<p>I am a rising senior trying to pick an EA/ED college. When I visited Yale back in February, it was clearly my favorite out of all the colleges I've visited (Yale, MIT, Harvard, Brown, Princeton, Columbia, UChicago, Stanford, and Berkeley). I'm really concerned, however, about Yale's math and physics departments. I have heard they are not very good for someone who wants to go on to graduate school in those fields. I've actually heard that Princeton and Harvard are best for undergraduate math and physics, but they were two of my lesser favorites. So pretty much, what should I do? I know Yale is an amazing school both socially and academically, but it just seems like I might be disadvantaged with a Yale math/physics degree versus a Princeton math/physics degree. Thanks for any help!</p>
<p>That's absurd. No graduate school will look poorly on you because you got your undergrad degree from Yale. At the undergrad level, it is not necessary to have the most famous professors in a field teaching you, rather, it is important to get good grades and be involved in research. You can do this at Princeton, Harvard, Yale or any of a great number of other universities. If you like Yale better than the others, apply early to Yale.</p>
<p>I'm a potential math major from the class of 2011 (deferred matriculation) who's similarly interested in going on to grad school in math, and I've heard that the main problems with Yale's math program lie in the intro courses. Once you get past those, the classes get much better. Alternatively, you can read ahead and try to get yourself exempted from the intro classes.</p>
<p>The main reason one might choose to do math/physics at Harvard or Princeton is that there will be a greater number of like-minded math/physics majors, and not because Yale's program is worse (there probably isn't that great of a difference at the undergrad level). Grad school is a different ball game though. </p>
<p>In short, apply early to Yale if it's your first choice. I did. Yale needs a more robust body of math majors before public perception of her math program can be changed.</p>
<p>Yale has one of the strongest math and physics (and astrophysics) departments in the world. I wouldn't be concerned about the quality of the department at all. In fact, the smaller number of undergraduate majors in those fields relative to a massive place like say, Berkeley, Harvard or UTexas, can be a major advantage at the undergraduate level. I would submit the best undergraduate schools for math and physics - especially for someone with an eye towards graduate school - are smaller institutions such as Caltech, Yale, Princeton, MIT, Swarthmore, Wellesley, Harvey Mudd, and Williams.</p>
<p>If you want to go to grad school, the top 2 senders are Caltech and Harvey Mudd. For math and physics, roughly 40% go on to get PhD's.</p>
<p>I really want to go into Math too and I heard the same thing about Princeton. I didn't hear that about Harvard, and I do not want to apply there because I think it's too pretentious. My interest in Yale is genuine. Harvard is one of those schools people apply to for the name and it makes me sick. Five people in my school picked Harvard over Yale this year, probably just for the name too. They're all crazy. But anyway I'm applying to Princeton too for that reason and suggest that you find out more about Princeton's math program. I think you might like it more if you looked closer at it. Plus It's always good to like a lot of colleges, that way you can't be too disappointed when some rejections come in.</p>
<p>Math 55. That's all I have to say about Harvard's math program.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the input. Any other opinions are welcomed...</p>
<p>could any one say? i understand princeton and harvard are among the best in math/physics, and so must attract the best students,</p>
<p>so while yale math/physics students are great too, since yale math/physics is not as good, and the best students don't all go there, do you get more love? </p>
<p>As in, does a nice student in yale in math/physics get more love from his/her department?</p>
<p>can anyone speak from experience/knowledge?</p>
<p>Even though this thread is nearly 3 years old, I thought the question above was interesting.</p>
<p>Does a student who is good (but not an allstar) get more love from his/her department?</p>
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<p>Hear hear. OP, if you’re as committed and able in mathematics and physics as you sound, then look towards Harvard, do Math 55 and see where that takes you.</p>