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Could somebody please give me advice on which university to go?

Posted: Fri Jul 24, 2015 9:22 pm
by Rescy
Hi everybody.I am an international student and I want to specialise in high-energy physics theory. I feel quiet unconfident because the I just knew that the field is insanely competitive, so I really need your advice to guide me a bit, and any help will be greatly appreciated.
I will be applying to UK university for undergraduate education, but as I look through the profile posted in this site, it seems that research opportunities are quiet rare in UK universities, so I really hope someone could give me some advice on which university to choose.
I will apply to Cambridge, Imperial College London, University of Warwick, St Andrews university, and will all choose 'maths with physics' or 'theoretical physics'. I know Cambridge is good, but I am not sure about the other three universities. If I want to apply to top universities in US for HEP-th, which university do you advise me to apply to?
Also, is it possible to travel to US to do undergraduate research over summer in case there is no research opportunities in UK?

PS: I will attend UK university as an international student.

Re: Could somebody please give me advice on which university to go?

Posted: Fri Nov 20, 2015 11:59 pm
by thehairupthere
You are still applying for undergraduate study and you are already determined on a certain field? Keep in mind this might change a lot while you're doing your undergrad. As I am an international student in the UK I can answer some of your questions, but I am not planning into going onto High Energy so I cannot give answers related to that field.

There is no REU program in the UK, but that does not mean there are no research opportunities. I have had an internship last summer here in the UK at a different university. A few of my friends traveled to the US, Australia, and other places in Europe to do summer research internships - these are all possible options.

I have to admit though, it is usually harder for UK students to secure these internships. Students in the US usually have several summer opportunities, while in the UK, exceptional students get the chance to do this between their penultimate and final year - but if you work hard you can definitely achieve that.

Again, I am not specialised in High Energy, but some reputable physics programs in the UK, other than the ones you mentioned, are offered at the Universities of Edinburgh, Durham, Manchester and Glasgow.

Re: Could somebody please give me advice on which university to go?

Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2015 12:38 pm
by Izaac
If you have the money to study as an international in the UK, then you probably got the money to fund on your own a research project during the summer. If you got the money, many labs, in the UK or the US, will welcome you as an intern. (from experience: I sent about 200 mails between the UK and the US to do some self-funded research internship, got a dozen replies, ended up spending some time at Manchester U and some at Northwestern U)