Schools Indian Colleges offering B.Sc Physics (H)

[ManishR]

i have completed high school with 64% overall (P-75,C-64,M-45).
and i live in jaipur, rajasthan. i am interested in theoretical & mathematical physics and pure mathematics so i want to do B.Sc. Physics (hons)

can you please name the collages where i can get admission through entrance test ?
i know only Chennai Mathematical Institute.
so any other collages ?

one question, are there (good) collages affiliated with Delhi University where i can get admission ?

 

[metalrose]

There's the presidency colleges - Kolkata and Channai branches.
And then there's DU, St. stephens being the best for physics and science in general followed by many others like Hansraj, Ramjas etc...

But with those marks, you won't make it into any good DU college, not in the first 2 rounds I suppose, and never in St. Stephens.

And if you can't get into St. Stephens, there's really no point in going for DU because it is popular more for its student culture than academics. I am a 'Dilliwallah' so I know better.

Presidency colleges, and chennai math. Inst. have their admission tests, I guess. So you could prepare for them and give them a try but your chances of making it there too would be quite bleak as they are pretty top notch inst. and the competition would be quite fierce.

The other option you have are the IIT's and the IISER's.
The IIT's offer integrated 5 year M.Sc. in physics, which means it is a five year course without any intermediate B.Sc. degree, so that at the end of the course you pass out with an M.Sc. and can then straightaway apply for a Ph.D. anywhere in the world.

The IISER's are new institutes totally devoted to pure sciences. They too offer the 5 year integrated course.

Google in "IISER admission" to get to know their admission process.

I guess you must already be familiar with the IIT admission process, and you could give it a try but if you haven't started preparing for the JEE until now, your chances of making it are pretty bleak so even trying for JEE would be quite counterproductive. I am not discouraging you from doing so, though.

So as of now, I guess your best bet are the IISER's and the presidency and chennai math ints.

And it's amazingly tough to make it into any of these.

India doesn't have much of an option in the field of pure science.

I too wanted to pursue B.Sc. in physics, but because of such limited opportunities, couldn't make it anywhere, and so settled in for an electronics engineering course at an IT institute in Delhi. But I have enough time to study undergrad. physics on my own and am doing just that.

I plan to apply in the US for a Ph.D. in physics after I am done with my engg.

Ask more if you like.

 

[ManishR]

thanks for your answer.

i am already preparing for CMI & NEST and 12th exam (phys & math).

i forgot about presidency collages. thanks for reminding me.

i could not clear even fourth cut off list of DU.

I too wanted to pursue B.Sc. in physics, but because of such limited opportunities, couldn't make it anywhere, and so settled in for an electronics engineering course at an IT institute in Delhi. But I have enough time to study undergrad. physics on my own and am doing just that.

i am also thinking of the same but with bsc hons physics. that's why i asked about any "good" collages.

so are there any collages beside the collages that are mentioned on DU website ?

 

[metalrose]

I don't know of any other colleges, and I guess there are no other "good colleges". Whatever's there, it's for everybody to see and I don't think there are any colleges which are not mentioned on DU website.

St. Stephens and a couple of others are the only worthwhile colleges if you want to get into DU. But as you said, you couldn't clear even the fourth cutoff.

I might rather suggest something else. If you have taken a drop(which I suppose you have), then a great idea would be to reappear for your 12th boards.
Not all the subjects, you can reappear for the ones you scored low in.

And the only colleges in DU are the ones I told you of.

Anyway, DU really isn't worth it honestly. DU is really all about a great student culture.

The university and colleges are closed half the time due to protests and strikes. Don't expect to really learn anything at all in the class.
The classes are a joke more or less.
You will have to study on your own totally.
And that would be quite a difficult job in a hostel and especially in delhi.

It would be great if you could make it into CMI or IISER's or NISER or presidency though...


Or the last resort you may have would be to do what I did...settle for an engineering course, preferably electrical/electronics engg. because electrical engg. is more or less like being an applied mathematician/physicist. There's whole lots of common mathematical ground in Electrical engg.(EE) and physics.

And if you are in a professional engg. institute, the environment is incomparably more conducive for academics than DU.

And most of the guys from India who go for Ph.D.'s in physics to US and all, come from an engg. background.

So if you don't make it to a good enough college, it would be better to take up an EE course in a "good" or a decent level engg. college and especially a "private" engg. college and simultaneously study physics for your GRE and other master's level exams in India and abroad.

Even for engg., going to a govt. run college, (apart from IIT's and a few others) is an equal waste as going to DU.
Only private colleges like VIT, JayPee etc. will provide you a professional environment conducive for academics.

Ask anything else you might like to...

 

[Reshma]

And most of the guys from India who go for Ph.D.'s in physics to US and all, come from an engg. background.

That is quite an arbitrary generalisation. Can I ask how you arrived at it since I know quite a lot of counter-examples?

 

[Sourabh N]

@Reshma As he said, "most" of the guys, which is true given the popularity of Engineering in India (Kids get forced to do Engg after school because they have no say/are brainwashed, by the time they finish Engg, they realize their true aim and pursue it).

@OP Pretty much what metalrose. IMO, if you are comfortable with physics basics, CMI exam wouldn't be "tough" (speaking from experience). By basics, I mean, thorough with, say, Halliday Resnick Walker and/or Sears Zemansky Young, HC Verma and fairly comfortable with Irodov (just reading the damn dark-age-font book, not even solving the problems)

If something didn't make sense there, I'll be happy to clarify.

 

[metalrose]

That is quite an arbitrary generalisation. Can I ask how you arrived at it since I know quite a lot of counter-examples?

Due to the lack of enough opportunities in the field of pure science in India, many people are forced into engg. and many are forced due to parental pressure and quite a lot of these guys go in for grad. studies in the field of science after their B.Tech.'s.

I know plenty of examples. In fact I have so far not come across anyone from a B.Sc. background.

But obviously that doesn't mean there aren't any. Just that a great deal of guys pursuing Ph.D's abroad can be found to be from engg. background, not that I have actually done a survey or anything, but that's based on my personal experience and the general trends in the education scene in India.

 

[RoughRoad]

Same is the condition with me. I am in 12th grade, and am from Mumbai.

It's high time from me now. I have always wanted to become an astrophysicist, but now I guess I will end up doing engineering like the mojority. Just wanted to ask whether it is possible to pursue a degree in physics or astronomy while pursuing engineering?

 

[Reshma]

Speaking from personal experience, i.e. me having undergrad background in science from a non-IIT university and post-grad education in IIT and now (ironically) in Engineering research, I have experienced both the worlds. So just wanted to say there isn't a very high difference in the course content as such between the two, apart from the structuring of the courses. And the bulk of students doing post-grad studies in IIT, in science and engineering are from other universities i.e. non-IIT. So, just wanted to clarify to all that science colleges in India aren't as bad as they are made out to be.

I do know people with B.Tech/B.Eng pursuing MS/PhD in the Engineering stream since they require only the general GRE which doesn't test any engineering skills per se. For PhD programmes in Physics, US schools are very selective about admitting someone with an Engineering degree unless he/she demonstrates additional skills in Physics such as high Physics GRE and relevant research experience.

 

[Sourabh N]

So just wanted to say there isn't a very high difference in the course content as such between the two, apart from the structuring of the courses.

AFAIK, most Indian colleges (IIT included) have similar course structure (except CMI, of course). Did you notice any difference in teaching though? (I probably know the answer, but just extending my sample space)

 

[metalrose]

@reshma

I agree with what you say.

On the side notes, which IIT branch?

And do they at all have any group researching in the fields of pure science?
I mean condensed matter physics too happens to be "theoretical" , yet it's not as fundamental to physics as say, particle physics or quantum physics.

So do they, at IIT, have any research groups that are into, theoretical physics or mathematical physics with stress on newer stuff like string theory and all?

 

[Reshma]

AFAIK, most Indian colleges (IIT included) have similar course structure (except CMI, of course). Did you notice any difference in teaching though? (I probably know the answer, but just extending my sample space)

That is again highly subjective, people complain of bad teachers no matter where.

One major difference or advantage in the course work structure in IIT is that, there isn't too much weight-age placed on the final exam results.

 

[Reshma]

@reshma
I agree with what you say.
On the side notes, which IIT branch?

Don't want to go public, but currently the #1 in India and begins with B...

And do they at all have any group researching in the fields of pure science?
I mean condensed matter physics too happens to be "theoretical" , yet it's not as fundamental to physics as say, particle physics or quantum physics.

So do they, at IIT, have any research groups that are into, theoretical physics or mathematical physics with stress on newer stuff like string theory and all?

You will be surprised to see how much pure science research goes on in the IITs, in fact many of the Profs in the EE department have a Physics background. The strongest departments apart from EE are Chemistry and Physics. Mathematics departments are in a different league altogether though.

 

[Sourabh N]

Ah well I meant the weighted average of good teachers vs bad teachers.. yes there are bad teachers, but one or two good teachers make studying physics at a particular place, worth it.

 

[metalrose]

Mathematics departments are in a different league altogether though.

How?? din get that...

 

[Reshma]

So let's not derail the thread and focus on what the OP is asking. I will try to keep my discussion generic and not focus on any specific universities.

i have completed high school with 64% o very verall (P-75,C-64,M-45).
and i live in jaipur, rajasthan. i am interested in theoretical & mathematical physics and pure mathematics so i want to do B.Sc. Physics (hons)

can you please name the collages where i can get admission through entrance test ?
i know only Chennai Mathematical Institute.
so any other collages ?

one question, are there (good) collages affiliated with Delhi University where i can get admission ?

You say you want to study theoretical and mathematical physics, but what concerns me is your high school maths score. 45 is not really an impressive score to begin with. College level courses are bound to be different and difficult from your high school. Whether you enroll in an Engineering programme or a BSc programme, the first semester will have advanced courses in Mathematics and Physics. Also, most universities will also have a bunch of these so-called "weeder courses" in the first year, and the drop-out rate is usually very high in the first 2 semesters.

Taking a hypothetical situation, that you do get admitted into a BSc Programme, you will have to maintain really good grades in all your subjects especially the Physics courses if you intend to get anywhere near a career in Physics. When I finished my class 12, my grades could have easily got me into a top-notch engineering college, but I had decided to pursue pure sciences early on. Fortunately, there were plenty of students in my BSc class who had made a similar decision and most are currently doing quite well in their Physics careers, both in India and abroad.

So what are the options for a person post-BSc Physics?

• Passing with a First class in BSc Physics is almost a given (at least for the general category) to be eligible for MSc programmes. Most universities have an entrance exam/interview in addition to the minimum grade requirements in BSc.
• For reputed MSc programmes, there are exams like IIT-JAM for MSc in one of IITs, the IISc integrated MSc-PhD programme, TIFR integrated MSc-PhD programme to name a few.
• One can specialise in a specific stream of Physics only in their MSc, sometimes even after MSc depending on the university. For e.g. IITs do not offer specialised MSc in Physics but in their final semester thesis project, students usually focus on a specific area of Physics, like condensed matter, particle physics, nuclear physics etc.
• During the duration of the MSc, it is of paramount importance that one seeks opportunities for research internships either in the industry or even in academic institutions. I know it is difficult to get research experience in BSc, but there is no excuse for not finding one in MSc. Institutes actively recruit MSc students for doing short term projects in the summer. This will also help you identify your real world Physics skills.
• By the time students finish their MSc, they usually have a good idea on what stream of Physics they want to focus, in their future Physics career. Depending on that, one can apply to PhD programmes in India and abroad. At this point, things really depend a lot on the individual's interest in specific research groups.

So can a person with an Engineering degree pursue a PhD in Physics? The answer is yes, but still a lot difficult compared to a person with a BSc or MSc in Physics, since most entrance exams for Physics PhD test at least 3 years of undergrad knowledge in Physics. Also the number of spots for PhD and its funding is very few in almost every country and the prospective research group must be really convinced about your candidature, and they will not select someone who is likely to drop-out mid-way through the programme.

 

[samad.kidwai]

Hi,

I'm currently in 12th PCM; really interested in Astrophysics or more specifically Cosmology and was wondering what was the best route to take for that ?

When I was in the U.K; I saw several uni's that had B.Sc Physics + Astrophysics or B.Sc Space Science + Astrophysics; with you taking more credits/modules in your preferred area; so what would be the most similar course to that here ? I couldn't find B.Sc Astrophysics anywhere; i'd really appreciate it if someone could guide me regarding that .

I suppose B.Tech Aerospace would be quite different from Astrophysics.. coz most places that had B.Tech Aerospace didnt teach General or Special Relativity which is of paramount importance in Astrophysicsthanks; looking forward to any tips/ hints...
Samad

 

[Reshma]

Hi,

I'm currently in 12th PCM; really interested in Astrophysics or more specifically Cosmology and was wondering what was the best route to take for that ?

When I was in the U.K; I saw several uni's that had B.Sc Physics + Astrophysics or B.Sc Space Science + Astrophysics; with you taking more credits/modules in your preferred area; so what would be the most similar course to that here ? I couldn't find B.Sc Astrophysics anywhere; i'd really appreciate it if someone could guide me regarding that .

I suppose B.Tech Aerospace would be quite different from Astrophysics.. coz most places that had B.Tech Aerospace didnt teach General or Special Relativity which is of paramount importance in Astrophysicsthanks; looking forward to any tips/ hints...
Samad

To my knowledge, there aren't any universities in India which offer a BSc in Astrophysics, however most BSc Physics programmes do have astrophysics, cosmology and general relativity as one the subjects in the final year. Many post-graduate Physics programmes do offer astrophysics as a specialisation.

I personally think a bachelor's degree in astrophysics may not be so useful vis-à-vis focusing on core physics and maths subjects during one's undergraduate. One can opt to specialise in astrophysics after their BSc.

Perhaps this website might clarify many of your questions:
http://www.iiap.res.in/answers/career#three

 

[samad.kidwai]

Thanks a lot for your reply and the link. So which university would be best. I mean which university has cosmology and astrophysics as optional subject in b.sc final year? Or earlier :) (preferably in north India but anywhere would do )

I obviously would focus on core physics and maths and that is what bsc astrophysics has as well. It just has more focus on astrophysics while teaching all other important things as well.

Thanks
Samad

 

[samad.kidwai]

@metalrose

You mentioned that Chennai Math Instt. is really top notch; a review from a former student http://www.cmi.ac.in/~anirbit/CMI_Physics.pdf

 

[metalrose]

@metalrose

You mentioned that Chennai Math Instt. is really top notch; a review from a former student http://www.cmi.ac.in/~anirbit/CMI_Physics.pdf

Well, that post is quite revealing. And so maybe I could be wrong. But as I've never studied there, I couldn't have know any of that. I had an impression just like anybody else would have from the outside.

On the side notes, no Indian institute in the field of science can offer you international levels of teaching. The stuff that the guy wrote in that post could also be said about Delhi university or many other institutes.

As I said, I didn't join DU, because I knew that that's how things are. It's self study all the way.

Don't expect Indian classrooms to be like a western counterpart where you have nobel lauretes teach you, and where you could raise a hand, address the prof. by his first name and discuss things fearlessly.

So, anywhere you go, until maybe it's IIT kanpur or something, that problem will always be there.
It's self study all the way.

But even though the standards are really bad, these are the only tiny bunch of institutes out there and they do happen to be quite competitive and that is what makes them look as if they are top notch.

 

[samad.kidwai]

@metalrose

Thanks for the reply

Its rather bleak for physics enthusiasts in India ain't it ?

btw the other places you mentioned i.e IISER and NISER , both of them have 5yr courses. Is it possible to leave after 3yrs and get a B.Sc degree ;) ?

I was wondering coz i "think" i'd be sent abroad for masters so... B.Sc wud be preferable

is there a uni that has an observatory coz even if i don't get B.Sc Astrophysics having an observatory in ur uni is the next best thing .. lol

thanks
Samad

 

[Sourabh N]

@metalrose

You mentioned that Chennai Math Instt. is really top notch; a review from a former student http://www.cmi.ac.in/~anirbit/CMI_Physics.pdf

That is one person's opinion. You should not base your decision on one person's opinion. Email students who are currently studying there and see what they have to say. Email students who have graduated from there and ask them what their experience was.

 

[Sourabh N]

Well, that post is quite revealing. And so maybe I could be wrong. But as I've never studied there, I couldn't have know any of that. I had an impression just like anybody else would have from the outside.

I have studied there, so I can say, it was a good experience. As last post shows, some people had not-so-good experiences, but there are some who have great opinions. On average, for B.Sc. in Physics, I'd say it's one of the best (if not THE best) place in India.

On the side notes, no Indian institute in the field of science can offer you international levels of teaching. The stuff that the guy wrote in that post could also be said about Delhi university or many other institutes.

As I said, I didn't join DU, because I knew that that's how things are. It's self study all the way.

Again, it depends. During my course, we did Introduction to quantum theory by the end of third year, which I think is NOT a regular part of a average International University. CMI and IMSc are like sister institutes and one can also do (and people do) graduate courses at IMSc during their undergraduate at CMI.
As far as self study goes, it's expected from you. If you join CMI, it is understood that you love physics and will study physics without some assignment/deadline to push you (though there are some courses with lots of assignments+deadlines, but I'm talking in general).

Don't expect Indian classrooms to be like a western counterpart where you have nobel lauretes teach you, and where you could raise a hand, address the prof. by his first name and discuss things fearlessly.

So, anywhere you go, until maybe it's IIT kanpur or something, that problem will always be there.
It's self study all the way.

In most of the courses I attended, we could raise hand, address the professor by their first name, and ask question in the middle of the class, fearlessly.

 

[samad.kidwai]

@Sourabh N

I entirely understand what you mean, if I do get slected their I'd be sure to talk to more ppl about it.

Which institutes would you consider to THE best or one of the best for Physics ? You mentioned IMSc, well they only seem to have masters.. (btw if you know of a uni that has an observatory, please do let me know )

thanks
Samad

 

[Sourabh N]

Yes, IMSc offers only Masters and/or PhD.

I think you should apply to most places you come across and worry about where to go once you get admitted. It's important to keep all options open. We can talk better about the best institutes available to you, instead of best institutes overall.
Said that, frankly I don't know of any places outside CMI, IITs, IISERs, NISER and DU available at your level. As you said (and which is what I had in mind before joining CMI) you prefer leaving after B.Sc., that leaves you with CMI and DU.
As for Astrophysics, you can work with some professor while doing your undergraduate. It's quite possible that your undergraduate curriculum will allow you working on it only during the semester breaks. Also, don't be stringent about your stream so early. You'll learn about many new things which might excite you more

 

[samad.kidwai]

Thanks a lot for your reply... I asked which you thought were the best as I've only applied for IIT-JEE, AIEEE and IISc and was wondering what other places are worth applying ; DU and CMI forms come out quite late don't they ? in March or some time ?

So anyone ? B.Sc Physics (3yrs) other than CMI DU and IISc ?

Taking Astrophyiscs wouldn't narrow my field signinficantly, I could still take any specialization in M.Sc , I'll just have a few extra lectures on Astrbophysics plus the entire Physics sylllabus (at least that's how it works in UK :) )

How's the physics in AMU (Aligarh Muslim University) ? Aligarh is my hometown so I wondering...

thanks all
Samad

 

[mohsen66]

hello everyone
Im an student in math & physics with 12th high school certification degree with 80 score from Iran & I have plan to come to India for study B.s physics

with those conditions that you mentioned in previous posts , which college you suggest me to
apply for ? any other good college without entrance tests ?

I chose Loyola college in Chennai and after that iit madras for M.s course .
any other good college you prefer for me ?

how about fergusson college in puna ? or st.xaviers college in calcutta or mumbai ?
i really love the cultures and the natures of India we call ur country Hindoustan

thx a lot for ur answering

 

[samad.kidwai]

@Mohsen

If you really are going abroad it would be beneficial to go to Europe or USA as they ave a lot more options especially in pure sciences; altho the what I am attaching is rather harsh but has nuggets of advice (A guy mailed it to me when I asked about best place to study Physics here) do have a look

Would be interested in what others have to say about it ...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Hi,

Nice to hear from you.


I do get emails like this from class 12 students and let me reiterate to you what I tell others.

First thing to keep in mind is that the state of physics education in India in any college is in a pathetic state. Its almost non-existent. Its at least half a century old in its methods and probably a century (or more!) old in its thoughts and more than anything else it is sunk in the marshland of bureaucracy and corruption. I can show you writings about physics at IITK by some of the best students there which will look exactly the same (or worse!) than what I wrote about CMI physics. My friend circle incidentally includes some of the best students who are doing physics at IISERs and BITS and they too have similar tales to tell.

So clearly the first option cannot be studying physics in India.

You should apply to the various brilliant physics institutes across the world. Some of the best exist in the US but by now I guess the deadlines have passed for taking SAT or anything. But still you should give it a try. Cambridge and Oxford at UK also have brilliant physics undergrads and especially Cambridge has special scholarships for Indian students. You should definitely actively search through these but I think their deadlines have also passed. You are thinking about such stuff a bit too late!

Another brilliant option which exists and their deadlines probably are still there include the Max-Planck institutes in Germany. They are absolutely awesome places to do physics and you should definitely go there. I think their deadlines haven't yet passed and you should immediately find out everything regarding their application process and send in your applications. Generally Germany has simple and free application processes.

You should also look at options in Hungary which have some of the best education systems especially in Mathematics. Do give a serious thought about applying to Eotvos Lorand at Hungary. That is a great institute to study. I know some of the best undergrad students of US take leave from their home colleges to go and study there.

Then you should look at MITP and Lebedev institute in Russia.
They too are awesome and most of the best students who will do their Phd in the US will be students from MITP.

In India definitely the best option is still IITK. Not because they teach anything great but because of its sheer brand value. When you apply for your PhD to say some college in the US, if your undergrad is not from a famous college most institutes will not even look at your application.

After IITK, I would rate BITS-Pilani and Goa in order of brand value and then NISER and IISER-Pune to be very good and expanding vigorously.
And after all of them I would prefer CMI.

But remember that the loss of doing undergrad in India is just enormous. It can push your career into sever jeopardy and you might not even be conscious of it by the time the disaster strikes and it can take decades to undo and that too only if you are brilliant. If you are not one of the best students of India then your career can be in deep trouble if you are also studying in India. The biggest risk is of sinking into the vast ocean of mediocrity. The people who are not the best for them the differential advantage of studying in some of these world's best colleges is much higher.

You can look at some of the well-known rankings of science institutes across the world like Shanghai Index and you will see that no Indian institute features even in the top 300 ranks. It should convince you of how terrible the situation is.

The best high-school students in the US know more mathematics than the some of mathematics PhD students from India. The gap is that big.

Hence take a judicious decision so that you don't suffer later.

Thanks,

Anirbit

 

[Schrodu]

I have been following this thread, and couldn't resist replying any longer.

Anirbit Mukherjee's document regarding CMI physics seems to have become quite popular among prospective physics students. To them I'd like to say: Anirbit's opinion is the one which is highest ranked by google, not necessarily the most qualified or even representative. I urge you to actually contact current students, other alumni to get a more balanced opinion...

(I am planning to write a similar document myself, soon as I overcome procrastination )

As to my opinion about physics at CMI, and India in general, let me first say that I am a final year physics student at CMI. I think that I had a really wonderful undergrad experience here. I got to meet some really great people, including faculty and students at CMI, IMSc. Although there were some good and some bad courses, I think overall I benefited a lot from the education here - and I managed two really good summer internships through faculty contacts. There may be some issue with placements, but till now several CMI students have made it to TIFR (all physics depts.), HRI, and good-ish places in US and Europe. (I'll find out about my fate in a couple of months)

I believe that over the past few years, a lot of excellent opportunities have come up in India for studying science. Along with IITK, IITM also has a good physics program, and there are some good people at all the IISERs (including Mohali and Bhopal).

Regarding doing UG abroad: First and foremost, outside the US, I know of no place that gives scholarships etc. for undergrad students to study there (if you're even vaguely aware of international affairs over the past two years, you'll know why). The living expenses in all these places can go upwards of INR 20 lakhs (US$ 40,000) per annum. In my humble opinion, the education is not worth this kind of money (remember you're going to be a physicist earning a pittance, not some IT company tycoon).

That leaves us with US. Every year in India, there will be a super-lucky few (olympiad medalists et al) who'll get full-funded placements at MIT, Caltech and the likes. For the rest who get rejected, do NOT make the mistake of thinking the world has ended (I almost did that back then). You still can get a great education in Indian institutes.

I would like to make one more point: it is far more important what you do at an institute, than the prestige/quality of the institute itself. You can go to Stanford and get totally wasted, or you can go to Pune University and graduate with a couple of publications in hand.

Finally, @mohsen above: I really don't know much about issues involving immigrating from Iran to India for UG (I know people who've come here for PhD), but I do know that CMI at least does accept international students and they also get tuition waiver/scholarships etc. I don't know about other colleges, but I would recommend against Ferguson College Pune and St. Xavier's Mumbai, they do not really have an academic "culture", they're known more for their events and parties etc. You can still do well there, but avoid them if you can.

</rant>
Hope that was helpful (really sorry about the length...), and feel free to PM me for more details.

 

[samad.kidwai]

@Schrudo

thanks for replying, would look forward to reading your write-up :D

Other than CMI, all the places that you have mentioned have 5yr Integrated M.Sc (other than TIFR and HRI which are PG only ...) so what would be the best places to apply for a simple 3yr B.Sc Physics ??

Also, I mentioned European Uni for Mohsen, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway and some others, not sure which don't charge any tution fees, so he could try for that...

samad

 

[General_Sax]

Regarding doing UG abroad: First and foremost, outside the US, I know of no place that gives scholarships etc. for undergrad students to study there

Look into the University of Alberta, in Edmonton,Alberta,Canada.

http://www.gradstudies.uAlberta.ca/intl/intlfund.htm

 

[RoughRoad]

So it's almost time now that I decide my future. Am appearing for my 12th boards, and also preparing for AIEEE due in May. I am interested in pursuing a career in astrophysics. Got 89% in 10th if that even matters. Now, I am really confused whether I should take up engineering like others and sacrifice my dream, or do I pursue a degree in physics? Advice would be much appreciated.
Thanks

 

[samad.kidwai]

How did your board practicals go ? I think if you get into some "awesome" engg. uni then it'd be better to just do engg. and later move into astrophyiscs.. otherwise just do B.Sc physics for some place good (there doesn't seem to be that many "good" physics places let alone "awesome" ones :P )

you could apply to UK or sumwhere else if you can convince your parents.. ?? that'd be the best option imo

good luck
Samad (in a very similar situtation.. )

 

[samad.kidwai]

How did your board practicals go ? I think if you get into some "awesome" engg. uni then it'd be better to just do engg. and later move into astrophyiscs.. otherwise just do B.Sc physics for some place good (there doesn't seem to be that many "good" physics places let alone "awesome" ones :P )

you could apply to UK or sumwhere else if you can convince your parents.. ?? that'd be the best option imo

good luck
Samad (in a very similar situtation.. )

 

[RoughRoad]

Board practs were awesome. Although my performance on CET and AIEEE will decide my future!

 

[doodle_sack]

I have studied there, so I can say, it was a good experience. As last post shows, some people had not-so-good experiences, but there are some who have great opinions. On average, for B.Sc. in Physics, I'd say it's one of the best (if not THE best) place in India.



Again, it depends. During my course, we did Introduction to quantum theory by the end of third year, which I think is NOT a regular part of a average International University. CMI and IMSc are like sister institutes and one can also do (and people do) graduate courses at IMSc during their undergraduate at CMI.
As far as self study goes, it's expected from you. If you join CMI, it is understood that you love physics and will study physics without some assignment/deadline to push you (though there are some courses with lots of assignments+deadlines, but I'm talking in general).



In most of the courses I attended, we could raise hand, address the professor by their first name, and ask question in the middle of the class, fearlessly.

Hi, could you tell me whether BSc Mathematics & Computer Science students are allowed to take (or have taken) graduate or MSc courses at CMI?

 

[Reshma]

Hi, could you tell me whether BSc Mathematics & Computer Science students are allowed to take (or have taken) graduate or MSc courses at CMI?

I believe you can, there is plenty of information about it on their website.
http://www.cmi.ac.in//admissions/index.php
http://www.cmi.ac.in//admissions/syllabus.php

 

[Sourabh N]

Hi, could you tell me whether BSc Mathematics & Computer Science students are allowed to take (or have taken) graduate or MSc courses at CMI?

Yes to both. One can also take courses offered at IMSc, given your schedule doesn't clash with courses at CMI (usually not an issue).

 

[doodle_sack]

I believe you can, there is plenty of information about it on their website.
http://www.cmi.ac.in//admissions/index.php
http://www.cmi.ac.in//admissions/syllabus.php

Thanks for the reply. But I don't think there is any information regarding this given anywhere in the website or brochure. It would be great if you could clarify.

 

[doodle_sack]

Yes to both. One can also take courses offered at IMSc, given your schedule doesn't clash with courses at CMI (usually not an issue).

Thanks. Could you tell me how many graduate level courses one is allowed to take? Or is there any restrictions in that case?

 

[Sourabh N]

Thanks. Could you tell me how many graduate level courses one is allowed to take? Or is there any restrictions in that case?

That's rather specific. You should email the graduate coordinator (you can find the person on the website, somewhere) and clarify with them. Though usually, students take maximum 4-5 courses (with exceptions) and maybe 1-2 graduate courses max, in one semester (again, with exceptions).

 

[Schrodu]

Thanks. Could you tell me how many graduate level courses one is allowed to take? Or is there any restrictions in that case?

Thing about CMI is, there are very few administrative restrictions on any such issues. You can take as many electives (graduate level/at CMI or IMSc) as you can fit into your timetable (I think under new rules you have to convince your advisor that you won't flunk them).

Realistically, it is possible to take ~4-5 additional courses over 3 yrs (I took 5, although I've heard of a person who managed to do 9). Also, there's no restriction on physics students doing math courses and vice-versa.

 

[doodle_sack]

Thanks.

 

[samad.kidwai]

Where could i get earlieer years CMI entrance test coz the sample papers on their site had Q's harder than those in from JEE ! lol :P

 

[Sourabh N]

I don't think they exist anywhere on the net. Most probably they (aka They should) have a different 'pattern' every time.

 

[samad.kidwai]

Why should they have a diferent pattern every year?? Its annoying enuff understanding the JEE and AIEEE patterns let alone having to work differnetly for every college ..

could you please have a look at the sample paper and let me knw if the exam you gave had that hard Q's ?

thanks
Samad

you are an alumni of CMI aren't you ?

 

[Sourabh N]

Why should they have a diferent pattern every year?? Its annoying enuff understanding the JEE and AIEEE patterns let alone having to work differnetly for every college ..

Haha, notice the quotes I put around pattern. I meant, they should have different kinds of questions. For my entrance test, we had a few MCQ's and few subjective problems. That's more than enough "types of questions". It's annoying indeed to have so many types or problems/marking schemes (match the following? )

could you please have a look at the sample paper and let me knw if the exam you gave had that hard Q's ?

I did, after you last post. It's been 4 years since I gave that exam, but I think the questions given there are comparable to what we got. The thing is(was), even though they might seem hard, one has(I had) more time in this exam to solve the questions from first principles, contrary to JEE or AIEEE where you have to get to the right answer very quickly, the method being irrelevant.

 

[samad.kidwai]

LOL at match the following :p

thanks a lot for the proompt reply, let's hope i get some old papers from somewhere ...

 

[ManishR]

what do you think about IGNOU ?