Grad school Definition and 1000 Threads

Materials Science vs. Physics for Grad School Hello, I'm a new poster here, but have gotten a lot of great stuff out of this forum in the past... Some questions/thoughts on a Mechanical Engineer pursuing a graduate degree in Materials Science (or Physics...) I'm interested in optics...

I'm currently a Bio major in freshman year, and I currently have plans to go to optometry school. The thing is, I made the mistake of underestimating a class (Freshman Biology) and "ruined" my gpa as a result. I got an A-, which is perfectly fine, but nonetheless, if I had put forth a little bit...

Hi all, I'm currently a sophomore physics/applied math BS double major at a state school. My goal is to attain a well-paying(or eventually well-paying) job and career working with science and/or math. Preferably, I'd like to have some options as to the location (somewhere in the U.S. or...

Hi! I am brand new to this forum. I wanted to ask some advice about how I can best improve my chances of getting into an enjoyable career after grad school. I am currently a senior due to graduate in May with a BS in physics. I've been accepted into a large research university for their...

So I've received all of my grad school offers and it is time to make a decision. Of the four schools that I am seriously considering, two of them are offering much higher financial assistance which includes tuition and no TA duties (both schools in the states). The other two schools (Canadian)...

When applying to grad school, a rule of thumb is to apply to "safety schools". I am wondering does that mean these schools we apply to may not have our desired programs? I live in Canada and I am interested in mainly differential geometry for grad studies, but there aren't many grad programs...

So, a few months ago I withdrew from my graduate program. The reason was due to a medical diagnosis which was no less than life changing. In my withdrawal I had the support of all my professors and even the secretary. In fact, they felt it would be for my benefit to do something else. In the...

I will be taking linear algebra and number theory during the coming fall semester. I was also hoping to take a graduate level course in topology or analysis as well but because of time conflicts I cannot register for the class. My school does offer courses in set theory and logic and these are...

For personal reasons beyond my control I have not been able to do as much studying at home as I needed, and I totally burned out. I finished honors quantum I with an A and honors e&m I with a B+ last semester. But I had to drop the second quantum and second e&m very early in this semester...

So I am debating between declaring an EE or physics major (im a sophomore at a university). Seems like a lot of people come to this crossroads. Honestly, the only reason i would do EE is for the better chances of employment after i get my BS. Now i am having to take out a small school loan to...

I'm considering doing a philosophy physics double major at the expense of taking a few upper division physics electives or math/engineering classes like Plasma Physics, Nuclear and Particle Physics, Intro to Solid State Physics, fluid mechanics, statistics, etc. Will this hurt my chances of...

Has anyone here heard of such a thing as being immediately rejected from a grad school just because admissions didn't receive all the letters of recommendation? This just happened to me. They didn't even notify me; prior to this they lost my unofficial transcript, but they actually did notify me...

As an undergraduate, I have a choice between working under two different professors in the Physics department at the university that I am enrolled in. One is theoretical, so my work would be in helping derive equations, and the other has a lab (not a super high-tech one, but a lab nonetheless)...

Hey guys, I'm currently a physics major and graduating in a year, so I'm starting to apply for grad schools. I have a 3.4 GPA from Ga Tech and a certificate in astrophysics. I've done some optical research and done 1.5 years as an intern for the DoD. Do you guys have any advice for good...

I'm a physics major who's interested in geophysics. I'm planning to go to graduate school for either physics or geophysics, but I seem to be leaning more towards physics. I've got a year or so to figure this out so I've been talking to professors, one of which is a physics PhD in the geology...

How difficult would this be? I'm planning on taking all of the related classes for my upper-division electives (Nuclear Physics, Particle Physics, etc) but I want to make sure that this is possible before I completely commit to it. Also, for those who are in / done with grad school: is it...

Hi all, I'm studying Maths and Physics at a University in Europe and I have a few questions regarding going to Grad school in the U.S. and I would be ever so appreciative if you all could shed some light on these. Thanks! 1: The GRE I know that I must take the PGRE sometime in early 4th...

Hi I am currently studying at university of melbourne (Australia) major in mathematical physics and I just finished my second year. I plan to continue my graduate study in physics in US because i think the reputation of universities there are better. According to what i read from Caltech...

How do you go about actually narrowing down potential advisers from different schools? What are some tips for visitations that will help with this decision? How does one compare the prestige of different advisers? Counting publications seems silly and asking around your undergrad department...

Hi, I worked for a professor as a visiting student at XYZ university this spring on a research project. He delegated the supervision to one of his assistants who didn't really seem to care about the project. I should have worked with more focus instead of simply doing what he wanted me to...

I am a rising senior in a well regarded Pittsburgh area public school. When I enter college next year I will be majoring in Physics with a minor (possible double major) in Computer Science. I would like to eventually be involved in research at a major institution and plan to get my PhD in...

I recently joined this forum because I wanted to provide a "physics grad student perspective" which I often felt was missing. (This is only possible because I have a little extra time lately; I will soon evaporate back into my research, but while I am here...) American students are not used...

The grapevine has it that the upper-level lab courses are garbage at my school - both the professors and what you learn. The non-lab coursework is pretty solid though. Can I skip the labs and just do the core physics courses if i am planning on doing astronomy/astrophysics for grad school? or...

Hey all! I'm a little lost as to what I should get done in my last three semesters of college. I do plan on going to grad school and will take the GRE next spring, but I currently have no idea as to what else I should be getting done to prepare. I have passing interest in materials science and...

What do you think about a major such as bioinformatics versus a major in physics and minor in mathematics or a major in 'cell biology& neuroscience' w/ minor in computer science in terms of preparing me for computational neuroscience -- taking in mind that I've completed courses such as linear...

I'm currently a returning undergrad studying Physics at Penn State but I'm thinking about transferring to a smaller state school (Kutztown). I still have to take 2 years of my major classes to finish. My reason for transferring is to save money. Will graduating from a smaller/less known school...

Hello, If there is such a thread, then please guide me to it. I am seriously debating applying, or starting to get ready for applying to graduate school in physics. I am not very happy with my current career field and after doing much soul-searching, I believe this is what I want. I know...

I need to write a statement of objectives for a grad school application. Here are the instructions online: So where to start: Does this mean: write a sensibly structured statement in coherent English? What is that even supposed to mean? I'm applying to a very broad program...

is nuclear physics or plasma physics a better grad concentration for current/future fusion research? thx

Hey everyone, I am really nervous about my PGRE score. I scored in the bottom 5%. I am in the National Guard and so I am stuck staying in Texas. I wanted to apply to the condensed matter programs at Texas A&M, UT Austin, and Rice. I attend a state school up in Wisconsin right now. Here are my...

I attend university in Hong Kong, where (prior to this year's change to a 4-year program) a typical bachelor degree consists of 3 years of study. I am currently in my 3rd year. However, I am strongly considering deferring my graduation and extending my university studies another year, ie...

Hey all, I am a senior at a University here in california. I have 3 semesters left after this before i graduate. (5 year plan..) I am going to be getting a B.s Degree in "Professional physics: advanced study option". Basically they physics required for those intending on going to Grad school...

I'm currently studying for the PGRE. I'm doing miserable. After 3 years of physics courses, this is completely discouraging. Just completely. I don't know half this material, and I've done very well in almost all of my physics courses (except EM...). I'm starting to panic. I don't think...

Do some physics grad schools offer tutoring for the graduate classes?

Hi, Over the past year, I've started finding the field of neuroscience very interesting. Can anyone recommend any books for a complete newbie on the field? And just out of curiosity, what graduate schools have good neuroscience/neurophysics programs?

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...