I was recently rejected by MIT early action and deferred by UChicago. I have a 34 composite, 33 math, 33 English, 33 reading, 36 science, 29 English/writing combined. As stated in the title, I want to major in physics and pursue a PhD in some field of theoretical physics (most likely cosmological). I’m not too interested in the ivies. I got into OSU and am waiting to hear back from Georgia Tech and University of Illinois- Urbana Champaign. I’m worried about getting into a top Physics grad school after being rejected from MIT and deferred by UChicago. I know it’s late to apply to new schools but I was really counting on one of those two schools. Any help is appreciated. Again, please try to steer clear from the ivies unless they’re necessary.
Why are you worried about not getting into a top grad school if you don’t get into a top undergrad? Grad school admission is much more dependent on GPA and GRE scores than anything else.
There is a list floating around out there on the web (and probably here at CC) of the top ten LACs which produce the greatest number of PhDs in the nation within 10 years of students receiving the undergraduate degree. These students receive their PhDs from the major research universities in the nation.
You need to widen your reach. You’ll be fine if you have additional credentials that show you have something to contribute to the undergraduate community. You’ve still got a few days. Go find that list!
Sorry you were disappointed by your early results. On the subject of LACs with strong physics/astrophysics (and math) departments, look at Williams. http://physics.williams.edu/
A different direction to go would be a school such as Rose Hulman. It’s a very science/technology focused university with an emphasis on providing a great undergraduate education and preparing its students to succeed in graduate school. On the other end of the spectrum are schools like Case Western which are graduate focused with good undergraduate programs.
You can try Michigan, Maryland, UCSB, UCSD, Wisconsin, RPI which are all great in Physics without the single digit acceptance rates. Illinois where you applied is extremely strong.
An Ivy undergrad can be a big help if you want to become a professor. The directional/second tier schools that will likely be your first teaching job love to have professors with some Ivy league connection.
What’s wrong with physics at OSU? Is it difficult to gain acceptance to a " top" grad school for physics if you attend OSU? My kid is at a " top five" public. One of her professors attended a small east coast regional college that many have not heard of, and then completed her PhD at this " top five" public university. She now teaches at the school, does research, and wrote a book.
A cousin recently graduated from a “regular” state school in Florida. She will be attending a PhD program shortly at a top ranked school.
Table 4 illustrates the colleges where the highest percentage of graduates obtain PhDs in STEM. This is a good list because it identifies schools with a “culture” of getting a large percentage of students down the road you want to take. Table 2 shows the raw numbers of students from each school. Clearly you can get into a PhD program from large flagships, but a smaller percentage of students go this route. I would think that the honors program at OSU (assuming OSU means Ohio State), would be a good option.
Since it’s Dec 30th, you should restrict your list to colleges whose deadlines are later than Jan 1, though some colleges might be willing to accept late transcripts and recommendations. A lot depends on how your school handles it.
Harvey Mudd has a Jan 1 deadline.
Clearly Reed (39% admitted) ought to be your prime target. It has a Jan 15th deadline
Others with Jan 15 deadline are
Carleton (23%)
Grinnell (28%)
Haverford (25%)
Frankly you don’t have a lot of time, so I’d focus on schools where you are more likely to get in like Reed. I think applying to Williams at the last minute like this is a real long shot.
I know a young lady who was deferred by UChicago but later accepted. She is now attending and majoring in physics, so your being deferred isn’t a definite no.
Fwiw, grad school acceptances are going to look at your grades, test scores, and UG research. My ds is currently a sophomore doubling in physics and math (but only has 2 UG physics courses left.) He was accepted to some top schools, but when he visited the depts and talked about UG research opportunities, one dean told him he had more direct research experience than most of their UGs bc the UG work for the grad students. (My ds started taking physics classes at the local university in high school and worked for a professor.) That info eliminated that school from his list. UG research opportunities (and not just summer REUs…he wanted to participate in research yr long during classes) was one of his top criteria.
Do you know what you want out of a program? Have you visited any depts? Knowing what you want out of the program should help you narrow your choices.
My daughter met with her adviser recently and expressed her interest in a PhD program in one of the sciences (not physics). She was told that for her, one of the most important things to do was to get involved in undergraduate research.
Someone on another thread said that all undergraduate physics programs have to teach basically the same foundational classes. That specialization happens later in grad school. So then it comes down to the opportunities for UG to do research and the facilities available.
@intparent Yes, I imagine that is true, but those nuances would have to be researched in course catalogs and asking questions to dept heads and maybe visiting. OP does not have a lot of time left to even apply.
Maybe I am being naive ( I am still learning about this), but if the OP attends OSU, maintains a high GPA, gets top GRE scores, does undergraduate research, and develops close connections with professors who will write him outstanding letters of recommendation, doesn’t he have a good chance at being accepted to a PhD program?