I ended up choosing Cornell mainly due to two Professors here (Jie Shan and Peter McMahon). Their research interests aligned really well with mine. Another, although minor, factor that affected my decision was the availability of many hiking trails in Ithaca. I really enjoy trekking and hiking, so that was a major plus.
Course Curriculum :
Cornell's curriculum is pretty amazing. Most graduate courses delve into cutting-edge research, and the professors teaching them often talk about their own research. I haven't taken any industry-specific courses or undergraduate courses, so I can't comment on the. industry exposure aspect, but that is definitely available.
Exams :
For a Physics/Applied Physics doctoral program in the US, the requirements are typically the GRE, Physics GRE, and the TOEFL (only for countries where English isn't the native/primary language). Most programs also require 4 years of undergraduate study. My scores were: GRE - 330; Physics GRE - 990; TOEFL - 117.
Placement :
I can't comment on this yet, since I've just started my program. However, I've heard great things. Lots of Cornell PhDs get amazing post-doctoral and/or faculty offers. If one wants to apply to the industry or national labs, there are tons of opportunities too, especially in applied physics.
Internship :
I haven't applied for any internship, although I have applied for a few external fellowships. One is the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship (NDSEG). This is provided by the US Department of Defense (DoD) and they pay a stipend of 3200$ per month and your tuition plus health insurance. To apply you have to write a 3-page research proposal and a 500-word personal statement. Your graduate advisor typically will help you through this process. Keep in mind only US citizens can apply.
Events :
Campus life is great (although not in Covid times). It's extremely pretty and offers tons of activities from ice skating to bowling alleys to nature trails. They have their own baseball and football (American football) stadiums and offer free tickets to their students. There's even this pretty cool chime performance (a musical performance that involves a lot of bells) that happens a few times a month. Having said this, it still is a college town, and anyone who loves the hustle and bustle of the city should definitely take this into consideration.
Fees :
The Ph.D program in physics costs a total of $75,000 per year (including the stipend, health insurance, etc.). The tuition alone is about $30,000. Although, almost no one ever pays for their doctorate education. You're almost always offered a fellowship, TAship, or RAship.
Scholarship :
I applied for a few after joining my Ph.D program, although their results haven't been released yet.
Faculty :
Well to mention a few famous names, Cornell has Steven Strogatz. Any undergraduate who has taken a nonlinear dynamics course will have heard of him. Cornell also has Jie Shan, one of the authors of the infamous paper that talked about Molybdenum DiSulfide as a two-dimensional semiconductor. Paul Ginsparg is also currently at Cornell.
Hostel :
Most Ph.D students live off campus. Ithaca has pretty good housing (modern infrastructure, great water, heat, and electricity supply) since it's mostly a college town. Just make sure you get a place close to campus, there are a lot of hills, and walking more than 1.5 miles (~2.5km) can get difficult in the winter.
