- #36
MidgetDwarf
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Fair enough. Im Comanche, and first time i seen the name Maddy. I assumed the op is prone to being mad.WWGD said:I suspect, with a handle " Maddy467", she is a girl.
Fair enough. Im Comanche, and first time i seen the name Maddy. I assumed the op is prone to being mad.WWGD said:I suspect, with a handle " Maddy467", she is a girl.
Nah ... I'm a guyWWGD said:I suspect, with a handle " Maddy467", she is a girl.
Well, I do have a girl. And yeah well xD you're right... Rutgers is the cheapest for me... but only by a slight nudge... tbh all of them differ only by a grand or two a year... Although... I do have an admit into the honors college at Rutgers, but its the worst-ranked (qs) among the two, unfortunately. Although, after some research... it looks like a solid college to attend. I am really confused about Rutgers and Stony Brook!!! aghhhhhMidgetDwarf said:All are great choices. Stop overthinking. Pick the one with the hottest girls.
Go with the one that offers the higher scholarship amount. This would reduce the hours needed to work, and thus, more time to study.
Apologies, Maddy467!Maddy467 said:Nah ... I'm a guy
Her position might well be "Whichever one I choose will be the one with the hottest girls."WWGD said:I suspect, with a handle " Maddy467", she is a girl.
Well I do have a girl... and the costs are around the same... they do differ by a grand or two a year. but yeah... ig you guys are right. I am overthinking. But ig... that's okay, I just don't want to regret spending all this money (yes, it is a lot for me) and think ohhhh I would have been better off graduating from that college.MidgetDwarf said:All are great choices. Stop overthinking. Pick the one with the hottest girls.
Go with the one that offers the higher scholarship amount. This would reduce the hours needed to work, and thus, more time to study.
nahhh lmao... I'm a guy... Maddy was just a nickname I had for how crazy I was... unrelated to MaddieVanadium 50 said:Her position might well be "Whichever one I choose will be the one with the hottest girls."
Yeah well, you're right. I did post stuff on the subreddit. People told me about their experiences. Stony brook seems fun (a bit introverted physics grads as it sounds)! Rutgers is fun too (but people doing physics there seem to not have the best experience... also not as research-oriented school ig)! UofA has opportunities around the area but largely for US citizens since a lot of them have some defence security involved.Vanadium 50 said:If rankings are that important to you, pick the one with the highest ranking and be done with it. Personally, I think this makes as much sense as picking the school with the best football team, but hey, it's your life. You'll learn soon enough that rankings are not everything.
Stony Brook because of the miserable campus, UofA because it's optics-focused and you aren't.Maddy467 said:I did!
Why do you not recommend Stony Brook and/or UofArizona? Do they not have as good of a reputation and research outlook as Rutgers? (They are sure better ranked... Arizona leading in Astro and Stony Brook is just better overall)
Yeah well, Rutgers is big, but I'm just afraid it's quantity over quality. Please correct me if that is the case... I really think Stony Brook and UofA are 2 ends of my spectrum... good overall whereas good specialisation... Rutgers falls in between ig...
That points me towards thinking Rutgers is the option for me lmao! Well, I will read up few more reddit posts about the undergrad experiences of physics undergrads at each of these univs, and see which one is better. So far, Stony Brook seems to be a good experience (as far as physics goes). But yeah, Rutgers might be great too... whichever it is, I'm now happy with the options I haveMuu9 said:Stony Brook because of the miserable campus, UofA because it's optics-focused and you aren't.
Wherever you go, make sure to take the most advanced courses you can (honors/sophomore classes); this will play a big role in developing a network of similarly motivated students.
Note both are largely suburban settings. You may be within a few hours of NYC, but it wouldn't be an urban setting.Maddy467 said:That points me towards thinking Rutgers is the option for me lmao! Well, I will read up few more reddit posts about the undergrad experiences of physics undergrads at each of these univs, and see which one is better. So far, Stony Brook seems to be a good experience (as far as physics goes). But yeah, Rutgers might be great too... whichever it is, I'm now happy with the options I have
A) Nobody cares about QS rankingsMaddy467 said:Well, I do have a girl. And yeah well xD you're right... Rutgers is the cheapest for me... but only by a slight nudge... tbh all of them differ only by a grand or two a year... Although... I do have an admit into the honors college at Rutgers, but its the worst-ranked (qs) among the two, unfortunately. Although, after some research... it looks like a solid college to attend. I am really confused about Rutgers and Stony Brook!!! aghhhhh
Lakhs of students do fine that way, right @Wrichik Basu ?gwnorth said:A) Nobody cares about QS rankings
B) Even if they did, QS is not a ranking of undergraduate program quality
C) What you do in undergrad is far more important than where you go when it comes to graduate admissions
D) Pick the school that you would be happiest to attend beyond the program or their affiliation with national labs. You can always apply to national REUs in the summer. You don't have to attend a university with a national lab affiliation. Some of the most successful students when it comes to graduate admissions actually attend LACs, not even R1 universities.
TIL a new word!WWGD said:Lakhs
It's an Indian measurement, that's why I pinged Wrichik . They also have a numbering system I had never seen, along the lines of 30,00, 250.berkeman said:TIL a new word!
well, yeah, the first 3 digits are the same... then we go thousands, 10 thousands, lakhs, 10 lacks, crore, 10 crore... so on... Indian system of counting.WWGD said:It's an Indian measurement, that's why I pinged Wrichik . They also have a numbering system I had never seen, along the lines of 30,00, 250.
Yeah, that's alright. But it sure doesn't hurt to try your best to look for something worth it all when you're paying a whole bunch of money. Yes, it will come down to the amount of effort I put in, but it sure would help if I get a research-oriented college that does have people who are meant to help students look for research positions!gwnorth said:A) Nobody cares about QS rankings
B) Even if they did, QS is not a ranking of undergraduate program quality
C) What you do in undergrad is far more important than where you go when it comes to graduate admissions
D) Pick the school that you would be happiest to attend beyond the program or their affiliation with national labs. You can always apply to national REUs in the summer. You don't have to attend a university with a national lab affiliation. Some of the most successful students when it comes to graduate admissions actually attend LACs, not even R1 universities.
Ah, yes, I had forgotten the crore, bhai. Kuch Nahi. As N'Sync wrote: " Bye, bye, bhai".Maddy467 said:well, yeah, the first 3 digits are the same... then we go thousands, 10 thousands, lakhs, 10 lacks, crore, 10 crore... so on... Indian system of counting.
Did you do what I suggested earlier? That is, contact the physics departments at each of the universities and ask them about research opportunities for undergraduates?Maddy467 said:Yes, it will come down to the amount of effort I put in, but it sure would help if I get a research-oriented college that does have people who are meant to help students look for research positions!
I wrote an email to Rutgers... Handed out a link to me with all the places that students get a chance to research. Was pretty nice... as for SBU, I haven't yetCrysPhys said:Did you do what I suggested earlier? That is, contact the physics departments at each of the universities and ask them about research opportunities for undergraduates?
fair enough.. well (tbh that gave me a tinge of machine learning vibes... weights assigned to different factors ... makes me wonder if I could write up a code that would determine a "College Score" as per my needs...)CrysPhys said:It's a futile exercise to ask what others would pick. Each university has its particular pluses and minuses. But for each prospective student, the pluses and minuses will vary (and the weight assigned to each will vary) according to the particular needs and desires of each prospective student. All we can do is point out the factors for you to consider (which we have comprehensively by now). The decision rests with you.
Your scenario is a bit unusual: an international student selecting among 4 large state universities. For a US student, the tuition between in-state and out-of-state residents is substantial. The default would be to select in-state unless there are extremely compelling reasons to select out-of-state.
* "Amazing" and "Honors" are indicators that you are still hung up (overly preoccupied) with "reputation" and "prestige". I used to know a couple of physics professors at Rutgers, but they are long gone. And of the Rutgers students that I'm friends with from figure skating, none are physics majors. So no personal insights there. As for Stony Brook, I also have no personal insights. My only comment is that for a student planning to major in physics at a NY state university, Stony Brook is the best choice among the NY state university campuses.Maddy467 said:IF I were to pick Rutgers, would you say I'm missing out on an opportunity to learn and work from Amazing people at Stony Brook? AND that I would not get as many opportunities even with the Honors College thingy? (online, I can see Honors College students get to interact a lot more with professors)
Really? Have you experienced either?Maddy467 said:Stony Brook housing and food both are trash
Sorry... I've been a brat all along. Yeah... You're right. I don't want to be around top researchers to just have a glance at them. I wanna discuss the beauty of the subject with people who find it interesting. I would get opportunities at both places. And okay... Both are well-reputed.. that is incomparable. Both may have different living conditions and costs, and that is something to consider. And yeah, I will write an email to each of them to ask about their research programs for international students! Thank you for your help! I'll keep you guys updated on my position.CrysPhys said:* "Amazing" and "Honors" are indicators that you are still hung up (overly preoccupied) with "reputation" and "prestige". I used to know a couple of physics professors at Rutgers, but they are long gone. And of the Rutgers students that I'm friends with from figure skating, none are physics majors. So no personal insights there. As for Stony Brook, I also have no personal insights. My only comment is that for a student planning to major in physics at a NY state university, Stony Brook is the best choice among the NY state university campuses.
* For an undergrad student, potential access to top researchers and national lab facilities should not be paramount. What you want is ready access to good teachers and good mentors and good research facilities. Note that "good teacher" and "good mentor" are not synonymous with "amazing" on a Google search. You'll have a far more rewarding experience receiving personal attention from a few professors in their own on-campus labs than vying with a multitude of students from all over for attention and time slots with top researchers at national facilities. On-campus opportunities allow you flexibility for pursuing research during the academic year. You can always seek opportunities elsewhere during the summer.
* Money is an issue for you. When inquiring about research opportunities, make sure there are funded research opportunities for international students. Many are limited to US students.
* If you've pared down your choice to between Rutgers and Stony Brook, I'd recommend that you try to discuss your specific concerns via Zoom or other Internet communications service with a representative of the physics department from each. Email them in advance to let them know that you've narrowed your list down to two, and you need further information concerning X, Y, Z to make a final decision. Best case, they both agree. Worst case, they both ignore you. Intermediate case, one accommodates you and one doesn't; that in itself though would be a good indicator of which to choose.
I'm not awfully judging... I looked up dozens of subreddits complaining about the same thing with similar anecdotes. Yes, judging based on online information is the only thing I can do as for the personal student experience while I'm sitting miles away.Vanadium 50 said:Really? Have you experienced either?
That's awfully judgy for someone just parroting back what they read on the internet. It also smacks of ingratitude - scan the forum: you will see many people who would do anything for the opportunities you have. You might think about making some adjustments in that area.
I agree with @CrysPhys . You still seem hung up on prestige. People keep telling yoi that this is silly, especially if you are using it to decide between the #30 and #31 school. Yet you persist. OK, your life - pick the one with the best QS ranking. I personally think that;s foolish. But its your life.
Its also really funny that after you picked two schools in the greater NYC area - the place with some of the highest housing costs in the nation - then you worry about housing costs. You want cheap housing, go to Ames.
I know there are schools that have career offices that help students land internships, and alumni networks can be valuable in that regard, but I'm not sure that the career offices even at the most heavily resourced private colleges are engaged in providing assistance at the level you seem to be implying. No one is going to hand you research opportunities on a silver platter. It will be on you to proactively source and seek out those opportunities for yourself. Initiative and personal drive are personality traits that frequently separate those who do ok and those who excel, and is not predicated on attending a specific college. In fact studies have shown that students who were accepted to top colleges but choose for whatever reasons to attend lower ranked schools do just as well. It comes down to hustle. You can be academically successful at all of your choices so pick the school where you would be happiest to attend.Maddy467 said:but it sure would help if I get a research-oriented college that does have people who are meant to help students look for research positions!
Yeah, I know... not to brag about it, but yes, I did! Just saying that I do know how to give up on "partying" and just focus on my studies. I'm over with my leaving examinations. Non-Stem Students are all having fun. But STEM students are studying for the currently going on JEE examination. Me too! I don't need to... I aced it in the first attempt. But I love learning. And so I am.Vanadium 50 said:nobody in the US will care about how many tests you aced in India. Really.
Oh yes, out of all the search results when the top 15 tell you it's not good at all, I would be concerned and call it trash.Vanadium 50 said:And you want to be a scientist?
@gwnorth yeah... that is what I was wishing for and I don't think there is anything wrong in researching about how student life at each of those colleges is.gwnorth said:pick the school where you would be happiest to attend
<<Emphasis added>> That's what the OP is trying to assess. Difficult to do when you're on the other side of the world.gwnorth said:You can be academically successful at all of your choices so pick the school where you would be happiest to attend.
There are issues with that. In order to come to the US, I would require a visa. I only get a visa when I have an I-20. I-20 is a document I recieve from the university after I accept my offer letter and pay a deposit.CrysPhys said:<<Emphasis added>> That's what the OP is trying to assess. Difficult to do when you're on the other side of the world.
@Maddy467 . Do you have the time and money to fly over to visit the campuses, now that you've narrowed the choices to the same region?
Ayyy yeah.. thank you! Slipped out of my mind!Muu9 said:Another thought: these universities likely have specific discord servers for physics majors, or a university-wide discord server with a channel for physics majors. They're likely to be much more active than reddit, so hopefully you can get better answers to the question of research opportunities for undergrads