What is Admissions: Definition and 170 Discussions

University admission or college admission is the process through which students enter tertiary education at universities and colleges. Systems vary widely from country to country, and sometimes from institution to institution.
In many countries, prospective university students apply for admission during their last year of high school or community college. In some countries, there are independent organizations or government agencies to centralize the administration of standardized admission exams and the processing of applications.

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  1. loops496

    Motivation Letter suggestions and improvements

    Hello everyone, So my university opened some Summer Research Opportunities for Undergraduates and part of the application requires a motivation letter. Here is what I wrote, I'm open to any suggestions or improvements, Thanks in advance!Respected Sir/Madam, I was very excited when I learned...
  2. N

    Transferring to a decent school from a California CC

    Hey Y'all! I apologize for the length of my post, but it is an issue that has been causing me a lot of stress! I'm currently a sophomore student at a California community college and I intend to transfer into an undergrad Physics program. I really would prefer to go out of state and have always...
  3. circulos meos

    Schools Does Honors status impact admissions for grad school?

    So I am in my first year of my physics degree at a school that isn't really known for its physics program, (I don't believe it is ranked at all, not that that is a huge deal) and at least right now I am very interested in pursuing a ph.d degree. I had originally intended to do an engineering...
  4. A

    Admissions Potential C: can I minimize the damage to grad admissions?

    I absolutely bombed my first test so far since I started college (Junior in EE). The test was in a semiconductor devices course (theory of semiconductor devices), so it is a course in my major, and it is an upper division course. I wouldn't be worried if it was in another department, but since...
  5. B

    Testing Best physics school i can get into with my current GPA/SAT score

    I currently have a GPA of 3.3 and my sat scores are 680-math, 610-reading, 560-writing. I'm pretty set on going for physics undergrad and going straight to grad school for my PHD but I'm open to suggestions. Any college that isn't really really far away from Pennsylvania but I'm definitely open...
  6. T

    Admissions Admissions for Aerospace Engineering

    What are the best colleges for getting an degree in Aerospace Engineering ? I've heard about MIT. What are the requirements for an Indian student to get into MIT after 12th ? And what other top instititues are these apart from MIT for AE and what are the requirements and exams one should give to...
  7. L = K - U

    An olympiad student interested in Cambridge

    Hi to everyone, this is my first post in this forum. I am really stressed and confused at the moment. I really need help from a Cambridge student/teacher/alumni. (This is going to be a long post, so bear with me) I am a Thai student, who was in the top finals of Thailand's Physics Olympiad...
  8. A

    Need help deciding where to study

    I live in India, and i just finished school, and decided to study physics. I got a seat in IIT Kanpur for a Bsc in Physics and also a seat in IISER(Indian Institute of Science Education and Research), and I can't decide where to go. I understand that there is little to no scope for a Physics...
  9. Dishsoap

    Schools Grad School Admissions - comparative or absolute?

    Greetings all, I found some similar threads to this but none that answered my exact question. I am doing an REU at a school I would like to attend for graduate school, and some students there have said that in graduate school admissions, I am going to be judged relative to my peers from the...
  10. A

    Admissions Will this hurt my graduate admissions chances?

    I'm in electrical engineering, and my current strongest interest right now is in antenna engineering (after much electromagnetics self study). The problem is, due to the way the courses are scheduled at my school, it is entirely possible that I won't be able to take our engineering...
  11. Astronuc

    Admissions Admissions: Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Become

    Looking Beyond the College Rankings - http://www.wnyc.org/story/looking-beyond-college-rankings/ I listened to the program, which I found quite insightful. Good hard work on the part of the student/individual is what counts. The name of the college or university is not important. Bruni's...
  12. M

    Schools College Park or Johns Hopkins?

    Hi there, everyone. This is my first time posting on this forum. Hopefully someone out there can help. First off, I'm a physics major. I recently accepted admission to UMD College Park. I know their physics department is stellar, and I was excited to go. I was waiting to get back my financial...
  13. G

    Schools Physics schools and holistic admissions

    Hello, I'm new here so forgive me if I'm posting this in the wrong place. I have several questions pertaining to the schooling required to become a physicist and the everyday life of a physicist. So my first question is, are there any universities within the United States that have a good...
  14. B

    Found a mistake in REU personal statement

    Hello, On all my REU applications besides two or three, I was asked to describe my previous research. I did so, but I realized I referred to the hydrogen atom as the hydrogen molecule. I showed in the case of H2+ that we develop the standard potential energy curve for the hydrogen atom. I...
  15. pdm0118

    Admissions Disadvantages of being in the second wave for admissions?

    Hello, I've applied for our university's medical physics program before its first deadline, Feb 1st. Since I've finished the application, I have been relaxing and waiting for the results. Today I found that I was supposed to fill out a secondary "supplemental" application, which asked exactly...
  16. M

    Schools Graduate school admissions process

    What are your thoughts on the fact that most math PhD program applications do not contain interviews? Consider the following link: https://quomodocumque.wordpress.com/2011/11/21/are-math-departments-better-at-recruitment-than-elite-financial-firms/ One of the comments expresses concerns about...
  17. neosoul

    Getting into MIT: Am I Good Enough/How to Get Good Enough

    I really want to attend MIT graduate school. Here are some things about me: I am a sophomore at an HBCU on a full scholarship. I am a physics major planning on double majoring by adding mathematics (because I LOVE it). -Overall GPA: 3.84 -Physics GPA: 4.00 (but I've only taken Physics I &...
  18. W

    Unsure about Content of Statement of Purpose

    Hi everyone. I recently finished a first draft for a statement of purpose for CalTech (I know, I know - I figured it would be the first one I draft - I have others I will be modelling off of this one soon enough), and I have a few (well, maybe more than a few) concerns about how I wrote it and...
  19. F

    Programs How competitive are US terminal master's degree admissions?

    My original plan was to apply for grad school (PhD) for physics after my undergrad degree, but things didn't go as planned. Simply put, I performed poorly in my first few semesters, and while my grades improved towards the end of my undergraduate studies, they were not enough to compensate for...
  20. P

    Admissions Cornell physics PhD admissions? Is it pointless for me to even apply?

    I graduated 4 years ago from a small university and received a dual BS in EE and physics. I went into a decently ranked EE PhD program but dropped out after a year. I attempted to go back a couple times but just didn't care too much for the courses and dropped my classes both times. I have...
  21. E

    Admissions Medical Physics Admissions to Georgia Tech

    Hey, I'm new to the forum! Anyways, I'm wondering if anyone has any experience with the online Medical Physics program at Georgia Tech. I'm curious as to how competitive admissions are, and how they weight factors other than undergrad GPA. I currently have a B.S. in Radiation Health Physics, I...
  22. H

    University Admissions Essay reference, I need your opinion

    First, a brief description of myself: I'v gotten my associates degree in Automotive Technology/Repair, with perfect scores. ASE certified. But I have always been an aspiring Mechanical Engineer, with assisted passion for technical/hands-on intuition. That is why I studied a vocational field...
  23. W

    Admissions Graduate admissions committee politics

    I was wondering how committees work? Do a certain number of people have to agree to admit a student? What exactly does a chair do, does he get the "last say" or something? I know every school is different but does anyone know in general? Also how about this hypothetical case: You have a very...
  24. M

    Exploring Graduate School Admissions for ME PhD Programs

    I'm applying to graduate school in ME, and I am just curious, if I am not accepted to a PhD program right away, will any (most, all, none?) admissions councils pass on my application to the masters program, after which I may work towards becoming a PhD candidate?
  25. D

    Admissions What is a respectable GPA to graduate admissions?

    What is a "respectable GPA" to graduate admissions? Hello, incoming sophomore math and physics major here. I'm about to start my third semester of my undergrad, but I have a lot of transfer/AP credit from high school, so a majority of the GPA determining credit on my transcript is going to be...
  26. jbrussell93

    Admissions Grad admissions - GPA vs published research?

    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...
  27. A

    Schools Graduate school admissions and age

    I will be starting a PhD (if all goes well) at the age of 26. I know this is not much older than the average, but how much do graduate admissions (particularly at top programs) see students that did not have the standard "4 year bachelors out of high school to PhD" route? For some reason I...
  28. P

    Admissions Do Spring Admissions exist anymore?

    I've been scanning some university admissions pages and cannot seem to find any that accept spring semester transfer students. Specifically I'm looking for schools in southern California with physics programs. I'm working on my Physics BSc and want to go to grad school afterward. Anyone have any...
  29. PhizKid

    Admissions Is race still an unwritten factor for admissions?

    I've recently been reading some articles and discussions: http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/story/2011-12-03/asian-students-college-applications/51620236/1 http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/1228264-race-college-admission-faq-discussion-9-a.html...
  30. B

    Schools Graduate school admissions and extenuating circumstances

    I was diagnosed with moderate/severe ADD when I was a child but due to health concerns my parents chose not to put me on medication. They also erroneously believed that ADD was something that could be overcome with willpower, something I learned is not true. I attended the University of...
  31. P

    Schools Graduate school engineering admissions

    I am finishing up my third year as an EECS major of a five year program at a highly reputable public university and I am strongly considering applying to doctoral programs in EECS (I figure I can leave with a terminal masters should I discover research at that level is not my cup of T). By...
  32. 9

    Programs Some questions about double degrees and graduate admissions (in Mathematics)

    Hi. Here is some (more or less) relevant information: So I'm majoring in Philosophy and Logic, and I recently found out that if I do about an extra year of undergrad work, I can get a second bachelor's degree (In Mathmatics!) So I'm thinking: Since graduate school in Philosophy is pretty hard...
  33. T

    Admissions Grad Admissions: How Much Does Sub-Department Matter?

    I'm browsing through some acceptances posted by prospective graduate students here: http://www.physicsgre.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=4274 and there are some guys with very close to 4.0 GPAs and great GRE scores along with pretty good research experiences and letters of recommendations that are...
  34. S

    Admissions How to Cope with College Admission Rejections and Pressure?

    Hi everyone. I wrote a little about the pressures that I am facing right now. I know that many of you here have infinitely more wisdom than I have, and have the clarity of hindsight, so perhaps some can provide some good advice. This time of the year is one of the more stressful for...
  35. H

    Schools Odd academic situation and graduate school admissions

    To elaborate on said situation - I went to a top 50 US public university for a few years majoring in math and during this period of time I had no significant interest or motivation in school, much less any graduate school aspirations. I didn't do *horrible*, but my gpa was about a 3.1. I took...
  36. L

    Schools EU grading system -> GPA for US grad school admissions?

    Is there anyone here that can shed some light on the equivalence between Spanish/EU (ECTS) grades and American GPA? I have been researching this for a while but I haven't found anything official. So far I've come up with these 2 pages, showing similar grade equivalences...
  37. B

    Admissions Spring GRE, Fall admissions. Will I get my scores in time?

    So I'm studying for the physics GRE and plan on taking it this April. While I understand the deadline for admissions to most universities is right up until the semester begins, I also understand it is a first come, first serve deal. Are most slots going to be filled by May, when the scores...
  38. F

    Admissions The top 10% of your year/class requirement for postgrad admissions?

    The "top 10% of your year/class" requirement for postgrad admissions? I am hugely interested in a program for master studies after I complete my graduation in 2012 and one of the requirements they list says ,"Students must belong to top 10% of their year". I am not among top 10% of my class so...
  39. H

    Schools Should You Choose Waterloo or McGill for Math and Physics?

    So I'm a Canadian student currently in Terminale in a French Baccalaureate school (french equivalent of grade 12), and I was hoping some of you could help me out with some questions I've got. In Canada, I'm applying to Waterloo and McGill in their mathematics/physics programs. McGill is a 3...
  40. E

    Admissions Admissions Essay Advice: Choosing an Interesting Experience

    I'm not sure if this belongs here, but I think it's close to where it need to be. I'm trying to choose a topic for my most interesting experience for an essay for transferring, and I don't know what topics are appropriate. Can anyone help me sort through my options...? I'm considering the...
  41. F

    Schools How much does Overall GPA effect grad school admissions?

    Hey so here's my situation... I am currently an engineering student and I have COMPLETELY lost interest in it. Sadly this happened during my junior year. I plan on transferring to Math. At the end of this semester my gpa will probably be around 3.1 with about 106 credit hours. Assuming I do...
  42. M

    Schools Undergrad college admissions - are they as ridiculous as they seem?

    Over the past few months, I've been looking into applying to college in the US. I've been reading up on stuff on the internet, asking a couple of questions on the forums here and also been on CollegeConfidential a few times. A huge portion of the applicants there sound like they've totally lost...
  43. N

    Admissions Can I get into U of Minnesota's ME grad program with my credentials?

    MS Engineering. Odds? I am currently in the process of applying for the U of Mn ME grad program. I am wondering if anyone has experience applying to this school or a similar school and what there experience was. I have looked online at there requirements and meet them all but I know that this...
  44. C

    Schools Academic dishonesty as ugrad 5 years ago and grad school admissions

    So, five years ago, at a pretty prestigious North American univ, I was accused of cheating on a take home exam. I hadn't cheated, but unluckily, I made careless mistakes that were similar to where I was supposed to be cheating from (and this was on a predominantly maths based paper) and so I...
  45. L

    Schools Give me a reality check on grad school admissions?

    Hello, I'm a physics BS and I'm considering pursuing a graduate degree. Ideally I'd like to pursue a PhD in physics, and I'd like a reality check on my chances of admission. What's really putting a damper on things is my mediocre GPA - 2.81 . I'm well aware that this hurts me lots on graduate...
  46. K

    Schools Engineering Graduate School Admissions with Physics Degree

    Hi, I'm a concerned college student (aren't we all :0 ), who is intending to major in physics in one of the bigger universities in US. However, it seems that my inclination lately lies more towards engineering graduate school (if I go). So if I apply for an engineering grad school with physics...
  47. C

    Schools What are the top factors in grad school admissions?

    Well after reading tons of posts and talking to my friends who are headed off to grad school here is what everyone says: PGRE is really important, GPA is really important, publications really important, leadership roles really important, multiple years of research experience really important...
  48. I

    Admissions Department following grade deflation policy and admissions

    My department typically gives very low grades. The average grade is typically around B. With about 15 people in my class (physics), and with everyone hard workers, everyone's major GPA has slowly meandered towards 3.0. How will this have an effect on admissions? My GPA is currently 3.1, yet I...
  49. F

    Admissions How does one C grade affect grad admissions?

    How does one "C" grade affect grad admissions? Hello all, I got a C in a junior-level math course. Should I bother applying to my top choices of physics grad schools (MIT, Illinois)? I'm a junior, physics and math double major. Good grades (almost all A's and a couple B's) up until now...
  50. M

    Admissions Phy. grad. school admissions for Engg. undergrads - is it tough to get selected?

    Hi, I am from India, pursuing an undergrad. course in Electronics and communication engg. from a NOT so well known university here in India. I couldn't pursue physics major due to some reasons I'll not delve into. I wish to apply for theoretical physics grad. program in the US. I...
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