I want to know the approximate number of students pursuing a physics major at Cornell University as an undergrad because I wanted to get an idea of how competitive will it be to get a research opportunity as an undergrad.
There is no way of telling. By the time your freshman ends. The possibile number of pursding may decrease. Weed classes or students not expecting what physics was about in a long run
According to Cornell’s Common Data Set, 3.1% of all the undergrad degrees Cornell granted in 2014-2015 were under the broad umbrella of physics (section J1 of the CDC).
In fall 2015, the freshman class amounted to 3,180 students (section C1 of the CDC).
3,180x4 (to give us an approximate number of undergraduates) =12,720
12,720x0.03 = 382
So roughly 380 undergrads pursuing physics. That number that I got isn’t perfect, I would guess that it could range from 330 to well into the mid 400s depending on the popularity of the major from year to year.
https://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/?q=cornell&s=all&md=0&id=190415 says that, for 2015-2016, Cornell University granted 33 bachelor’s degrees in physics (along with 33 master’s degrees and 21 doctoral degrees).
Note that the CDS category referred to in #2 is “physical sciences”, not “physics”. From the NCES data, Cornell University granted 95 bachelor’s degrees in physical sciences (including chemistry, geology, and others), which is consistent with the numbers derived from the CDS given in #2 (multiplying the yearly graduation number by 4 to get an approximation of current enrollment in those majors).
@ucbalumnus good point! I was wrong to assume that physical sciences was strictly physics. Thank you for the correct stats.
The actual number could be slightly higher, because College Navigator apparently has one weakness: it can’t handle double majors. My understanding is that double majors are only counted once – and I’ve heard that they pick the major that is first in alphabetical order. If so, then a math/physics double major (for example) would be counted as a math major, and would not show up in the count of physics majors.
https://www.aip.org/sites/default/files/statistics/rosters/PhyRost15.3.pdf
I assume “Appl Sci” is Engineering Physics
Back in the dark ages, when I applied, one’s advisor determined whether the kid “had the right stuff” and more or less promoted them for various opportunities. I think. Since I wasn’t one of those people, I don’t know for sure.The people who were good enough got them though.
Not all majors want to do research in physics. I didn’t. I wasn’t going on in Physics, and wanted to take more courses instead. Lots of people want to go to grad school in a different field, get jobs (eg Wall Street & Comp Sci) , apply to medical school, etc. Some like me go for a grad program in engineering.
I have no idea what they do now. Undergrad research has become a more prominent buzzword than it was in my day.
My D2 was in CAS (not in physics) IIRC there was a certain GPA needed to make departmental honors in her area, and those who achieved it could do an Honor’s thesis.
But you’d have to ask at the physics department to see how they handle this, in that department, in the current era.
re #6, “when I applied” should read “when I attended”