<p>I just got accepted to Stanford and have been asking myself what undergraduate degree I should pursue and which one will help me the most for Theoretical Physics. Is the Stanford Physics program strong enough in mathematics to prepare me adequately for the field? Or should I just go for the Mathematics?</p>
<p>Stanford is particularly strong in theoretical physics and has a rich history with (for example) one of the founders of string theory Leonard Susskind, and lots of theoretical physicists who have won the Nobel and are still involved in the university (e.g. Osheroff who teaches a freshman seminar). Stanford is also often ranked #1 in physics and in mathematics (usually tied with others), so you can’t go wrong with either one.</p>
<p>The friends I’ve had who were in physics found it pretty hard, and two of them are very mathy people (one double-majored in both); both got into every PhD program they applied to and both are at top-5 schools now. If you wonder whether physics is rigorous in mathematics, just ask any student about the physics 60 series (the “honors” intro series that most students drop out of because it’s too hard).</p>
<p>[Stanford</a> Institute for Theoretical Physics (SITP)](<a href=“http://www.stanford.edu/group/sitp/]Stanford”>http://www.stanford.edu/group/sitp/)</p>