Cornell vs Cambridge for undergrad physics

[janehou]

Hello everyone, I have been admitted by Cornell and Cambridge (Trinity College) as an undergrad. I would like to study physics. Could anyone elaborate on what areas of physics Cornell and Cambridge are especially good at and how are they compared to each other? Also, is Trinity College a special bonus?

P.S. I have heard that Cambridge has some decent AMO groups, but a friend at UT Austin (doing AMO - ex) told me that he has hardly encountered British publications on AMO. He doubts whether UK research is active. Could anyone tell me what is the cause?

 

[sysprog]

I suggest that you should seek the work to which you would like to contribute. Congratulations on your being offered admission to those two great schools. If it were my choice, I'd go with Cambridge, but Cornell also is great.

 

[janehou]

I suggest that you should seek the work to which you would like to contribute. Congratulations on your being offered admission to those two great schools. If it were my choice, I'd go with Cambridge, but Cornell also is great.

Thank you, sysprog! Why would you like to choose Cambridge over Cornell?

 

[Dishsoap]

Well... what sort of research would you like to do?

 

[hutchphd]

I am assuming you are from USA
Many things to consider here. Physics is not at the top of my list because they are both excellent schools; if you thrive, you will get the all physics you need.
Cornell is a wonderful place and produced at least one good physicist (...me BA 1975). I recommend it unreservedly.
But Cambridge is, well, Cambridge. I feel certain that it will be an education in every sense of the word. How adaptable are you to culture change? Being far from home? Fog and rain and blue sky ? Civilization?
If you think you can thrive there, go to Cambridge (sorry Ezra !). But cultivate ties to the US for grad school.

 

[janehou]

Well... what sort of research would you like to do?

I'm not sure about what sort of research I will do, so I would just like to learn about what areas of physics Cornell and Cambridge are especially good at.

 

[astrotemp]

You should search through the faculty pages for physics (via DAMTP, Kavli, IoA, and Cavendish departments) and see what individual people are researching.

If someone at Cambridge is researching it, you can safely assume they're especially good at it. The more faculty, postdocs, PhDs etc that are in a particular field, the better and more focussed they are in that field.

Perhaps a slightly larger concern is whether you can handle the rigour of Trinity Cambridge. It's very competitive and the standard for undergraduates is high -- they're often 1-2 years ahead in their coursework compared to someone at Cornell. And Trinity especially cares about the performance of its undergraduates. Certainly not a good fit if you were hoping to party a lot.

 

[janehou]

You should search through the faculty pages for physics (via DAMTP, Kavli, IoA, and Cavendish departments) and see what individual people are researching.

If someone at Cambridge is researching it, you can safely assume they're especially good at it. The more faculty, postdocs, PhDs etc that are in a particular field, the better and more focussed they are in that field.

Perhaps a slightly larger concern is whether you can handle the rigour of Trinity Cambridge. It's very competitive and the standard for undergraduates is high -- they're often 1-2 years ahead in their coursework compared to someone at Cornell. And Trinity especially cares about the performance of its undergraduates. Certainly not a good fit if you were hoping to party a lot.

Thank you astrotemp! I like Trinity's academically-focused environment, but another concern is that I'll possibly apply for grad schools in the US. Will studying in the UK disadvantage my application? I've heard that UK students do not conduct as many projects as US students.

 

[astrotemp]

No, it won't disadvantage your application, especially if you complete Part III. It's true that students do fewer projects aside from their Masters thesis, but this is by their own choice. There are plenty of opportunities around, but you're expected to seek them out yourself and organise projects and supervisors yourself.

But many students who only do Part III and no other research programs are still highly competitive as many (most?) get publications.

 

[Replusz]

Could anyone elaborate on what areas of physics Cornell and Cambridge are especially good at and how are they compared to each other? Also, is Trinity College a special bonus?

Cambridge is a good place - not sure where you get your idea from that UK doesn't do research that well.
I am starting part III in Physics in October (Cambridge)
Trinity is one of the best colleges for Physics, along with say Pembroke and Christ's. In my class year Trinity is not doing too great, but usually its one of the best.

 

[gwnorth]

I highly doubt that having a degree from Cambridge will be an impediment to being accepted to graduate programs in the U.S.

The biggest difference you are going to find is not Cornell vs Cambridge per say but the university system in the US vs UK. There will be no hand holding in the UK. You will be expected to be motivated and be able to self-advocate. There are no requirements for gen eds or easing into first year. The academics will be very rigorous. UK students may also have more specialization going in as I don't think AP's and A levels are exactly comparable. On the other hand the fact that you've been admitted to 2 very highly ranked institutions indicates that you probably already exhibit the characteristics necessary to do well at either school. I would however recommend you do much more research into the mechanics of how the programs work and the degree structures before deciding. You'll find greater grade inflation at Cornell vs Cambridge. You also won't get the same level of big league sports at Cambridge as you would at Cornell, it will be different. On the other hand at Cambridge you will have the opportunity to experience a different country and culture.