? Are they any good? [Look at my first post for the list]</p>

9

<p>Chicago is way out of the league of any of the schools you applied to. It is one of the best undergraduate and graduate school in the nation. Most schools you applied to are second tier at best; I don't really know about them</p>

10

<p>Don't forget that if you ace your four years at a somewhat lesser-known school, there's always the possibility of going to U of Chicago for grad.</p>

<p>The schools on your list are not hugely well-known, so people here may not have much info about them unless they attend one of them. You should see if they have their own forums here, or if they have forums/online communities elsewhere (e.g. livejournal), where you can ask current students who would know better than we would.</p>

11

<p>Do you think it will be possible for me to gain admission into U of Chicago with some amount of scholarship with the sort of academic profile that I possess? </p>

<p>I hear that it is most selective...</p>

12

<p>Can anybody give me the list of first tier universities that may come close to suit my needs and still have their application process open?</p>

13

<p>The schools that you're looking at (as per OP) don't seem to stand out in terms of physics or math as per faculty productivity. However, Illinois Institute of Technology is mentioned in Ruggs' for math majors, and the other schools are certainly solid schools. Plus, if you do well in undergrad work, you can go just about anywhere for grad school.</p>

14

<p>The University of Chicago has a great program in both physics and math.</p>

15

<p>Another school similar to Chicago would be Reed, although I don't know when the deadline is.</p>

16

<p>I haven't read about Chicago meeting 100% of need for internationals, check on their policy. Beyond that, it's gotten tougher to get into. Just a guess, but I think your stats would make admission not very likely. If some of your other schools are offering you merit aid, it may be a better situation to come and work hard and pursue graduate school at a more prestigious institution. You absolutely can receive a solid education at a state school, especially if you choose rigorous coursework and apply yourself.</p>