Which college is the best for physics research in general?

[CrysPhys]

How common is this for undergrads at SBU?

I don't know. Incorrect wording on my part. I should have written, "If you might be interested in research opportunities at Brookhaven, then the geographic vicinity of Stony Brook would make it viable." As for actual undergrad research opportunities at any of the candidate universities, I had previously recommended that the OP do some homework:

There are two separate issues:

(1) What research areas are the faculty in each university engaged in?

(2) What opportunities does each university provide for undergraduates to participate in research? Not all universities do. But MIT, e.g., has UROP (Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program), which funds and strongly encourages undergrad research.

So you need to find out the answers to both questions for the schools on your list. The first is easy, look up what research is being done at each school. The second may require a bit more digging (contact the physics depts, e.g.).

 

[hutchphd]

The problem is that the price is quantifiable and known, whereas the value is not quantifiable and is not known.

Quibble: The fact that the added value cannot be known a priori means that it cannot be easilly included.....not that it must be ignored!!
This is necessarilly a subjective decision. I don't know what my decision would be today, but the criteria should be as inclusive as possible. I think all arguments discussed so far are valid, and remind the OP that life is often messy and surprising.

 

[CrysPhys]

Quibble: The fact that the added value cannot be known a priori means that it cannot be easilly included.....not that it must be ignored!!
This is necessarilly a subjective decision. I don't know what my decision would be today, but the criteria should be as inclusive as possible. I think all arguments discussed so far are valid, and remind the OP that life is often messy and surprising.

But I never said the value should be ignored. In fact, I said that Cornell offers a plus under some circumstances:

* I'll weigh in on the side that Cornell is likely not worth paying 2X what you would pay at the other universities. It is worth considering, however, if you are not sure that you want to major in physics and might make a substantial shift (e.g., pre-med or pre-law). [Caveat: Any such judgment is purely based on my own experiences and reflect my personal biases. As an undergrad, I was accepted by both Harvard and Cornell; I chose neither. As a grad, I was accepted by both Harvard and Cornell for Physics PhD program; I chose neither. "Brand name" recognition, however, can come into play during your career if you switch fields. That's a whole thread in itself. But as mentioned above, you still have the option of a brand name grad school later.]

<<Emphasis added>>

But my point is that you can't make a compelling argument that, based on the criterion of value/price, Cornell is worth 2X the price of the alternatives (particularly, when potential future grad schools come into play). Too many unknowns (or in your own words, "life is often messy and surprising").

 

[hutchphd]

But my point is that you can't make a compelling argument that, based on the criterion of value/price, Cornell is worth 2X the price of the alternatives (particularly, when potential future grad schools come into play). Too many unknowns (or in your own words, "life is often messy and surprising").

I took this lack of a compelling argument (to choose the more expensive path) to be a tacit endorsement of the alternative. Is that not what you meant ?
The nature of choice with insufficient data is always fraught, and sometimes one should look deeper. Retrospective analysis is always so much clearer.
We are imperfect beings.....and none of the proposed choices is a bad one. Whatever the direction, assume it correct and proceed with joy.

,

 

[CrysPhys]

I took this lack of a compelling argument (to choose the more expensive path) to be a tacit endorsement of the alternative. Is that not what you meant ?
The nature of choice with insufficient data is always fraught, and sometimes one should look deeper. Retrospective analysis is always so much clearer.
We are imperfect beings.....and none of the proposed choices is a bad one. Whatever the direction, assume it correct and proceed with joy.

,

I gave the OP initial homework to help assess their options and then gave further factors to consider. I also gave a bullet list of what I consider to be the strong point for each school. It's up to the OP to come up with their personal list of plusses (and minuses) and assign their personal weighting factor to each. If they can't do such an analysis, then what's left is to write down each candidate on a separate slip, shuffle the slips, and draw one.

I'll rephrase what I wrote above as the plus for Cornell in different terms. Cornell would serve as a hedge: (a) in case the OP decides to switch over to a substantially different major and (b) in case they later choose not to pursue grad school or is not accepted into a brand name or prestigious grad school. If cost at this stage is a key factor (and what the OP wrote so far indicates it is), and if the OP does not think they need to avail themselves of the hedge (TBD), then in the absence of a compelling argument to choose Cornell, I would recommend dropping Cornell from the candidate list.

 

[schmittno]

Thank you anyone who took the time to offer me some advice. I ended up choosing RPI. Although the accelerated PhD was mentioned a lot, I don't have much of an interest in it. I mainly chose RPI for both the atmosphere and cost (I was able to get it down to about 1/3 of Cornell). In addition, if I ever wanted to switch to engineering, I felt as if RPI would be the strongest (excluding Cornell). Again thank you, and I look forward to starting my physics journey!

 

[CrysPhys]

Thank you anyone who took the time to offer me some advice. I ended up choosing RPI. Although the accelerated PhD was mentioned a lot, I don't have much of an interest in it. I mainly chose RPI for both the atmosphere and cost (I was able to get it down to about 1/3 of Cornell). In addition, if I ever wanted to switch to engineering, I felt as if RPI would be the strongest (excluding Cornell). Again thank you, and I look forward to starting my physics journey!

Thanks for letting us know the outcome. That happens too rarely on this forum. I wish you much success on your future college life.

 

[hutchphd]

Thanks for letting us know the outcome. That happens too rarely on this forum

I second that.
Please don't be too single-minded in your physics quest. Work hard and play hard....undergraduate education should be an "opening" experience. I hope and trust you will do very well.

 

[gwnorth]

Sounds like you made a good choice. Best of luck on your educational journey and make sure to enjoy your time at college. It's a unique time in your life.