#Harvard vs Princeton vs Caltech for Astrophysics

119 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

ember path
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**Schools:**Harvard, Princeton, Caltech
Intended major: Physics/Astrophysics
Similarities: All of them are extremely strong at physics and have faculty conducting world-class research.
Costs: Princeton: $14k/yr (including living expenses; this is effectively free given my scholarships), Harvard: $27k/yr, Caltech: $45k/yr

Harvard

Pros:

  • It's Harvard—probably the most prestigious school in the world to the general public. My extended family lives in India and they've pretty much accepted I'm going to Harvard bc it's the only one of these colleges they've heard of.
  • Having visited Boston multiple times, I actually really like the weather, both in the spring and the winter. I also like the idea of living in a big city.
  • I've interned with the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA), so I can maybe get a RA position through connections.
  • CfA is basically the largest astronomy research "department" in the world, and the research opportunities there are virtually endless (the astro undergrad research opportunity page is more than 30 pages)
  • I actually like the idea of grade inflation and having a life outside of classes
  • Tons of recruitment internship opportunities; heart of Boston/Cambridge
  • Cross-enrollment with MIT
  • Tons of clubs and club funding; also tons of civic engagement and volunteer opportunities
  • Tiny amount of astrophysics undergrads (10 grads in 2025)
    Cons:
  • Costs nearly twice as much as Princeton (even after getting my aid increased by showing them the Pton offer)
  • Undergrad program might be shadowed by their grad program
  • Might not be a culture fit—I really hate the pretentious rich kid archetype
  • Big school; I don't want to be a small fish in a big pond

[see comments for continuation]

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Princeton

Pros:

  • "Undergraduate-focused insitution"—Princeton has a tiny grad program and devotes tons of money and resources to undergrad research; there's a plethora of funded undergrad research opportunities starting even from first year (during academic year) and professors are allegedly very open to accepting undergrads
  • Extremely low cost—effectively free
  • Culture seems more quiet and academically-inclined than Harvard
  • Tons of summer research opportunities, though this is true for the other schools too
  • tiny astrophysics undergraduate class (highest was 10 astrophysics grads in a year); they emailed every accepted applicant who indicated an interest in astro and there were just 6 total students
  • Really great student-to-faculty ratio and very small classes (also seminar/precept system)
  • Dedicated astrophysics major
  • Opportunity to experience research at another institution
  • I really like the Junior Paper and Senior Thesis opportunities
  • Princeton Plasma Physics Lab is insane
    Cons:
  • not sure how I feel about eating club culture
  • middle of the suburbs, which I would really dislike
  • grade deflation :(
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Caltech

Pros:

  • NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is literally right next to campus; it's a dream come true
  • A lot of the telescopes have guaranteed time observation for Caltech labs, meaning tons of high quality research is done
  • Extremely small class size and amazing student to faculty ratio
  • Extremely nerdy and niche culture
  • Very close to LA, located in silicon valley
  • Virtually-guaranteed R1 Grad school
  • California weather
    Cons:
  • Physics is not as "niche" as in the other schools; it's the second-most popular major, so while the overall student-faculty ratio might be nice, the department-wise statistic might be worse than the other schools
  • Cost nearly three times as much as princeton
  • I heard the academic workload is insanely difficult; I want to have time and a life outside of classes
quick thorn
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is cost a factor

ember path
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yes, but not as much as everything else

quick thorn
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if cost is really important go pton

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otherwise ur gonna have the pretentious rich kids all over that college too so go caltech

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excellent for astrophysics and as u said adjacent to jpl 🚀

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i think princeton is actually more pretentious than harvard 😭

ember path
quick thorn
ember path
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and also the thing about physics not being rlly niche, so theres gonna be tons of competition for research opportunities and clubs

quick thorn
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remember of all the very qualified candidates they had they chose you

quick thorn
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the class is so small they will have something for everyone who puts in the work

ember path
quick thorn
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but yes overall caltech for best astrophysics opportunities, small class size, location, grad school, non pretentious ppl

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if the cost will burden ur family go pton but know those kids are rich af and want u to know it 😔

ember path
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tysm for the advice!

quick thorn
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ig there is something to be said for passing up harvard too but the pros read prestige and not fit

ember path
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at harvard, everyone goes to harvard

quick thorn
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if astrophysics is ur dream then caltech is better than harvard

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but if ur not 100% set then an ivy would keep doors open

sturdy reef
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If Caltech's cost is a burden, i'd say go to H/P

If you really hate the idea of being at a college with a super small undergrad population...

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for princeton, afaik eating clubs are very much a "you can choose to join/not join"

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some of them are very cliquey/fratty, but a lot of them are not like that necessarily (although they are a few thousand(!) dollars more than the regular meal plan, which is somethign to be considered)

karmic field
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harvard

indigo verge
muted cave
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princeton may not let you use your scholarships to pay off the rest of your tuition. you may want to look into that

ember path
muted cave
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okay this is a stupid policy imo but if you get scholarships i'm p sure that doesn't lower the family share, only the princeton grant

ember path
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wait what if the scholarship directly gives me money and i just use it to pay the tuition

quick thorn
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some of these schools are rlly stingy with aid 😔

ember path
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like does princeton need to know

muted cave
quick thorn
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caltech 🤔

muted cave
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unfortunately

ember path
muted cave
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wait let me find the page

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i went through the same problem 😔

muted cave
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😭did not realise

ember path
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yall lowk slimed us at states this year

muted cave
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HAHAHA it’s ok we got cooked in the end😭😭

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broo congrats on these three schools tho lmao

ember path
muted cave
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yesss lesgo

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are u leaning toward princeton rn?

ember path
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it would be nice to graduate debt free

muted cave
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yea that’s so real

ember path
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hbu

muted cave
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Caltech is robbing you😭

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no clue tbh

ember path
muted cave
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leaning yale tho, the grade deflation and eating club stuff is also a concern for me lol

ember path
muted cave
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they think they’re all that

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maybe they are all that🥀

muted cave
ember path
muted cave
muted cave
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crazy

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dyk anyone from your school who is going to yale

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i only know of one kid who went to my school and then yours but he got deferred/rejected😭

ember path
muted cave
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ohh icic

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fascinating

ember path
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most of them are stem oriented tho

ember path
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yeah decisions for ssm have been kinda on/off this year

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more ppl got caltech than last 4 years combined

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but then only 2 kids got mit

muted cave
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damnnnn

muted cave
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me and one other girl got all of hypsm together and we haven’t heard of anyone else from our school who got any of them💀

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oopsie

ember path
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thats an insanely difficult choice

muted cave
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wait I didn’t get all of hypsm lol

muted cave
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she got h s m

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and I got p y

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but we lowkey prob stole our peers’ spots💀

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oh well!

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they’ll live

ember path
muted cave
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trueeeee

ember path
muted cave
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yeah💀

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ok ppl are def gatekeeping tho

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tbf

ember path
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unless there are ppl genuinely out to get you

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idt it's that deep

muted cave
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i kept both yale and pton a secret for a couple days

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just long enough for everyone else to like

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or ig for nobody to be emotional abt it anymore

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😭😭

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but yea like everyone is supportive

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or should be

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so idk why ppl gatekeep either

ember path
muted cave
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😭😭😭

ember path
muted cave
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and when i called them later that evening they had random ppl like knocking on their door to congratulate them💀

muted cave
ember path
muted cave
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ok I gtg now but gl with your choice 😭😭 we will all choose what is best

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can’t wait to see what you decide🔥