What is Grad: Definition and 1000 Discussions

I've become somewhat curious about this since I'm starting the Grad School application process. I know some universities will fly you out for an interview for their grad program. Do physics grad programs do this, or is this something determined by the graduate school itself, ie ALL/NO...

Hey guys, long time lurker, first time poster here. I'm nearing the end of the first year of my undergraduate mathematics program. Starting next year I'll be getting a little bit more freedom in regard to what math subjects I can choose. I know it's a bit too early to worry about this but going...

What research opportunities are there out there for the summer between undergrad and grad school? For undergrads, there are the REUs that most people do. But REUs require that you have not graduated yet. This upcoming summer I'll be between graduate and undergraduate studies. So no REU...

I am an senior ready to start applying to grad school. Hopefully, you guys can look at my following circumstances: In my freshmen year, I did not study hard or provide myself with the proper motivation to do well. I poorly in my science classes (which composed of two biology class, general...

In May I graduated from a small liberal arts college with a Bachelors in Math (3.6/4) and in Economics (3.8/4). In July I shipped off to Vietnam where I am currently teaching HS Math at a large private school in Hanoi. I took a last minute GRE before I left and scored reasonably well IMO (V 159...

Hey everybody, Im planning on applying to Nuclear Engineering PhD programs next year and I was wondering if it is reasonable to ask my recommendation-writers to send the letters to 5 different schools? Do most people just apply to one grad school? Seeing as they all require three letters of...

I know UC San Diego is good, Rothschild and Ebenfelt are there, but are there any other ones that stand out in these and related fields? Thanks a bunch

Hi Guys, I have a BSc in physical sciences and an equivalent in mechanical engineering and I am going to apply to grad school for a masters in aerospace engineering. Problem is, where I am from, aerospace engineering is like way off the map, Both the institutions I study do not offer it...

I stumbled upon my school's grad school admissions criteria today. The GPA requirement was a 3.0 in junior- and senior-level coursework. I was always under the impression that the 3.0 cutoff was for your entire coursework. I then looked at UCLA's requirement and it was the same way. But another...

Hello everyone, I have a question on applying to graduate school to study a different field than one studied for their undergrad degree. Specifically, I am due to graduate from a Boston area school with a combined electrical engineering / physics degree. I have an A/A- average, solid GRE...

I've heard differing opinions on whether or not it costs to attend grad school (phd) for physics. I know that if you are a TA/RA you will receive a stipend, but does that also cover tuition prices? Is this true for grad programs across the board in the US? Meaning, does this apply to Ivy...

I was wondering what a introductory (1 year sequence) mathematical statistics would be like in terms of mathematical rigor and usages of calculus 1 - 3. The course I'm thinking about taking requires calc 3. I've heard that graduate level mathematical stats courses can be just as rigerous as a...

hey all i am applying for masters aerospace engineering. my undergrad is math. should i include the following on my personal statement: apart from single variable calculus, i completed my math major in 1 year with 3.8. for your information here at pf, i did 2 terms of vector calculus, 1 diff...

Hello everybody, I will be graduating with an undergraduate degree in physics this year. I am not an American and I would like to go to graduate school in the US. Last semester I failed some upper level classes and because of some personal stuff and my GPA is lower than 3 now. I want to...

Hey guys, I am a super-senior in Mathematics, and I am looking at grad schools for Nuclear Engineering. Particularly I would like to attend the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor for a PhD program. I am also looking at GaTech because I live within driving distance of that school. Is there...

I graduated with degrees in Electrical Engineering and Commerce from a good-ranking Australian university in 2010. I've been in the workforce for 18 months – found it to be not nearly as stimulating as the uni environment, so I'm contemplating the possibility of pursuing a masters or PhD...

I am a new grad with a very theoretically based B.A. in physics from a liberal arts college. I am devoted to physics entirely, but I couldn't bring myself to make the commitment to graduate school so soon. I'd like to try to find work in a physics field, but I don't know where to look. My...

Lately I have been reading about nonlinear systems and chaos. It's fascinating and I would like to know more about how I could prepare myself to possibly study this in grad school. I would be interested in looking at biological systems such as neural networks or even animal populations. I'm a...

hey all i am applying for masters aerospace engineering. my undergrad is math. should i include the following on my personal statement: apart from single variable calculus, i completed my math major in 1 year with 3.8. for your information here at pf, i did 2 terms of vector calculus, 1 diff...

I am from India and i have a bachelors in mechanical engineering. I have recently given my GRE and TOEFL with scores of 313/340 (161-quant & 152-verbal & 3.5-AWA) in gre & 110/120 in TOEFL. I am planning for MS and probably PHD in nuclear engineering. I am not interested in either hydraulics or...

Hey all, I'm starting my search for mechanical engineering grad schools and I could use a few suggestions. Just, so you know a bit about me, my current niche is in energy and I have experience in combustion research, but I've also always been interested in space-related work. Maybe I could even...

Hi. As part of my degree I will have to undergo 8 months on working in industry (I may be able to get a minor research position) but let's assume I end up in industry during my second semester of Junior (third) year. Unfortunately this takes up my summer holidays which would have been an...

The transition from undergraduate to graduate school is confusing. I am a math major, prefer pure math. I am entering my senior year for my Bachelor's degree, and it's time to do the grad school thing. My goal is to be a research professor (so, Ph.D.). I was under the impression that next I get...

Hello, I've been pursuing a second bachelor's degree part-time for a while now at a Group III school. I just found out, somewhat unexpectedly, that I might be able to transfer to Georgia Tech (a Group I school) with relative ease to complete my degree as a full-time student. GT is...

Another "what are my chances" thread (astro grad). Some details about me and my undergrad institution: Senior physics undergrad at a Spanish institution recognized in the EU as the home of the most important observatories in the region, big collaborations with U of FL. Rigorous program that...

Lenght of bachelors degree is 3 years in many countries in Europe like in UK, but in US usually 4 years. So does european bs qualify for applying to US grad schools or is masters degree required for europeans with 3-years degree?

I am confused about the system of studying for a PhD in the US. I have just finished an undergraduate masters physics degree (4yrs), want to do research, but want to do it in the Earth sciences (specifically, ocean and atmospheric science). If I were to apply in the US would I have to take...

Alot of people ask what people should know. However I think it would be interesting to here what people's preparation for grad school really was. Math/Physics/Engineering are all fine. If you are entering in the fall I would also like to here from you.

Hi, I am currently an undergrad. Now, I have some student loans to pay off and I also don't feel like going to grad school right after my undergrad. I thought it would be a good idea to work as a research assistant in my physics department after I graduate. During these RA years, if I do...

I have done some research to find out how much it would cost to go to grad school and I am a bit confused about my findings. I have seen from multiple sources that by being a TA or an RA I will actually make money in grad school. (enough to live on while I study) I have also seen that I can...

Do they have grad programs that blend pure math and physics. where you learn math and physics at the same time.

I'm a sophomore in college. I have just finished all my general education requirements and have been thinking about double majoring in physics and EE but I would much rather focus on just physics for the time being. I would still like to be able to pursue EE after I earn a bachelors in physics...

Im about to finish my undergraduation degree in Electronics and communication engineering.. I love physics, which is the fundamental aspect of all science and math helping it hand in hand and hence i wish to carry on my career wrt quantum mechanics field.. My doubt is, i don't have a profound...

Hi, I am a sophomore undergraduate and I have a question about the importance of research experience for grad school applications (from senior year to masters or phd). I have read that research experience and letters of recommendation are the two main factors for top 10 grad school...

My gpa is subpar, but improving. Freshmen year at SUNY OswegoUndergrad Coursework: Semester 2 Brains, Minds and Consciousness (3) -A Calculus 2 (4)- C General University Physics 2 (4)- A Principles of Human Behavior (3)- A overall 3.42 Semester 1 Archaeology and Human Ev (3) - B- Calculus 1...

Hi, all. This is my first post. Although my question isn't directly physics related, I hope I will be able to get some feedback, as I haven't had much luck finding career advice forums for math & stats. I recently obtained a BSc with a major in Mathematics. This is not an honours or...

For the longest time I've wanted to go to graduate school but this summer, I keep having panic attacks and emotional meltdowns in the middle of the night and now that's all changed. Earlier this spring, I accepted a TA/tuition reimbursement award to begin this fall for a PhD program; but now I...

Hello, I wanted to simply post all my current stats and get some recommendations on physics grad schools or how I can improve in the time I have left before I apply. Any help is greatly appreciated. Junior->Senior ~3.5 gpa physics 630 PGre retaking but we'll see 2 publishings and...

I've been procrastinating heavily today and realizing that maybe I should consider applying to grad schools in the US indeed. (Currently, I'm a Masters student at ETH Zurich in Switzerland.) Although I've probably been watching too many skateboard and surfing videos during the last few weeks, I...

Hey guys, I was wondering if someone on the forums would be able to give me some advice on graduate school? I go to Berkeley and will be finishing up an undergraduate degree in Engineering Physics with a minor in Electrical Engineering. I was hoping to go to graduate school in Electrical...

I'm considering applying to get into a master's program in physics, and I'm under the impression that I will be able to get into such a program. My question is should I bother? Will I be able to land a career, or will I just eventually end up with a nice looking PhD on the wall in my cardboard...

I recently read a very interesting article about graduate admissions written by an adcom. He says a few things that are the exact OPPOSITE of what I've heard. I've always heard that a good GPA and GRE scores are probably the most important part of a good application besides recs and...

Grad school for phd in NANOTECH?? I am planning for a Phd in Nanotechnology, particularly related to Molecular robotics/NEMS/MEMS/ and even nano-composites may do..though its not my first choice currently i am pursuing B.Tech in Mech engg...and have Cumulative gpa (till 6th sem) of 8.7/10...

I'm a rising junior and will very likely apply to physics graduate school during senior year, but I'm also thinking about applying for a Fulbright Scholarship or other programs that would be a year long and not necessarily involve physics. Everything I found when I searched this forum said...

I'm curious as to where I should apply for grad school in that I don't want to waste my time on colleges out of my league. I'm looking to study density functional theory or alike so I guess physical chemistry or soft matter physics(can anyone really draw the line?). I should be graduating with a...

How do I determine which professors at a given university tend to or are willing to hire new grad students? So far the faculty directory isn't much help. Which schools I apply to this fall will depend on the specific research opportunities available. If it makes a difference, I'm interested...

I’m a math undergrad at Caltech. I’m applying to grad school soon and since I’m a Canadian citizen I’ll be applying to grad school in Canada. I’ll also be applying to some top programs in the United States, but I’m very unsure of my chances. The thing is, due to a combination of personal...

I got kicked out of my University. Should I still invest farther time and money to get a college education? Do I still have a shot at Graduate school? I got dismissed from the University of California, Davis due to my unsatisfactory grades I got there during my freshmen year. I admit I didn't...

Can you go to math grad school and study applied math that focuses on physics. And also study regular math?

Hey guys, I am a maths student going onto second year. I wanted to take some physics modules but I'd need some 1st year physics pre-requisites. The topics I need to learn over the summer are: Astronomy Quantum Phenomena Particle Physics Waves Electricity and Magnetism Classical...