Graduate application Definition and 31 Threads

This is going to be controversial and might even be taken down, but I think what I will say is absolutely true, and I'm sorry if it offends people. I'm applying for the second time to condensed matter PhDs. I was in a group that did a lot of device fabrication as part of their experiments and...

Hello, I am graduating with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering next July. I have been considering a move to astronomy/astrophysics. I read this thread by @ZapperZ and yes with a bit of revision, I can clear the Physics GRE. I also read a few testimonials of people who have made the...

I am applying for a master degree in Germany. I have submitted my application but wish to strengthen it as I want to be accepted. What can I do to enhance my application? Can I contact any of the professors or maybe the student advisor? Will it look artificial? If so, what must I say? (I am...

Several universities say that taking courses pass/no-pass or credit/no-credit during terms disrupted by COVID-19 will not necessarily harm those applying to their graduate program. There are also more open-ended invitations for applicants to discuss how the pandemic has impacted their lives. In...

What are some things a freshman physics major can/should be doing to get a head start on becoming a competitive applicant for graduate schools?

I'm currently compiling materials for my graduate school applications this fall, and I'm having a bit of trouble deciding what to emphasize in terms of my experiences as an undergraduate, as well as my future career goals. I have a couple years of research experience (in computational...

Greetings everybody, Right now I'm applying to graduate physics programs, but since it's an expensive process I'm trying to be at least a little selective in my approach. Since my research interests are in plasma physics, I've limited myself to schools with a program in such. So far I've...

Fifth Year BS-MS Student from one of the premier institutes in India CGPA: 8.1/10 GRE : 310/340 168Q 142V 4AWA TOEFL: 104/120 22R 27L 26S 29W I am applying for graduate schools in the following universities. Is the list sufficient? Any suggestion is most welcome. The list is not priority-wise...

HI everyone, I am currently a senior at a big university who will be finishing up my BS in physics in either Fall of 2018 or Spring of 2019. I would like to go to graduate school after undergrad, but as of this moment there is no way I would get accepted to any school at all. To give you some...

If everything goes right I am in my last year of my physics program in my university. I want to do research, I did a short internship at CERN and I would like to work there, and I know that for that I need to get a masters or a phd. The thing is that I am not sure to which university should I...

I am applying to PhD programs and CV is required (of course) but do I also need a covering letter?

Hi. So, I took the general GRE the other day and did crappy on the Quant. This worries me. I'm applying to Materials Engineering PhD programs soon. I'd like to get some opinions of how deep of a ditch I've dug for grad school, or how much this retracts from the rest of my credentials. Do I stand...

Hi Everyone! I am a senior student going at a liberal arts college currently majoring in Physics. I am applying to graduate schools in Astronomy this fall semester. I would like to ask what are the odds of getting into the best astronomy programs with the following background: Major GPA: 4.00...

I am not sure if I can write the ps in the form of a story-telling of how I became interested in the graduate field of study, which naturally talks about my research/other experience in the chronological order, or directly jump straight into chunks of paragraphs (of course with transitioning...

This summer I did some research and had positive results but my part contributed to a small portion of the big grant. My PI told me we could submit to some "side" journals to get publications but I am not sure if this is necessary because the admission committees will see my poster I created...

Dear Physics Forums friends, I am a college senior at US pursuing the mathematics and microbiology majors. Getting to the core of my question, I am curious if the graduate programs in physics (at least in US) also consider applicants from no official background in physics. I started out as an...

Hi! I have a question related to graduate (PhD admission). I am about to finish my MS in Europe and am applying to a university in Canada for my PhD. The university requires 2 reference letters. Two people have said that they will write me letters, and I can see on my application account when...

I had a skype interview with a professor in Canada for M.Sc. admissions. This was 10 days ago on April 20. The interview went okay. He said he would talk to the graduate coordinator, check my application and get back to me by the end of April. Monday, May 2nd would be the first working day after...

Hi Everyone, I've scoured the internet to find answers to this question and I haven't had much luck. I graduated in 2014 with a 2.86 GPA in physics. To counteract this lower gpa in my applications; I have a lot of research experience and I'm currently working in industry doing some...

Greetings all, Are there resources around to help with writing essays for graduate applications? I have asked a few professors around my department, but as we don't have a graduate program and most of them are young professors who have only recently left grad school themselves, most of them...

Hello! I've been reading this forum for a while now, and while I see many threads asking about similar questions as I am, I still cannot get answers to some of my questions. So I hope to get some advice here on PF. I am very interested in pursuing a career in Physics, but I don't have any...

I made Dean's List my senior year of undergrad, I double majored and double minored, I volunteered often and I communicate in both the social and scientific realms well. So why am I still getting turned down or "wait listed" from graduate programs? One theory; three semester near the middle of...

I am applying for a PhD program in statistics and I want a full assistantship. Should I check the box to apply for additional financial aid or will that affect an assistantship chance? Thanks.

http://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/195538/prepare-for-hep-th-graduate-application-books-research-opportunities-etc I want to specialise in high-energy physics theory. I feel quiet unconfident because the I just knew that the field is insanely competitive, so I really need your advice to...

Dear Physics Forum advisers, I am a rising college junior (five-years tract) with a major in mathematics and an aspiring mathematician in the fields of theoretical computing and cryptography. I apologize for this sudden interruption but I wrote this email to seek your advice on the impact of...

Hello, I will be getting a bachelor's degree in Radiation Health Physics in near future, and my ultimate goal is to study PhD in medical physics. However, I think it would be unlikely that I will get admitted right after undergraduate graduation, due to my mediocre GPA and limited experiences...

Hello forum, I'm a current undergrad student in radiation health physics planning to apply for medical physics grad schools in the US. There are a few things that make me worry: my GPA (3.24 cumulative) isn't superb because my first two year of undergrad was troublesome (my recent performances...

Hello everyone, I am trying to write a personal statement for graduate school, and I am not sure what to say. I started off by saying that I would like to eventually become a professor in order to give students research opportunities that I wasn't given as an undergraduate student (because I...

I want to apologize if this topics already exists somewhere on the forum. Most google/forum searches usually have people asking about experiment to theory , or switching fields after PhD. I recently submitted a grad application and I still have a lot more to do. My research background in...

Hi, I am filling up graduate school applications, but I am asked to list the universities I am applying for. Any ideas about the reasons they ask us? Should I tell them? I am afraid this information will affect the admission in a bad way.

Hello, my name is Mark Murphy. I've kept tabs on this forum for a while, and was hoping I might garner some advice regarding my curriculum. I am currently a third year at my university, majoring in Engineering Physics. Our Engineering Physics program differs from our Physics graduate school...