I’m currently starting the process of applying to colleges. I’m most likely going to major in physics–but we’ll see what happens along the way. I’ve toured Case and it looks nice. I wanted to know if anyone here has thoughts about the physics department there and the school in general? I’m not name-brand obsessed or anything, but prestige is still a factor in where I want to partly because of job opportunities and partly because of ego. Any thoughts? Thanks. (SIDENOTE: If anyone has other ideas of where to apply, let me know!)
It’s hard to recommend where someone should apply without knowing anything about them - stats, budget, what they desire in a campus.
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Stats: Overall high grades. 3 years above of grade level in math. Waiting to hear back on SATs, but most likely 1450-1500
Campus: Doesn’t really matter as long as it isn’t just an office building
Budget: I’m definitely going to need some sort of merit aid or scholarship
I think pretty highly of Case Western and its physics department. I always remember one of the classic experiments in physics, the Michelson-Morley experiment, was done there. When I was growing up in Ohio in the '70s I considered Case Western for college. Many considered it the best school in the state. They made a mild attempt to recruit me for football, but at the time I believe the school had the longest losing streak in football in the country. One of the reasons I turned it down was because the school looked too academically rigorous for me.
Overall high gpa means little.
What is your UW GPA? What is your overall rigor? Not just math. In each - English, Social Science, Science, math, foreign language?
What is your budget - in $$. $40k a year. $60k? $90k?
What is your state of residence ?
Any post graduation desires ? More school ? Work ?
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Based on your interest in physics, this site will offer you a range of further ideas:
As an opinion, I suggest you largely disregard the specific rankings in favor of the general attributes of the recommended schools.
For a school similar in many ways to CWRU, look into the University of Rochester.
I don’t know my unweighted GPA – my guess would be at lowest 3.8 and highest 3.9
Overall rigor, I’ve taken Honors in every class it was available (literature, history, chemistry, biology, physics, etc.) and gotten high grades in each and commendations from teachers
Budget - Probably 50k at absolute maximum, but I don’t know.
Post graduation - Not quite sure yet. I’ve always thought I’d go into theoretical physics research (so grad school), but maybe something could change.
Add up all your courses. Give 4 for an A, 3 for a B, 2 for a C. Divide by # of courses.
Will you take Calc ? Which APs?
Get a hard budget or at least guide from your family. Don’t guess.
Also Case meets need - have your folks fill out the net price calculator. She’s how much the estimated cost is - to see if you have need.
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I’d recommend you have the “money talk” with your parents and try to get a firm college budget.
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This post offers a few suggestions based partly on American Physical Society recognition of faculty and recent graduates: Where to undergrad in physics if grad school (PhD) is the goal? - #11 by merc81
I took Multivariable+Vector Calculus in my junior year, and I’m going into an advanced differential equations and linear algebra class next year.
For my GPA, I haven’t gotten my grades for this year yet. Based on the previous two years, I’m at a 3.9.
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With your rigor and a 1450 SAT and at $50k, Arizona will be a great value as it’s one of the tops physics schools. If you like CWRU, Rochester is attainable as is Pitt (might not make budget). U Denver and U Miami are two others. RPI could work.
Staying in the Midwest, Miami Ohio (safety) and Purdue are two other fine schools to make budget. Iowa State, Mizzou, KU and K State too.
If you find you have even less to spend, you’ll be able to go to Alabama, UAH, Miss State, Tennessee Tech, UT Chatt and other schools for low 20s - certainly the first three - with auto merit (the SAT matters). FSU could be another along with UCF, USF and UF would be right at budget.
Just a ton more too if you got a bit more detailed than not an office building. Size, location, weather, etc.
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I agree that your parents need to give you a hard budget. Often “what we can afford” and “what we want to afford” are different. If you can only afford 50k, a need meet college will offer you the difference. If you want to only afford 50k, you will have to chase merit.
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Some more details: I’m planning on taking the SAT again if I get below a 1520, so ideally it’ll be higher than 1450. Size-wise, I prefer medium sized schools, but I’m fine with some variation. Location doesn’t matter too much to me, although somewhere near the Midwest would be nice. I don’t want a pure STEM school as my interests are more broad than just physics, but I still want to go to a school that has a reputable physics department. But based on everything I’ve said so far, do you think CWRU would be a good match?
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It’s easy to say you’ll get a 1450 - but you’ll see if it’s true. Does CWRU sound like a match - perhaps - but it’s not easy to get into.
I think there are “many” reputable physics schools. I think you’re overthinking otherwise.
Again, you need budget - but Miami Ohio would be a safety. I’m sure your home state has reputable schools - what is your home state?
And again - get with your parents - college is expensive. You said $50K a year - but it was a guess. Case is $87K per year - do your parents want to spend $350K plus? It’s a demonstrated interest school - so in addition to your visit (hopefully they’re aware), sign up for online sessions, etc.
Rochester is a like school. SUNY schools - will be a good cost. Pitt will likely cost too much but you’d get an early acceptance if you applied early. If your budget is $60K, is excellent. WUSTL is another reach. Lehigh might be a bit too East. Is Syracuse too big - similar to Pitt - but again, pricey…
Purdue is large but excellent. and $40K ish all in. Butler is a mid sized to look into - but again, will it make cost? Marquette is another. Perhaps UVM, UNH, and Maine are mid size publics to look into and Ohio U, in addition to Miami and Pitt noted above. U Delaware too. But if you want smaller, don’t snub UAH, Tennessee Tech or UT Chattanooga.
Really there’s a lot of schools - it’s a bit outside the midwest but check out U of Denver, SMU, and if you are ok with Jesuit, Loyola Chicago, Creighton and more.
But honestly, until you have a budget, you’re a bit early - and you need to finalize that with your family.
Good luck.
CWRU is pushing $90,000 a year. Will your parents pay that amount? You need to sit with them and discuss a budget.
Once you have a firm number you can begin to create a reasonable list. CWRU is not easy to get into, plus it seems you would need a LOT of merit to attend. Applying is fine, but you really need to create an affordable list of schools and I would pay attention to some of those that have been recommended.
Chasing merit means applying to schools where merit is very likely, while also throwing in a few reach schools just to see (Lehigh, Rochester, CWRU, etc). It also means applying to your state school.
Once you have a firm budget you will know more.
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Case Western is an excellent school. You would need to demonstrate interest- join the mailing list and open the emails they send, clicking on links of interest (this will be tracked), visiting if you’re within driving distance and takibg an official tour.
In addition, it’ll likely meet your math needs. So now you need to sit down with your parents and run the NPC together.
UROCHESTER is another excellent choice.
Brandeis may be of interest too.
Run the NPC on each because they all calculate differently.
UArizona Honors as an academic safety with topnotch Physics if their merit is sufficient for your parents’ budget. (AZ is cutting merit scholarships so pay close attention.)
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Holding aside whether you will be admitted and whether it would be affordable, that really could not be more of a fitting description of Case Western.
As others are suggesting, it would make sense to also look into Rochester–not technically Midwestern, but since it is in the Great Lakes region of New York it is in some sense more akin to other Great Lakes areas culturally.
Other schools in the Midwest fitting your description would include Chicago and Northwestern, which of course are extremely hard to get into. Washington University in St Louis also has an interesting Physics department, but again not easy to get into. Finally again some people would say Pittsburgh is pretty close to Midwestern, and CMU would be an option, but again reachy.
Most of the other well-known Physics departments in the Midwest are at flagship public universities, so bigger than you were asking, and also might not make budget as OOS publics are stingy on aid.
If you were interested in possibly smaller, though, both Carleton and St Olaf are good for Physics. Carleton is reachier with no merit, but St Olaf is less reachy with merit.
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Seconding^ 
Plus Lawrence, WI, if smaller is okay. Really good for Physics and solid in other areas.
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I’m guessing at least 1450 because of how I did on the PSATs (1450+). I’ve looked into Rochester. It looks great as well. I realize now I probably should’ve written down some of the other places I’ve already been looking at to give you a better sense of what I’ve been thinking.
Currently, my target schools are Case, WashU, and UToronto. Reach schools are places like Rice, Chicago, and Johns Hopkins. Miami of Ohio is a good idea, I’ll bring it up with my parents. I haven’t looked into Purdue, but I’ve heard good things.
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