Best Universities for PhD in Theoretical Physics in Fullerton, CA

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around identifying reputable universities for pursuing a PhD in theoretical physics specifically in or near Fullerton, CA. Participants explore the availability of institutions and share their perspectives on the expectations for graduate school applicants.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • One participant inquires about the best universities for a PhD in theoretical physics in Fullerton, CA.
  • Another participant suggests that the original poster should have conducted their own research, indicating there is only one PhD-granting school in Fullerton.
  • Some participants mention well-known universities in the greater Los Angeles area, such as Caltech, UCLA, USC, and UC Irvine, as alternatives to consider.
  • There is a discussion about the importance of being resourceful and proactive in graduate school applications, with some arguing that a lack of effort in research may reflect poorly on a candidate's suitability for a PhD program.
  • Several participants express differing views on the tone and appropriateness of the responses given to the original poster, with some finding them discouraging or rude, while others defend the honesty of the feedback.
  • One participant emphasizes that asking questions without prior effort can waste others' time and that graduate schools expect applicants to demonstrate initiative.
  • Another participant challenges the connection made between the original poster's question and their potential for graduate school admission, arguing that personal qualities unrelated to academic inquiry should not be judged.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the appropriateness of the responses to the original poster. There are competing views on the expectations for graduate school applicants and the nature of the feedback provided.

Contextual Notes

The discussion reflects a mix of personal opinions on communication styles and the expectations of graduate programs, with no clear resolution on the appropriateness of the responses or the original poster's inquiry.

M. next
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What are some of the best universitues in Fullerton, CA if any for PhD? Some which are best at theoretical physics.
 
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Have you tried looking in the phone book?
 
No, I am not there yet and haven't checked if there's a phonebook on line. But what I am seeking is a universoty of a very good reputation. A university physicists here on physics forums have heard of.
 
SteamKing's point is that you have to do some work on your own. There is exactly one PhD granting school in Fullerton and it took me less than 10 seconds of searching to find this out. Frankly, if you can't find this out on your own, you are not going to make it through a PhD program.
 
Did you perhaps mean "near" Fullerton rather than literally "in" Fullerton? Fullerton is a small part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area, which includes such well-known schools as Caltech, UCLA, USC (U of Southern California) and UC Irvine. There are probably others worth mentioning, that I don't have a the top of my memory; I live on the other side of the US. :smile:

The Los Angeles metro area is very large, so you might want to indicate how far you are willing to travel on a daily basis, if for some reason you're forced to live in Fullerton. Can you own and drive a car? Of the schools I named above, UC Irvine appears to be the closest to Fullerton.
 
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Thank you for your replies. Vanadium, thanks to your polite and elegant replies, I will not be using this forum again.
 
M. next said:
Thank you for your replies. Vanadium, thanks to your polite and elegant replies, I will not be using this forum again.

Note that there is a big difference between being rude and blunt.
 
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M. next said:
Thank you for your replies. Vanadium, thanks to your polite and elegant replies, I will not be using this forum again.
Pal take a chill pill.
I have no idea why you got mad about Steam King's comment.
I usually have to look up some company's names using a Yellow Pages or phone book. I google and found this
http://internationaladmissions.fullerton.edu/
 
M. next said:
I will not be using this forum again.

If that's your reaction to being told that you need to put more effort in, you will have an even harder time at grad school. Furthermore, saying you won't be back and then creating a new account so you can pretend that it's someone else isn't fooling anyone.

You may not be aware of it, but honesty is more important to a grad school than intelligence, imagination or even working hard. A grad school can tolerate having one of it's alumni fail to make a career of it. They can't tolerate getting caught up in a net of scandal from scientific misconduct.
 
  • #10
That was quite odd vanadium "frankly if you can't find it on your own,you are not going to make it to phd program" that was really discouraging and rude on your part,Atleast i feel it is,quite rude
 
  • #11
In graduate school you have to be resourceful. You won't get spoonfed anymore and will have to find resources on your on.
 
  • #12
kashan123999 said:
That was quite odd vanadium "frankly if you can't find it on your own,you are not going to make it to phd program" that was really discouraging and rude on your part,Atleast i feel it is,quite rude

I agree that it was discouraging. But if you are planning on going to graduate school and can't answer the question asked in the OP yourself, I'm not sure you should be encouraged... I disagree that it was rude. I think it was quite honest.
 
  • #13
I have no problem when people ask a question, tell me what they have done to try and answer it, but don't succeed. When people ask a question without doing even a minimal amount of legwork they waste everybody's time - even here, as people are trying to guess whether he means "in Fullerton" or "near Fullerton".

And while it might not be the most encouraging thing, it is nevertheless a fact that grad schools expect more effort. They don't expect that their students will always succeed in finding a piece of information (neither do we), but they do expect that they try.
 
  • #14
ZombieFeynman said:
I agree that it was discouraging. But if you are planning on going to graduate school and can't answer the question asked in the OP yourself, I'm not sure you should be encouraged... I disagree that it was rude. I think it was quite honest.

Vanadium 50 said:
I have no problem when people ask a question, tell me what they have done to try and answer it, but don't succeed. When people ask a question without doing even a minimal amount of legwork they waste everybody's time - even here, as people are trying to guess whether he means "in Fullerton" or "near Fullerton".

And while it might not be the most encouraging thing, it is nevertheless a fact that grad schools expect more effort. They don't expect that their students will always succeed in finding a piece of information (neither do we), but they do expect that they try.


that is the problem,you both are directly relating his question to his possibility of joining a grad school,How honest is that?

"I FEEL" that question was not even remotely related to his chances of joining a grad school,Just as Many of the "actual" scientists were religious,but THAT didn't affect their research etc...or like YOU CAN'T say an irrational person (specifically religious person) will never/can not add value to the morality in the society OR he cannot understand the scientific method haha
 

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