UTK or Rhodes

Knoxpatch
Sat, 19 Apr 2014 14:04:29 +0000

Grad school tuition MIGHT be free for a physics major but $80K of undergrad debt will limit your options post PhD. If, for example, you decide not to pursue a PhD or if you change your plans and decide to go to medical school, switch to engineering, or teach, then you’re still stuck with $80K v. $24K of undergraduate debt. As much as I’m not a fan of UTK administration and red (orange?) tape, of the two, UTK makes sense given you’ve got about 8 years of post high school education to self-fund.

At UTK, you’ll need to be assertive, not aggressive, in establishing relationships with the physics profs. Ask them about their research and lab projects, and communicate your goals to them. Join the physics major student group and be active in it. Ask your professors about lab opportunities, internships, and work study. With UTK, it’s more likely you’ll need to be your own champion but once you’re on the physics program radar, the opportunities are there. If you’re part of the Chancellor’s Honors Program, then get involved with the CHP social set. You’ve picked a serious major and working outside of the university for minimum wage will detract from your long-term goal.

With Rhodes, they’ll come to you with ideas and opportunities but from my perspective, and that’s all this is, it’s not worth a $56K (check my math!) difference.

Best of luck!