<p>UW GPA: 3.62
SAT: 2070
780 Math
640 CR
650 Writing
I have solid extracurriculars and I am looking for a small, maybe liberal arts, school in the South. Preferably, California, Tennessee, Texas, North Carolina. </p>
<p>As a potential physics major I am looking for schools with very strong physics, math, engineering, or chemistry programs.</p>
<p>Which colleges would best fit this criteria? I've looked at Vanderbilt, Rice, Baylor, Emory, Davidson, Rhodes, Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, New Mexico Tech, Georgia Tech, and UF.</p>
<p>I didn't really like any of these schools besides Rice, Vanderbilt, and Davidson</p>
<p>William & Mary is similar to the schools you liked, esp Davidson. It has a 3:2 program for engineering. The sciences are excellent for a school this size. Has many undergrad research opportunities as well.</p>
<p>Well, this would be a liberal arts school but not in the South, but Illinois Wesleyan University is a small liberal arts college with great science programs (plus a nice, new science building). In general, it would have good Physics and Chem, don’t know about their math or engineering stuff though, but if you’re willing to go midwest instead of south you could check it out.</p>
<p>Thanks. I never really considered (or heard of) Illinois Wesleyan but I will take a look at it… and I didn’t really like Wake Forest when I looked at it and I didn’t think the quality of its science facilities was good</p>
<p>*I’ve looked at Vanderbilt, Rice, Baylor, Emory, Davidson, Rhodes, Claremont McKenna, Pitzer, New Mexico Tech, Georgia Tech, and UF.</p>
<p>*</p>
<p>Your GPA could hurt your chances at Vandy, Emory, and Rice and maybe a couple of others. Is that your weighted or unweighted GPA?</p>
<p>I don’t think Emory has engineering…does it have to have engineering? I’m not sure if Rhodes has engineering either…have you checked?</p>
<p>Are you going to test again? Will you take the ACT?</p>
<p>What state are you in? You have some out of state publics on your list.</p>
<p>If you’ll need and qualify for financial aid, then some of those out of state publics won’t work. Do you know how much your parents will pay? If not, ask them.</p>
<p>It’s unweighted my school doesn’t weight (one of the top private school in the country) but I have taken 8 APs (3 Junior; 5 (upcoming) Senior)
As I said earlier those are just the school I looked at. I didn’t like Emory or Rhodes.</p>
<p>I live in Connecticut but I’m moving to Florida this summer… and I’m not planning on taking the ACT. </p>
<p>I don’t think St. Louis U and Loyola are worth it. They are $40,000 mediocre schools, when I could go to UFlorida for $4k.</p>
<p>We have researched a lot of these schools with our D who is a college freshman and now our son. He is also interested in physics and possibly engineering. Are you looking to go on to grad school? </p>
<p>One smaller school that might be worth giving a look is Trinity U in San Antonio. Decent physics and engineering with quality overall academics and grad school placement. Also, there is the Claremont consortium in California. Our D is there and loves it. (Davidson was one of her final choices…saw your post on their site.) </p>
<p>Harvey Mudd is one of the best undergrad spots for physics and Pomona is excellent as well. CMC, Scripps and Pitzer have joint sciences. They have top notch physics profs there and they share facilities/classes with Pomona/Mudd as well. Pitzer might be easier to get into than the latter two schools, for sure but it is not conservative, if that is what appeals about the south. Occidental is not conservative either. All fine schools.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, most of the very strong physics schools on the small side do not seem to be in the southeast. You have Cal tech and MIT, as well as Mudd which at the top of the list. But for liberal arts like Davidson, you are looking at Carleton, Swarthmore, Reed, Haverford, Williams, Pomona, Whitman etc. U Dallas places a high % in physics grad programs as well. W & M is supposed to be decent, as is Rhodes. What didn’t you like there?</p>
<p>U Alabama/Huntsville and Florida Institute of Technology also place decent #s of physics majors in PhD programs but they probably don’t have the college ‘experience’ you are looking for…and your gpa is going to be a factor at highly competitive places. It might get more complicated with a move. I think mom2collegekids was thinking that retesting might work to your advantage in the non-math areas. Great math score and it looks like a solid course load. Make sure someone from your school explains how difficult your school is when it comes time to apply.</p>
<p>Not in your chosen locations, but check out Case Western (small, undergrad-focused, science-focused university) and Rose Hulman (small science/engineering college). Good luck!</p>
<p>thanks @critter. I’ve heard about Trinity U but I hadn’t really consider it. Do you know what percentage of undergrads are from out-of-state? I loved Rhodes campus but I don’t think that the academics in terms of physical and applied sciences is very good. Also the political affiliation doesn’t matter much to me, it’s just I prefer the south to the northeast because of the weather.</p>
<p>For Tulane: (I’m aware all the schools on my list are expensive) but Tulane is exceptionally pricey, unless I can get some merit-based aid I wouldn’t consider it because (even though it has a good science program) I don’t think it stacks up compared to some other schools that are slightly less money.</p>
<p>@GeekMom63. Thanks. I’ve actually done a lot of research into those schools. I like Case Western but Cleveland isn’t exactly the place I’d like to be spending my college years. As for Rose Hulman I have interest in it and I will continue to look at it. </p>