Opinions about UT Austin and UMaryland CP

[epitaxial]

These are two of the schools which I am most interested in.
I want to have some more information about Education and Research quality in the fields of CMT and AMO in these two universities.
By reading some topics here and there, it seemed that these 2 colleges are emerging as strong research centers (young scientists and a lot of money to be spent),
so I'd like to know if this is true for real.

As an international student, I have more chances being admitted here than MIT, so I'd like to know some more about student & city life. I don't want to stay
for the next 4-5 year in desolated land.

Thank you in advance

[twinb87]

Hello,

I currently attend the University of Maryland. Although I am not involved in CMT or AMO, I can say that Maryland is strong in both areas and is certainly a good place to be if you are interested in these areas. I know for a fact that condensed matter groups have a LOT of funding here. As for the area, I wouldn't say it is desolate but the city of College Park is not the nicest place. However, Washington DC is just minutes away and there is a lot of stuff to do there. I don't know much about UT Austin but I have heard that Austin is a very nice city although I have never been there myself.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you want me to elaborate on anything in particular about Maryland.

[YodaT]

Hello,

I currently attend the University of Maryland. Although I am not involved in CMT or AMO, I can say that Maryland is strong in both areas and is certainly a good place to be if you are interested in these areas. I know for a fact that condensed matter groups have a LOT of funding here. As for the area, I wouldn't say it is desolate but the city of College Park is not the nicest place. However, Washington DC is just minutes away and there is a lot of stuff to do there. I don't know much about UT Austin but I have heard that Austin is a very nice city although I have never been there myself.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you want me to elaborate on anything in particular about Maryland.

On Maryland, how is the faculty at UMD-College Park? I've worked with a GR theorist who spent some time at UMD-College Park back in the 70's... and basically he's amazing. How about the mathematical/theoretical department's reputation? I've been somewhat obsessed with nonlinear dynamics and chaotic systems this past year and would like to know how reputable UMD is... all I do know is that great contributors exist there (i.e, J. Yorke, E. Otte, etc). Only places I've noticed that fostered nonlinear dynamics and chaos were UChicago, Cambridge, Sante Fe Institute, and UMD-College Park.

[kroner]

I've heard that Austin is a pretty cool city so I don't think one would feel isolated/bored. I've never been there though.

[twinb87]

On Maryland, how is the faculty at UMD-College Park? I've worked with a GR theorist who spent some time at UMD-College Park back in the 70's... and basically he's amazing. How about the mathematical/theoretical department's reputation? I've been somewhat obsessed with nonlinear dynamics and chaotic systems this past year and would like to know how reputable UMD is... all I do know is that great contributors exist there (i.e, J. Yorke, E. Otte, etc). Only places I've noticed that fostered nonlinear dynamics and chaos were UChicago, Cambridge, Sante Fe Institute, and UMD-College Park.

Based off the faculty members I have met and the ones I have heard about from other graduate students, I would say I am fairly impressed with the faculty overall. However, I am sure the faculty at the other places you mentioned are equally as impressive. As for nonlinear dynamics, I read somewhere that Maryland was ranked #1 in this sub-field but I can't remember where exactly I read this. Regardless of the ranking, I know for a fact that Maryland has a very strong reputation in nonlinear dynamics and it seems like a very active group here.

[YodaT]

On Maryland, how is the faculty at UMD-College Park? I've worked with a GR theorist who spent some time at UMD-College Park back in the 70's... and basically he's amazing. How about the mathematical/theoretical department's reputation? I've been somewhat obsessed with nonlinear dynamics and chaotic systems this past year and would like to know how reputable UMD is... all I do know is that great contributors exist there (i.e, J. Yorke, E. Otte, etc). Only places I've noticed that fostered nonlinear dynamics and chaos were UChicago, Cambridge, Sante Fe Institute, and UMD-College Park.

Based off the faculty members I have met and the ones I have heard about from other graduate students, I would say I am fairly impressed with the faculty overall. However, I am sure the faculty at the other places you mentioned are equally as impressive. As for nonlinear dynamics, I read somewhere that Maryland was ranked #1 in this sub-field but I can't remember where exactly I read this. Regardless of the ranking, I know for a fact that Maryland has a very strong reputation in nonlinear dynamics and it seems like a very active group here.

Ok, I've only had the liberty of reading various [scientific] publications of faculty members from Maryland... not much time spent reading into each person's background and records. I know the University of Chicago concentrates a great deal on the experimental aspects of nonlinear dynamics and the Sante Fe Institute has more concern with chaotic systems (artificial intelligence, evolutionary biology, economics, population growth, etc)... the physics aspect has been placed more on statistical/thermal and quantum physics. Cambridge (the Dept. of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics) and Maryland seemed to be the few universities concerned with the fundamentals and formalism of this field. I hear the GR group at Maryland is pretty good, too. Perhaps this is one of those underrated schools with great (highly concentrated) areas of research.

[razor]

As for nonlinear dynamics, I read somewhere that Maryland was ranked #1 in this sub-field but I can't remember where exactly I read this.

I think it is from US News and World. They had a Nonlinear Dynamics subfield before but they removed it in the latest rankings.

[epitaxial]

Hello,
As for the area, I wouldn't say it is desolate but the city of College Park is not the nicest place. However, Washington DC is just minutes away and there is a lot of stuff to do there.

The only things I know about the State of Maryland are from "The Wire" (TV series) , I know CP is more close to Washington than Baltimore, but Marlo was a bad fellow indeed .
Btw, talking seriously, I don't know anything about campus life since I've never stayed in one, so I 'd like to have some information on this subject too. Are students used to spend all their spare time inside the college or in the closest cities (I suppose not in CP from what you said). How many student are enrolled by now by UMD?

[WhoaNonstop]

How many student are enrolled by now by UMD?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University ... llege_Park

-Riley

[epitaxial]

I meant in the Physics Department

[twinb87]

It is a big department and I believe there are approximately 230 students. In terms of campus life, other than going out for lunch on campus during the week or getting together on the weekends to work on problem sets we usually don't meet to do things on campus. College Park isn't all bad though and there are several nice places to go to near campus. I just find it to be a little crowded (compared to where I used to live) and there are parts you definitely want to avoid. I actually live in a town about a 5 minute drive from College Park which I find to be a pretty pleasant and safe place to live.

Hope this answers your questions. Anyone with specific questions about Maryland feel free to contact me and I will do my best to answer them.

[WhoaNonstop]

I meant in the Physics Department

http://www.aip.org/gpb/pdf_files/314.pdf

-Riley