Help with university choosing foreign student

[Carlos092]

Hello, Im from Mexico, Sonora, a state south to Arizona and Im currently 6 months from finishing high school. The title only says that I need help choosing a university, I do, but I also need information about the diferent careers based on physics and mathematics. Nuclear physics and just physics, particle physics, mathematical physics, are this careers to choose or things to get a Ph.D from?.

Also like I said before Im from Mexico and I want to study in the US, could someone talk to me about wich universities are best for me if Im looking for the most prepared instructors with the most knowlodge about physics and math. If you could also tell me about what my chances would be of getting into a good school not being a US citizen and having had school problems in high school (i didnt have an interest in anything and failed a whole year), but then it hit me and I was fascinated by math and physics, so I started high school again from scratch, I am now the best in my school getting straight A's. Please tell me if my failing a whole year will ruin my chances of getting into a good school in the US.

I know its a lot of questions but I need people who know about this and are from the US to help me with all this. Thanks in advance :D

Edit: I've checked some schools that seem to be good to study careers in this subjects and I have found that Im late for applying to enter school this fall, but only in some schools, wich I guess are the most wanted ones, so I would have to choose to wait a year after I graduate from high school to apply to this schools, or to enter a school that doesnt have such an early deadline for applying. Should I wait a year for that, or is the difference between schools not worth it?, and if I do wait what could I do in that time?, because I dont want to stop studying.

[ephedyn]

>> I'll answer the bottom paragraphs. I'm under the impression that you specialize in graduate school, but I don't have a personal experience to speak of.

Also like I said before Im from Mexico and I want to study in the US, could someone talk to me about wich universities are best for me if Im looking for the most prepared instructors with the most knowlodge about physics and math.

>> Man, this is difficult. You can tell the universities which have "prepared instructors" on a sufficient basis, but I don't know what measure is there to determine the "most" "prepared instructors". Personally, so long as I liked the physics/math programs in the universities, took a skim through the catalogs and didn't see any glaring omissions from what I wanted to study, I'd go straight to see if I liked the college's culture. There are more college-specific forums, e.g. CollegeConfidential... you can try to look for advice there too.

If you could also tell me about what my chances would be of getting into a good school not being a US citizen

>> Lower because the schools have a quota for international students, who tend to be highly qualified because they have safety schools in their home countries - meaning that they are confident enough to apply knowing the competition. Even lower if you are applying for financial aid. These facts aside, don't worry about it.

and having had school problems in high school (i didnt have an interest in anything and failed a whole year), but then it hit me and I was fascinated by math and physics, so I started high school again from scratch, I am now the best in my school getting straight A's.

>> Sounds OK, your final year matters much, and it sounds like you're a strong candidate if you're the valedictorian in your school. You can always explain your situation to the schools.

[Carlos092]

Well thanks for your help about that part ephedyn, I apreciate you taking time to answer my post.

If anyone else can help with the other part please do, heh.