What is Schools: Definition and 479 Discussions

A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students (or "pupils") under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools. The names for these schools vary by country (discussed in the Regional section below) but generally include primary school for young children and secondary school for teenagers who have completed primary education. An institution where higher education is taught, is commonly called a university college or university.
In addition to these core schools, students in a given country may also attend schools before and after primary (Elementary in the US) and secondary (Middle school in the US) education. Kindergarten or preschool provide some schooling to very young children (typically ages 3–5). University, vocational school, college or seminary may be available after secondary school. A school may be dedicated to one particular field, such as a school of economics or a school of dance. Alternative schools may provide nontraditional curriculum and methods.
Non-government schools, also known as private schools may be required when the government does not supply adequate, or specific educational needs. Other private schools can also be religious, such as Christian schools, gurukula (Hindu School), madrasa (Arabic schools), hawzas (Shi'i Muslim schools), yeshivas (Jewish schools), and others; or schools that have a higher standard of education or seek to foster other personal achievements. Schools for adults include institutions of corporate training, military education and training and business schools.
In homeschooling and distance education, teaching and learning take place independent from the institution of school or in a virtual school outside a traditional school building respectively. Schools are commonly organized in several different organizational models, including departmental, small learning communities, academies, integrated, and schools-within-a-school.

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  1. kkefalas

    Schools Transferring Schools because advisor told me there's no hope

    Hi Physics forums patrons, I'm a bit of an academic pickle and I don't really know where to turn so I was hoping someone could offer an alternate point of view. For a little background, I'm currently a physics student, having transferred from finance about a year ago (go science). Now, I'm very...
  2. A

    Schools Choosing Between Purdue, UVA, and Syracuse for Physics: Insights and Advice

    Hi all, I have been offered admits from Purdue, University of Virginia and Syracuse. I am from an engineering background and have worked hard to switch to physics. I have two years of coursework ahead of me before I choose a field. However I can say with some certainty that I lean towards...
  3. Victor Alencar

    Schools How much grad schools cares about GRE?

    I'm 3rd year undergraduate student at Brazil and I wish to apply for some USA universities,but I'm scared with GRE. I have good and knowed physicists for rec. letters, experience with research and good grades,what are my chances? I'm thinking in 4 uni : Stony Brook,Chicago,Cornell and Penn. Here...
  4. A

    Schools Schools in Canada for HEP theory

    I am looking to apply to some schools in Canada for the M.Sc. program in HEP theory as a safety option. I have already applied to UBC, McGill and Waterloo (none of which I consider safeties, btw). What do you think about Simon Fraser and U of Saskatchewan? Are their departments good in general...
  5. MidgetDwarf

    Schools Not sure if the extra cost is worth attending these schools.

    Here is a bit of background information about myself. Please excuse the winded post. I started community college in California about 4 years ago. I did not graduate high school and had to leave during the 9th grade for financial reasons. I started working at age 14 in order to support myself. I...
  6. I

    Schools 770 PGRE : Send score to schools that say 'recommended'?

    I got a 770 (65%) on the PGRE. I am an international student with a US master's degree in engineering, with no quantum mechanics or electromagnetism courses on my transcripts. I was wondering if I should send PGRE scores to schools that say it's recommended. The schools I had in mind are Brown...
  7. Joshua L

    Schools Best Physics Graduate Schools for QFT, GR, and HEP?

    Hey guys, just curious of your opinions on this matter. Which graduate schools are the best to earn a Ph.D. in physics theory from and research in concerning the theoretical sub-fields Quantum Field Theory, General Relativity, and Elementary Particle Physics (maybe String Theory)? Which has...
  8. S

    Top 40 Physics Schools for Theoretical Cosmology in USA/Canada

    Hi guys, I am an italian student in the first year of Msc in physics. I'd like to make a good Physics Phd in USA/Canada in one of the top 30 cosmology schools(I know some good place in Europe, such as ETH, Scuola Normale di Pisa,...). I'd like to make theoretical cosmology. For now I'm...
  9. GiantSheeps

    Schools Schools with astronomy, observatory, and planetary science

    Hi! So I've begun the process of looking at colleges now and I really would like to go to a school in the US or Canada with an astronomy major, an observatory of its own, and some sort of planetary science program. I've made a list of the schools that I've been able to find with those things...
  10. LornieTwist

    Schools What schools should I apply to for physics undergrad?

    Hey all, I am looking for some advice about what school to attend for undergrad in physics. Here is my list thus far: UC Berkeley Cornell Rice Notre Dame UIUC UT austin UCLA UCSB Umich UF Here are my stats: First year at community college, but I earned 43 credits in High school so I am a little...
  11. C

    Schools When do schools perform criminal background check?

    Hi everyone. Does anyone know at what part of the admissions process that colleges perform the criminal background check? I am currently applying for Ph.D. programs in Physics, and unfortunately I have a summary offense for underage drinking from 5 years ago. Fortunately, this can be expunged...
  12. C

    Why do schools in the US tend to offer direct entry into PhD programs?

    I knew different countries had different approaches to graduate education: there are those countries that provide research masters with only one year of coursework and the other year is dedicated to research (Canada, Germany, Japan, Russia, UK) and also where direct-PhD entry for undergrads...
  13. S

    Non-US Citizen Admission to Ivy League Schools

    How much difficult it is for a Non US citizen to get into IVY league..?? (Other than Dartmouth)
  14. MAAntonius

    Schools How to Use Time Productively - Self Study, Schools, et al

    Ladies and Gentlemen of PhysicsForum, This is an awesome venue filled with great resources. I look forward to expanding my abilities within the realm of sciences by using the resources listed here and occasional consultation with the really generous posters who are far more experienced than I...
  15. B

    Testing Best physics school i can get into with my current GPA/SAT score

    I currently have a GPA of 3.3 and my sat scores are 680-math, 610-reading, 560-writing. I'm pretty set on going for physics undergrad and going straight to grad school for my PHD but I'm open to suggestions. Any college that isn't really really far away from Pennsylvania but I'm definitely open...
  16. A

    Schools Will grad schools see what I take senior spring?

    This is just a quick question. I'm planning out my course schedule for next semester and my senior year (I'm an electrical engineering junior in the US), and I'm trying to work all of my important classes in before it's time to apply to graduate school. Let's say I want to do research in a...
  17. chimath35

    Schools What are some good schools for graduate theoretical stats?

    Could you please list and elaborate as much as you can on schools that are heavy on the theoretical side of statistics? Thank you as I have to have my applications in by December-January for grad school (I plan to enter a PhD program and would like guaranteed funding).
  18. M

    Questions on Medical Physics Grad programs

    Hi! I have found a few threads discussing medical physics, however I am still have many questions. I am going into my senior year of college with my plan all along being to get my Phd and teach physics at a university. After spending two years researching in an acoustic/optics lab, however, I...
  19. J

    Schools Will My Background Impact My Chances at Top California Universities?

    Hello everyone, This is my first post on PhysicsForums. I am 23 years old and have graduated a CC with a 3.9 GPA. I am a Math Major and yes I have researched how the job prospects are for math majors. I am Hispanic and I am from Salinas Valley. I have been around gangs all my life, my dad...
  20. Lagraaaange

    Schools General GRE for top schools? Any Weight?

    I will have 1 week to study for general GRE. I hear it has very little impact on admission. Is this true? Is that enough?
  21. Crush1986

    Schools What Grad Schools Can I Get Into?

    Hi guys. I'm just looking for a little help with how "big" of a school I can realistically get into for graduate studies. GPA: 3.5 (for both physics and generals) Physics GRE: 850 Research: At the time of graduation I will of had 1.5 years experience. (I'm not sure exactly of how the...
  22. neosoul

    Schools Do Graduate schools care about length of undergraduate career

    Hey PF, I'm currently double majoring in engineering and physics. I want to be a licensed engineer and go on to grad school to study molecular engineering or something similar. However, I love my physics department. It's smaller so students get more funding and attention and way more...
  23. Moelf

    Schools Choice for particle physics between LAC and university

    Hi guys, I don't know if there's any similar thread (I didn't find any, but in case I missed it); if so please suggest them to me. It's time to apply to college again. I personally think particle physics (experimental) would be my top choice (I understand that only phd has the specialized...
  24. S

    Schools Do graduate schools accept distance education degrees?

    I hold a 3 year BEng in Mechanical from a British university and currently I am working. I want to switch over to Physics. I am planning to do a BSc degree with Physics major from an distance education university in India namely IGNOU i.e. Indira Gandhi National Open University. This program...
  25. A

    Does the school I graduate from matter?

    OK so I currently attend The University of North Texas, which is by no means a prestigious school for physics. I am a physics major with 72 hours of coursework under my belt. I plan to attend graduate school and would like to get into a good school for something in the realm of theoretical...
  26. ZapperZ

    Schools Early Physics Education in High Schools - Comments

    ZapperZ submitted a new PF Insights post Early Physics Education in High Schools Continue reading the Original PF Insights Post.
  27. K

    Schools Can Imperial College graduates go to US Grad schools?

    Hi. I am a Korean student who is currently living in San Francisco Bay Area. I will get a green card in about a year later. I was accepted to several colleges, and narrowed my choices to three: they are Imperial College London, UC San Diego, and Reed College. My current goal is going to...
  28. N

    Schools Deciding between schools: advice

    As the question suggests, I am deciding between uva, rit, stony brook, Indiana u, purdue, umass Amherst, and George mason. Sort of a random list, I know. I am going to be a transfer physics major. Hoping to get into research and apply to grad school (I am coming from a community college so I...
  29. F

    How Important is a College Degree in the IT World?

    First post, but have seen some great information while lurking. Here is the situation. I am 35. I dropped out of high school and entered the IT world at age 17. I went back and got my GED at 25 (got tired of lying on applications!). I have always had gainful employment. I work in telecom...
  30. G

    Schools Physics schools and holistic admissions

    Hello, I'm new here so forgive me if I'm posting this in the wrong place. I have several questions pertaining to the schooling required to become a physicist and the everyday life of a physicist. So my first question is, are there any universities within the United States that have a good...
  31. N

    Schools Did I make a mistake? Intl. student visiting grad schools

    I'm a European student currently applying to a few grad schools in America. This year I am taking a gap year to travel through Asia (where I am now). A professor I recently happened to speak to (unrelated to the schools I applied to!) said two weeks ago that it should consider flying to the USA...
  32. K

    Schools Major in Physics with computer science minor? Grad schools?

    Hi there, I'm very interested in physics and want to major in it and minor in computer science and then get my masters. However, I think that a job in software engineering (something like developing software for physical science (physics, astronomy, meteorology, geology, etc.) or scientific...
  33. OdysseasTS

    Schools Beamline for schools, Greek Delegation

    Hey! So I found this ( http://home.web.cern.ch/about/updates/2014/11/beamline-schools-competition-2015-launches-today ) and my high school's physics teachers liked the concept! So I've created a team to participate in this years contest. We were thinking to do something relevant with antimatter...
  34. MidgetDwarf

    Schools Sources to figure out what schools are good for certain subj

    I am cc student pursuing a degree in mathematics. I will have at least a 3.5 gpa when I am ready to transfer. My school counselors are not the most caring and informative individuals. I tried a google search, but it seems I do not know how to do research by using a search engine or I do not know...
  35. pdm0118

    Schools About Medical Physics grad schools, some advice please

    Hello forum, I'm a current undergrad student in radiation health physics planning to apply for medical physics grad schools in the US. There are a few things that make me worry: my GPA (3.24 cumulative) isn't superb because my first two year of undergrad was troublesome (my recent performances...
  36. J

    Schools Advice on fallback schools for physics

    This has probably been brought up numerous times, but I need some advice on some mediocre to good fall back schools in physics. My undergraduate GPA was a 3.72 Majors: Biochemistry, Math, and Physics Research: 3 years of research on Batch pH Oscillatory systems (each year was basically a new...
  37. Greg Bernhardt

    Schools Best US science/math grad schools

    Here are some links to the best US grad schools for science and math according to US News. Physics General Physics Atomic / Molecular / Optical Condensed Matter Cosmology / Relativity / Gravity Elementary Particles / Field / String Theory Nuclear Plasma Quantum Mathematics General Math Algebra...
  38. retro10x

    Schools Is this an appropriate list of Grad schools for me?

    So I'm looking for opinions on the list of grad schools I'm looking to apply for. I am not sure if I am applying to too many "reach" schools or not. I am interested in doing plasma physics, most likely experiment and computation, but theory isn't completely out of the question either. First...
  39. W

    Schools Looking for grad schools in string theory/quantum gravity

    I'm beginning to apply to grad schools (primarily in observational or computational cosmology and extragalactic astronomy) but have a deep interest in M-theory and quantum gravity although I haven't been able to study it. I very much enjoy theory and think that I would find studying M-theory or...
  40. 7

    Schools Schools Accepting Engineering Tech for MS in Engineering?

    Hi all, I have been curious about this for a while. I know that some schools do not accept a bachelors in engineering technology for into a Master's Program of Engineering. I was wondering if anybody could tell me if there are schools that do? Thanks
  41. V

    Schools Looking for Grad Schools that do research in ClassMech

    Strange topic, I know, but that really is my field. Planetary Dynamics, to be exact. I need to look for schools to apply to soon, since I'm (hopefully) graduating in March next year and want to get out of here as soon as possible. Sadly, all I find are either doing research in nonrelated fields...
  42. B

    Schools Which schools offer the best online Biology or Physics degrees?

    I am a new user on Physics Forums and I just want to know which Colleges or Universities offer Physics or Biology degrees that are completely online? The reason I ask is that I cannot afford to go out of state (or out of my own county for that matter) to get a science degree. My interests...
  43. F

    Schools What are the good math or physics grad schools Texas

    I'm going to be applying to graduate programs this semester and would like to know which schools are good for a phd program. I need to get into a phd program because it was the original goal that i set out to get. I graduated with a double major in math and physics. Thank you.
  44. QuantumCurt

    Schools How important are different schools for undergrad and graduate degree?

    Hey everyone, I'm currently attending a community college, and heading into my last year here. I'm starting to fill out my transfer applications, and I was wondering how important it really is to attend different universities for your undergraduate and graduate degrees. I've always heard that...
  45. S

    Schools Is NCSU within my reach? And other "safety schools"

    Hey guys, i am an industrial engineering student from India studying in one of the top 5 colleges down here (NIT only next to IIT's). I am applying for 2015. and i have selected few schools as of now. I just wanted to make sure is the list i have is "okay" My profile as of now - 1...
  46. A

    Schools Difference between Graduate Schools (ETH, KULeuven, TUM)

    Hello, Can anyone who have some knowledge about these graduate schools in NE (Master Programs) give me some help to better choose which one would best FIT into my goals, I am making a little shift from Mechanical Engineering into NE and I am choosing between these schools; Switzerland - ETH...
  47. Farmtalk

    MHB What's Wrong with Schools These Days?

    Is it the school system's fault or the students, or both? It seems like more and more students are becoming more lazy and/or carefree when it comes to their studies. I see more of it with each passing day. There are still some students that appreciate learning and math, but the numbers seem to...
  48. A

    Schools Grad schools in US and Canada

    I am currently studying Physics BS in UK, I just finished my third year and planning to apply for Ms/PhD programs in USA or Canada. I think all that is relevant about me when applying: I work hard at school, have mostly A's and likely to graduate with 1'st class degree, I think I'm somewhere...
  49. S

    Schools Admission to graduate schools like MIT,Princeton(for physics,maths)

    Hi, I am an Indian student currently pursuing a Bachelor in Technology in the field Food Technology. However,I have been wanting to study more of physics,maths and computer science in graduate school. I never had great scores in my high school examinations,not because I feel I didn't have the...
  50. tridianprime

    Increase in STEM schools - reasons and thoughts

    I have been learning a lot about STEM focused schools (sixth form and high school) recently because I have got an offer from a Mathematics specific school myself, in London. I noticed that there are very few in the UK at all. I know that it is a very small country in comparison to the USA but I...
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