Which University for Undergraduate degree in physics

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around selecting an undergraduate physics program, with a focus on the applicant's qualifications and potential schools to consider. Participants explore various universities, their admission competitiveness, and the overall landscape of undergraduate physics education.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant lists several prestigious universities they are applying to for a physics degree and seeks additional recommendations.
  • Another participant suggests that admission to top-tier schools may be challenging without an exceptionally strong application, highlighting the importance of GPA, extracurriculars, and recommendations.
  • It is noted that good undergraduate physics programs exist beyond the Ivy League and that schools like Williams, Swarthmore, and Harvey Mudd could be considered.
  • A participant emphasizes that students can pursue undergraduate physics at various institutions and still gain admission to reputable graduate programs, but stresses the need for specific applicant information to provide tailored advice.
  • The original poster shares their academic credentials, including a 4.0 GPA and high standardized test scores, along with a research project related to wind turbine blade curvature, indicating a strong passion for physics.
  • The original poster expresses a preference for programs comparable to the University of Michigan and is open to traveling for schools on par with MIT's program.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that there are many viable options for undergraduate physics programs, but there is no consensus on which specific schools are best suited for the original poster's situation. The discussion reflects varying opinions on the competitiveness of different institutions.

Contextual Notes

The discussion does not resolve the complexities of admissions criteria, nor does it clarify the specific strengths or weaknesses of the programs mentioned. The original poster's preferences and constraints are also not fully explored.

Who May Find This Useful

Students considering undergraduate physics programs, particularly those evaluating their qualifications and potential schools, may find this discussion relevant.

gsingh2011
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I want to obtain a degree in physics. Here is the list of colleges I'm applying to:
University of Michigan
University of Chicago
Cornell
California Institute of Technology
Princeton
Stanford
Harvard
MIT

Are there any other colleges I should consider? Any schools in between Michigan and the Ivy leagues?
 
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That's a pretty ambitious list. You probably already know that unless you have an exceptionally strong application (near-perfect GPA, extracurriculars, essays, recommendations) Chicago, Cornell, CalTech, Princeton, Stanford, Harvard, and MIT are probably out of the question.

There are plenty of good undergraduate physics programs. Williams, Swarthmore, Harvey Mudd, Brandeis, Ithaca, Berkeley, UCLA to name a few.
 
You can do undergraduate physics pretty much anywhere, including liberal arts colleges, and still get into a great graduate program. But without knowing your GPA (unweighted), SAT scores, activities, research experience (did you know half the students who get into CalTech each year have already done research with a college professor while in high school?), and what state you live in (since U Mich is very hard to get into from out of state) it's hard to help you.
 
GPA - 4.0
ACT - 33
SAT Math2/Physics - 800
National Merit Semifinalist

I've taken some college math courses including number theory and graph theory and a few others at Oakland University.

While I haven't done a research project with a professor, my school, which is an IB school requires a 4000 word paper on any topic of choice. My research question investigated the affects of different curvatures of the blades of wind turbines on their output voltage (data was actually collected and analyzed, not just analyzed).

Those are just some major things I can think of on the spot. I have a strong passion in physics that I think I convey well in my essays. I live in Michigan (not to be cocky, but there's no way I'm not getting into U of M...). If there is a program that's only slightly better than U of M's program, then I'm not willing to travel that far. However, if its on par with MIT's program I'm willing to travel.
 

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