University of Chicago: Is it Worth 50k/Yr? Admissions Requirements

[Mathemaniac]

I was looking at this school, since it's relatively close and has a top-notch physics program (or so I understand).

Is that seriously worth 50k USD a year? How the hell do I go from paying 8k a year to 50k?

And can I get accepted (into the undergrad program) with a 3.66 physics GPA, 3.5 math GPA, and 3.6 overall GPA, from a smaller, rather obscure university?

 

[Vanadium 50]

I was looking at this school, since it's relatively close and has a top-notch physics program (or so I understand).

It does.

Is that seriously worth 50k USD a year? How the hell do I go from paying 8k a year to 50k?

It's clearly worth 50K to someone. Is it worth 50K to you? I don't think anyone can answer that question except you.

And can I get accepted (into the undergrad program) with a 3.66 physics GPA, 3.5 math GPA, and 3.6 overall GPA, from a smaller, rather obscure university?

We don't have your transcripts, we don't have your SAT/ACTs, we don't have your letters of recommendation, in short we don't have anything the admissions department has. So even if we were the admissions department of UC, we couldn't answer that question. Of course, we're quite a long way from that.

As a wild guess, the farther away you are from going through your "small obscure university" like a hot knife through butter, the less good your chances are. Certainly if you were getting straight A's you would be in better shape than a record of about half A's and half B's.

 

[Mathemaniac]

Do SATs and ACTs even matter this late into my college career? Mind you, I'll have finished my first degree (in math).

 

[JasonJo]

Just ask them, shoot them an email. Maybe for some schools they still want to see it. Probably not, but you really are asking the wrong people what your chances are.

 

[olgranpappy]

I was looking at this school, since it's relatively close and has a top-notch physics program (or so I understand).

Is that seriously worth 50k USD a year? How the hell do I go from paying 8k a year to 50k?

And can I get accepted (into the undergrad program) with a 3.66 physics GPA, 3.5 math GPA, and 3.6 overall GPA, from a smaller, rather obscure university?

Give it a shot, I say.

As for the 50,000 bucks... hell no, it's not worth it. But hopefully you can get some kindly benefactor to pay your way for you. E.g., parents. That's what every other college student in the whole wide world does.

 

[mathwonk]

school tuition is set to accommodate the wealthy. others are given "scholarships" or loans to cover the discrepancy with reality. if you are good enough be aware they want you as much as you want them, or more. so take advantage of that.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Do SATs and ACTs even matter this late into my college career? Mind you, I'll have finished my first degree (in math).

Well, you did say you were interested in undergraduate physics.

It took me less than two minutes to locate the following on the http://collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/admissions/transfer/" : "Students who already have a Bachelor’s degree are not eligible to apply to the undergraduate College at the University of Chicago as the College does not grant second Bachelor’s degrees."

So, that answers your question.

 

[Ulagatin]

If you already have a BSc in Mathematics, why not apply to graduate school for physics? I'm not even an undergraduate yet, but I am sure you would be able to do this.

Cheers,
-Davin

 

[JasonJo]

Do you know how competitive the graduate admissions is for University of Chicago? This is not a good idea in all honesty.

 

[Ulagatin]

Honestly, I had no idea! Forget my "advice" then.

Cheers,
-Davin

 

[Mathemaniac]

If you already have a BSc in Mathematics, why not apply to graduate school for physics? I'm not even an undergraduate yet, but I am sure you would be able to do this.

Cheers,
-Davin

Because my physics background is a joke. I know nothing about E&M (beyond the little introduction in a general physics course), one semester QM, have no research experience whatsoever, and would probably get a terrible GRE score at this point. Plus, the physics classes I have taken felt a bit dumbed down.

People keep asking my why I don't just go to grad school. I don't think they realize just how bad the physics at my current uni is. They shouldn't even be accredited. TWO full time professors. You can't have a physics program with two professors.

It's a messy situation. I don't want to go to grad school for math; physics is my passion. But there's simply no way I could go to grad school at this point.

As for UC not giving second degrees, well, that's unfortunate. Looks like Minnesota or Washington it is.

 

[Pyrrhus]

Physicists go to Grad School anyway, so UChicago could be your Grad school. Good luck!

 

[Ulagatin]

Perhaps with your solid mathematics background, you could teach yourself undergrad physics? Start from the basics and I bet you'll be able to work up to quantum mechanics etc fairly quickly because you already have a high level of mathematics. As far as I know, pure mathematics is very useful when you start dealing with quantum mechanics.

Cheers,
-Davin

 

[Vanadium 50]

There has been a lot of advice here (by in some cases folks who haven't even gone to college yet, so this cannot be from personal experience) that I strongly disagree with.

First, one does not go from a physics background is a "joke" (to quote the OP) straight into graduate school at the University of Chicago. Just like one doesn't go from being a fair-to-middling little leaguer straight to the New York Yankees.

Second, physics is not math and math is not physics. Being good in one doesn't mean you can teach yourself the other, at least not at the level of being one of the top 20 or so undergraduates in the country - because that's who UC admits for its graduate students.

 

[eri]

As Vanadium pointed out, getting a second bachelors there is not an option, and frankly, neither is graduate school. The University of Chicago is very competitive to get into and then very competitive once you're there. Many me told me not to apply just based on the cut-throat atmosphere. Without a background in physics, you're going to have trouble getting into any physics graduate school, much less a top-ranked one. Your best bet may be to spend a few years catching up on your physics coursework at a local state university as a non-degree student.

 

[Mathemaniac]

I'm not sure why people think I want to apply to UC for grad school. I am not suggesting going to any grad school yet. I was simply looking for some opinions on whether or not it is a viable option for undergrad physics and, evidently, it is not.

Perhaps if I do stellar enough on my BS in physics (and I'm not settling for mediocrity anymore), UC will be one of the places I apply to for grad school two or three years down the road, but beyond that I'm not considering it for grad school. I'm not even considering anywhere for grad school at the moment; I need to learn physics first.

And there's no way I'm staying at this school to complete physics. Man, I tell you, the physics professors just got kicked out of their offices and stuffed into some closets so that some administrators could have their offices. Just like what they did to Milton in Office Space. It's like this school's administration is trying to cut the physics program without actually cutting it (maybe by making the surviving two professors quit, but that would be suicide in today's job market).