Pros and Cons of HKUST BS physics / UCSB CLS physics?

International Students
1

I thought academically there is not much difference (or at least significant difference) between HKUST and other famous US schools in terms of undergraduate physics. I am aiming for a physics degree in the long term and planning to attend graduate school in the US. I chose to attend HKUST because I thought it would set me up well for a grad school. However, I have been told that students in HKUST are primarily interested in getting jobs and not much academically focused. I do admit that HK universities’ natural science programs (especially physics) are quite relatively weak compared to other international universities’, but is there really such a huge gap in undergrad level? I do have other options such as going to UCSB. Everyone around me told me to go to US instead, and maybe transfer from there if I’m not satisfied. But I’m quite reluctant about this decision since transferring is very competitive and I personally don’t know much about UCSB (I only know that grad school physics at UCSB is great, but not sure about the undergrad CLS at there. Heard CCS physics course is great as well but taking graduate course at undergrad level seems very risky and daunting to me + I don’t like that kind of extremely fast-paced learning method) I’m hoping to hear more about Pros of UST’s physics and other helpful suggestions.

Link to my original post:
http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-search-selection/1772931-pros-and-cons-of-hkust-bs-physics.html#latest

2

A family member recently got his PhD in physics from UCSB; as an undergrad he was at CCS. For him, it was an extraordinary opportunity. He did take some “regular” undergrad classes - ones he wanted to take, including in math and humanities - but the lab was his element, hands-on research is what he wanted to do from day 1, and that’s what he did. Every summer, he received a grant to do research at a different lab: he worked in Colorado, Chicago, Yale and Columbia. (It was also a great way to see the U.S., lol.) Over time he went from doing nano physics to cellular – so it’s not like he was “stuck” in any particular field. I don’t recall him ever being overwhelmed academically - CCS does have plenty advising and guidance, and it IS a program for undergrads, after all. He went to a California public high school, and while he did excel there, I doubt that his preparation was any more rigorous than most highly qualified international students’. (In other words, if California public school kids can handle the program, you can too!) What he loved was he flexibility of doing high-level work and still being able to enjoy options open to him as an undergraduate.