Assessing Grad. School Prospects

[MisterX]

Hi,

I got my degree in E.E. but I've been pretty interested in the physics, and I am evaluating my prospects of getting a graduate degree in that area.

I graduated with a Bachelors in Electrical Engineering GPA of about 3.8. However my school was near the bottom of the top 50 in rankings. I know I could have done better (I didn't even apply to any top schools even though I did pretty well in HS, but that's another story).

Crucially though I did not acquire any real research experience. Since then I have volunteered myself a number of times but I have had no success. It is much harder to get involved once you are no longer an undergraduate.

My intention would be to spend the next school year taking courses to fill out my knowledge and apply for graduate school by this winter. I already took some physics courses this spring and did well. I don't think I'd be able to put off applying for another year.

However from what I've seen I don't have a chance to get into any nice graduate school without that crucial research experience. This is saddening to me because I've been told my PGRE scores would be good enough to get into appealing schools (and I have a chance to improve on them further in the fall), and I think I would also get good recommendations from teaching professors since I tend to be an active participant & independent thinker as well as getting good grades. But without research experience my application would be culled, from what I am told.

I am running out of time since I would need some months of work to be able to make a favorable impression. I am not sure what to do. Maybe I should just give up on academic aspirations in physics.

 

[TonyG]

Hi there,

First of all, I want to commend you for your interest in pursuing a graduate degree in physics. It takes a lot of dedication and hard work to excel in a field like physics, and your strong GPA in electrical engineering is a testament to that.

I understand your concerns about not having any research experience and how that may impact your chances of getting into a top graduate program. However, I want to assure you that research experience is not the only factor that admissions committees consider when evaluating applications. While it is certainly valuable, there are other aspects of your application that can make you a strong candidate for graduate school.

One thing you can do to strengthen your application is to take some physics courses and do well in them, as you mentioned you are planning to do. This will not only demonstrate your interest and aptitude in the subject, but it will also help you develop the necessary skills and knowledge for graduate-level coursework.

Additionally, you can use your volunteer experiences to your advantage. Even though they may not have been formal research positions, you can still highlight the skills and knowledge you gained from them in your application. This can include things like problem-solving, critical thinking, and teamwork, all of which are important in research.

I also want to encourage you to reach out to professors or researchers in your field of interest and inquire about potential research opportunities. While it may be more challenging as a non-undergraduate student, it is not impossible to secure a research position. You can also consider applying for internships or summer research programs to gain more experience in your field.

Lastly, I want to remind you that the admissions process is not solely based on research experience. Your PGRE scores, strong GPA, and letters of recommendation from teaching professors can also make a significant impact on your application. So, don't give up on your academic aspirations in physics just yet. If this is something you are truly passionate about, I encourage you to keep pursuing it and exploring all the options available to you.

Best of luck in your future endeavors.