Gentlemen, Ladies,
As some of you may know, I'm slowing working my way through the English education system. I would like to take Physics at university, and one of the universities has an option to do a masters degree, with a year in North America.
This appealed to me, as it's somewhere I've wanted to go for a long time.
Although it'll be a year before I even get to university, the application deadline is approaching.
So, to cut to the chase, I've been given a list of universities to which I would be able to attend for a year.
Here it is:
Case Western Reserve University
Drexel University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Montana State University
Oregon State University
University at Buffalo
University of Illinois
University of Maryland at College Park
University of New Mexico at Albuquerque
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of Oklahoma
University of Pittsburgh
University of Texas at Austin
University of Winconsin
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
So, the big question. I know several of you have been to university, completing various degrees. Are there any that you guys can particularly recommend?
Obviously, I don't want to start any wars over who's university is best, but if one in particular stands out as a sought-after university, that information would be very useful to me.
Thanking you all in advance.
Chris
As some of you may know, I'm slowing working my way through the English education system. I would like to take Physics at university, and one of the universities has an option to do a masters degree, with a year in North America.
This appealed to me, as it's somewhere I've wanted to go for a long time.
Although it'll be a year before I even get to university, the application deadline is approaching.
So, to cut to the chase, I've been given a list of universities to which I would be able to attend for a year.
Here it is:
Case Western Reserve University
Drexel University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Montana State University
Oregon State University
University at Buffalo
University of Illinois
University of Maryland at College Park
University of New Mexico at Albuquerque
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of Oklahoma
University of Pittsburgh
University of Texas at Austin
University of Winconsin
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
So, the big question. I know several of you have been to university, completing various degrees. Are there any that you guys can particularly recommend?
Obviously, I don't want to start any wars over who's university is best, but if one in particular stands out as a sought-after university, that information would be very useful to me.
Thanking you all in advance.
Chris
Napoleon tried to conquer Buffalo one winter, but left with his army in tatters. Cleveland (my ancestral homeland and home of Case Western) has weather 2nd only to Buffalo on the winter misery index.
Lots of great physics programs in the US, but you might want to define what direction you want to go in.
Oh, Austin has great bars and a lively music scene.
Lots of great physics programs in the US, but you might want to define what direction you want to go in.
Oh, Austin has great bars and a lively music scene.
What's your specialty within physics? That might help narrow things.
A few where I have some experience:
UT Austin- if you want music all around you, lots of hot girls wearing short-shorts, and an excellent academic department (can you say "Steve Weinberg"?), you can't go wrong. Summers here are brutal. Did I mention the music?
MSU- Bozeman is one of the most beautiful spots on Earth. If you like snow and outdoor sports, this is the place. Academically OK, not outstanding. I'd move back there in a split second.
Wisconsin- Better like the cold; -40° keeps out the riffraff. Excellent department, and Madison has a lot of great culture.
Drexel: Excellent applied physics. Philly is crowded, dangerous, and expensive.
UNC- Excellent department, nice surroundings.
UMCP- Great department, the DC area has horrible weather, is very expensive, and dangerous if you accidentally wander out of some very narrowly defined areas.
VPI- Again, good department for applied physics. Hope you like humidity and mosquitos.
U of O- It's in Oklahoma. That should disqualify it.
Pitt- Good school, but you're surrounded by Yinzers.
A few where I have some experience:
UT Austin- if you want music all around you, lots of hot girls wearing short-shorts, and an excellent academic department (can you say "Steve Weinberg"?), you can't go wrong. Summers here are brutal. Did I mention the music?
MSU- Bozeman is one of the most beautiful spots on Earth. If you like snow and outdoor sports, this is the place. Academically OK, not outstanding. I'd move back there in a split second.
Wisconsin- Better like the cold; -40° keeps out the riffraff. Excellent department, and Madison has a lot of great culture.
Drexel: Excellent applied physics. Philly is crowded, dangerous, and expensive.
UNC- Excellent department, nice surroundings.
UMCP- Great department, the DC area has horrible weather, is very expensive, and dangerous if you accidentally wander out of some very narrowly defined areas.
VPI- Again, good department for applied physics. Hope you like humidity and mosquitos.
U of O- It's in Oklahoma. That should disqualify it.
Pitt- Good school, but you're surrounded by Yinzers.
Don't know what Madisound is like these days. Back when I lived there, everyone who worked there looked like they were in a prison work-release program. They were great to deal with- Larry Hitch showed off his new FFT system (exotic in 1985) to me during one visit, but allowed as how the results didn't make sense. Coincidentally, the guy I was with was my office-mate, the chief scientist at Nicolet; lucky Larry, he got an enlightening lecture on phase unwrapping.
First Issue: City campus or isolated college only? I suspect for a visitor city is better.
Maryland, Austin and Pittsburgh, would be the three best. Although in general I tend to look down at U of Pittsburgh on general principle, my cousin did used to be head of the Scaife Nuclear Labs.
Maryland is to my taste just too large, although I do have a friend there who has a building named after him.
My younger brother got his piled higher and deeper at UT Austin. But it has the downside of being surrounded by real Texas!
Gads! I just saw you like mountain biking. Pitt is it! Get a place in Squirrel Hill and learn all about Forbes hill!
Maryland, Austin and Pittsburgh, would be the three best. Although in general I tend to look down at U of Pittsburgh on general principle, my cousin did used to be head of the Scaife Nuclear Labs.
Maryland is to my taste just too large, although I do have a friend there who has a building named after him.
My younger brother got his piled higher and deeper at UT Austin. But it has the downside of being surrounded by real Texas!
Gads! I just saw you like mountain biking. Pitt is it! Get a place in Squirrel Hill and learn all about Forbes hill!
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US News publishes a list of top-50 US universities that many people use. That could be one guideline... Especially if you want a job in the US after you're done, it may boost the interest of a prospective employer if you're from a top-5 school.
But, honestly, I'd weigh the quality of the department, the topics they teach, and the surrounding area and how much these align with your interests. Spend some time exploring while you're here. Hence, the need to be in an area that at least on paper seems like a reasonable match with your interests.
~Tom
But, honestly, I'd weigh the quality of the department, the topics they teach, and the surrounding area and how much these align with your interests. Spend some time exploring while you're here. Hence, the need to be in an area that at least on paper seems like a reasonable match with your interests.
~Tom
Georgia Tech is the only one that immediately leaps out as the most highly respected engineering school on the list. Others may be fine, but Georgia Tech is best known on list.
Doc
There, the QS ranking just came out. Overall ranking:
http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2011
Physics ranking:
http://www.topuniversities.com/univ...011/subject-rankings/natural-sciences/physics
http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2011
Physics ranking:
http://www.topuniversities.com/univ...011/subject-rankings/natural-sciences/physics
GT's audio engineering program
Georgia Tech also has the only audio engineering (as in design) program of which I am aware in this country. Founded by the late Marshall Leach. The program is the equivalent of Sheffield and Malcolm Hawksfords program.
Georgia Tech also has the only audio engineering (as in design) program of which I am aware in this country. Founded by the late Marshall Leach. The program is the equivalent of Sheffield and Malcolm Hawksfords program.
I'd stay south of the Mason-Dixon line. 🙂 Based on how nice the local folks are, I'd say either Chapel Hill or Austin.
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I'd vote for either UT Austin or Ga Tech myself as well. I recently did two rounds of university scouting that took us to Ga Tech, UT Austin, UW Madison, Pittsburgh and Champaign (I assume that is your U of IL). My relatives live in Pittsburgh and even though I am biased toward that town I cannot recommend the university. UT Austin and GaTech both have high tech innovation communities (UT is more silicon valley like and GaTech has big tech companies like GE, Siemens etc) surrounding and thus the innovation atmosphere at both places are quite vibrant. Then it comes down to which town is more liveable for you.
Is Harvey Mudd off limits?
The last I heard, people that couldn't qualify for Harvey were sent to the Honors Program at MIT.
The last I heard, people that couldn't qualify for Harvey were sent to the Honors Program at MIT.
I would like to say thanks to everyone for taking the time to post.
I'll tabulate the information here along with weather conditions, and how good the mountain biking might be (and of course the usual statistics one is meant to trawl through), and see if I can draw up a shortlist, to be stored for when the time comes.
Cheers,
Chris
I'll tabulate the information here along with weather conditions, and how good the mountain biking might be (and of course the usual statistics one is meant to trawl through), and see if I can draw up a shortlist, to be stored for when the time comes.
Cheers,
Chris
I studied at UT in Austin and at Texas A&M. FWIW, the UT math and physics departments were a lot easier than those at A & M. This was in the seventies so things may have changed since then. Summers are cruel at both universities. You should also consider Michigan State. I know at one time they had an outstanding engineering program.
John
PS - I never saw a cockroach in my life until I moved to College Station. It seemed infested with them.
John
PS - I never saw a cockroach in my life until I moved to College Station. It seemed infested with them.
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Important issues are housing, food and the like. What is not mentioned is as a foreign visitor is how much American culture you will get to experience. Going to a college town may not offer the same variety as a large city campus. Of course location in a large city may be an issue!
Also look at ability to travel to other nearby cities.
Finally there are things you never imagined! One of the fellows who worked for me was from around Coventry. About a week after he started we set out to work on the sound system at a church in the country. Once we got off the main road onto the two lane tree lined road, he went silent. It was his first experience with nearly perfect fall foliage. It so impressed him he had his folks come over for a fall foliage tour the next year!. They were so overwhelmed they came every year thereafter!
You could look this over.
Vanderbilt University - Department of Physics and Astronomy
It is a one day drive (there and back) to Oak Ridge, Huntsville or AEDC.
I have visited all three and was very much impressed.
I had a chance to take a few classes under the late Dr. Leach at Georgia Tech. The experience and working on his Leach amp for a semester shaped/guided my career. I don't know if anyone has started teaching his audio engineering course again, but you should check into it. His website is filled with class notes, examples, and very useful info.
Overall, GT was a great school.
Overall, GT was a great school.
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