UT Austin vs UMich vs UW Madison vs Florida Tech Astrophysics/Astronomy

College Search & Selection
1

Hey everyone! These are my current offers, all for astrophysics/astronomy programs.

I am finding it really difficult to decide among these. I am really passionate about the subject and have some research and observatory experience and thus am looking for a place where I could get involved in research early on.
UT Austin - Has a reputed department and is close by to Johnson’s Space Center (NASA). Want to know more about the opportunities here.

UMich - Ranked very well in general and has a good department but location-wise I don’t see institutes or major research centers in Michigan. I want to know more about opportunities here from current students.

UW Madison - I see a lot of external opportunities but again location seems to be not that great for astronomy as such. Feedback from current students would be great.

Florida Tech - Not ranked very well (I take rankings with a pinch of salt) but very good, active professors (most have worked with NASA and STScI), and the biggest advantage is their relationship with NASA and the nearby Kennedy Space Center. They were established in the first place to help NASA. A smaller number of students so that facilitates very close relationships with professors. Want to know if prestige really matters here when there are so many opportunities.

2

My son will be starting Florida Tech this year. It is a small college in a small town and for him this will be great. He will be in aerospace engineering. But I think Astrophysics is a different animal. What do you want to accomplish with this degree? Do you see yourself teaching? If so, you may want to consider one of the more famous schools. I’m partial to UT since I went there for Graduate `School, but you should look at the options. When it comes time to go to graduate school yourself or get a job as a professor, the school you went to will matter. UT is a great school and really fun campus environment. If you got in there, its quite selective, especially for out of state admissions. I wouldn’t thumb my nose. University of Michigan is also a great school. You should be proud that you got into these colleges. Before you decide, you should also be looking at what kind of financial aid is offered at each place, as that should be playing a big part in your decision making process. So my answer to you is that yes, if you are planning to teach, the prestige probably matters.

3

“UT Austin - Has a reputed department and is close by to Johnson’s Space Center (NASA). Want to know more about the opportunities here.”

Johnson Space Center/NASA is about four hours from the UT Austin campus.

4

JSC is about 3 hours from Austin, (maybe less if I’m driving) :slight_smile: But all great schools on your list, congratulations. UT Austin is associated with McDonald Observatory in West Texas, there’s also Burke Baker Planetarium & JSC in Houston. Hopefully you’ve been able to do campus tours at all these colleges. Money/scholarship should play a big part too, as you’ll probably want to do post graduate as well, so save your money at the undergraduate school. Depending on how you feel about Winter weather, you could cut your list in half. Good luck, let us know what you decide.

5

Florida tech is only about 40 minutes drive from Cape Canaveral and it does have a giant Telescope on campus. The school often has events at Cape Canaveral and even lets students off from school for them, like its a holiday! They have internships with NASA, as well. Just so you know!