<p>Forgetting about finances and focusing Mostly on the academic aspects,</p>
<p>Which school would be a better choice for someone interested in studying physics and later probably astrophysics? Also, what would be the best choice in terms of getting into graduate school as well?</p>
<p>Thanks a lot for everyone opinions!</p>
<p>Cross posted on the Columbia forum</p>
<p>I would say it depends on what kind of physics you are interested in. UChicago has a strong program in theoretical physics. If you want a more practical approach, Columbia is a better choice.</p>
<p>I know more than a couple first years doing research (here at UChicago) already. Furthermore, I also know people doing stuff with FermiLab and LHC. UChicago also has a pretty solid “Society of Physics Students” ([UChicago</a> Society of Physics Students - Home](<a href=“http://uchicagosps.org/]UChicago”>http://uchicagosps.org/)) who have weekly talks (that include deep dish pizza) on their research. All this to say, there are TONS of opportunities for research here. I’m sure there is at Columbia as well, but I can’t speak for them.</p>
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<p>Well, not quite… Let’s put it this way. The classes are very theoretical (as they should be - this will prepare you for graduate school more than anything). On the other hand, your research doesn’t have to be. Remember, Chicago has Yerkes Observatory, and many of the astrophysics professors work there, so we have lots of professors here who do work in many practical fields.</p>
<p>Personally, I would prefer Chicago to Columbia for astrophysics. I will try to write a post defending this logic later, but for the moment, I’ll refer you to the (potentially outdated) NRC rankings in which Chicago ranks 5th and Columbia ranks 18th: <a href=“http://www.stat.tamu.edu/~jnewton/nrc_rankings/area27.html[/url]”>http://www.stat.tamu.edu/~jnewton/nrc_rankings/area27.html</a>.</p>
<p>For physics, it’s clearly Chicago.</p>
<p>bigcrit - it depends where you see yourself going to graduate school. If you prefer Columbia for graduate studies in your field, then go UChicago undergrad and vice versa. The general rule is that in most fields, graduate schools don’t take as many of their own.</p>
<p>I’ve read about this “grad schools don’t take their own” concept in a few places; anyone want to explain why this is? Seems sort of counter-intuitive.</p>
<p>heinochus: I think that is generally a myth and it is rarely a case. I know plenty of students at UChicago who attend our own PhD programs (mostly for evolution-related PhD programs). I really do not think that is the case.</p>
<p>Diversity yes. Inbreeding no. We heard from Dr Gazes himself, when S came to visit the first time, that it was maybe one from Chicago every year.</p>
<p>Wouldn’t encouraging diversity in grad-school mean that you accept people from a wide variety of schools, rather than strictly restricting admission from your own school?</p>
<p>Plenty of grads in our (UChicago) lab came from UChicago undergrad.</p>
<p>I said that they don’t take as many as their own NOT that they didn’t take any of their own.</p>