Need avice picking undergrad school.

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around selecting an undergraduate school for a physics major after community college. Participants explore factors such as school rankings, affordability, and the importance of undergraduate education compared to graduate school.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses uncertainty about career direction but shows a strong interest in physics, seeking advice on suitable undergraduate schools.
  • Another participant questions the significance of undergraduate school choice compared to graduate school, suggesting that a decent education can be obtained from various institutions.
  • Suggestions for specific schools in Pennsylvania include Penn State and the University of Pennsylvania, with a note that they likely have good physics programs.
  • The University of Arizona is mentioned as a good option, particularly for residents due to lower tuition costs.
  • A request for a ranking list of schools is made, indicating a desire for guidance on selecting a school based on reputation.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the importance of undergraduate school choice versus graduate school. There are multiple viewpoints regarding which schools are preferable and what factors should be prioritized in the decision-making process.

Contextual Notes

Participants express varying levels of concern about GPA and extracurricular activities affecting admission chances, which may influence their school selection process.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals considering undergraduate programs in physics, especially those transitioning from community college and weighing options based on affordability and program quality.

vMaster0fPuppet
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I'm now in te process of looking at schools in which I should apply to after community college, and am having a hard time deteminign what schools are the best for me to apply to. I still have no idea what I want to do as a career, but my high school physics class interested me more than any class I had ever taken and I decided I wanted to major in physics. I may go on to engeneering or some other profffesion, but my only concern right now is finding the right school to complete my last two years towards my Bacholers. Being that I entered community college to save money, I also need to find a undergraduate school that is resonably priced. I would like to find a good college in Pennsylvania that I could get into, but have been contemplating mayube Arizona for personal reasons... in reality I would just like a list of the best physics undregraduate schools. I do not have a spectacular GPA, 3.3-3.5 mor that likely and I have participated in absolutly no extra curricular activities, so I know I cannot get into any of the outstanding schools. I feel this may hurt me dearly.

Sorry for the long post, but any advice would be greatly appreciated.
 
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Does anybody have a link to a list of schools based on ranking. I'm not looking to get into MIT but don't want to go to the wrong school for this.
 
I don't think your undergrad school matters anywhere near as much as your graduate school (someone else can confirm/deny this). Unless you go to an absolutely horrible school you should be getting a decent education anywhere you go. You can check out each school's website for their course listings and see how complete they are for yourself.

This thread has several rankings for various programs - but they're all for graduate programs.

As for schools in Pennsylvania, what about Penn State or the University of Pennsylvania? I doubt either one will have a bad program for physics.
 
The University of Arizona is pretty good. IF you were a resident, it would be that much better (tuition wise), but otherwise it's still not that bad.
 
Thanks guys. I am more looking toward schools in PA, but was considering others. I'm not so sure I'll be looking for more than a bacholers, so I figured the school would be important. Thanks for the list.
 

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