- #1
TARSIER
- 28
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I am a Junior Physics/Astro student at a large university in the US and have been wondering about my chances to get into grad school. I have been to a couple informational meetings, talked with people applying this year, and met with advisors and professors, but they seem to say a lot of different things.
My advisor and one of my professors seemed to say that I should not take courses like Quantum 2, C. mechanics 2, Advanced E&M, thermo, etc. as I should start taking as many easier classes as I can to boost my overall GPA to be as high as possible, even suggesting I take classes like Philosophy/Art.
A lot of potential grad students that I am friends with are taking lots of advanced courses above and beyond the degree requirements, some even staying for 5 years as an undergrad to do so, but not getting the best grades in any of them.
A conference I went to said that Grad schools only look at three main things: High Level Astro classes, Quantum I, E&M, and thermo, and then research that you have completed/professors letters as a secondary component to getting into a Phd program.
I have taken Quantum, Honors Optics, Classical I, Stellar Properties, and a couple other randoms thrown in, but I am not in the top niche of students grade wise for the physics courses. I always have gotten above the average grade, but I have not as of yet gotten a 3.5 or higher on a upper level physics class. Is that going to kill my chances?
Also, I am not in the honors college, but I take honors courses as I think grad schools will look favorably on applicants taking an Honors option rather than the regular route. Am I correct in this, or is the extra work a waste of my time?
Being a standard college freshman with too large of an ego to study hard, I got a 1.5 on my Honors Physics I (first calc-based physics you take). The next semester I got a 4.0 in Physics II with ease. Should I retake this my senior year, or will it be negiligible in the overall view of things?
Also, will being a dual-majored Physics/Astrophysics really help? I only have to take one more class to get the duality, as I took all of the other prereqs out of general interest, but if it doesn't matter at all I would rather not.
My advisor and one of my professors seemed to say that I should not take courses like Quantum 2, C. mechanics 2, Advanced E&M, thermo, etc. as I should start taking as many easier classes as I can to boost my overall GPA to be as high as possible, even suggesting I take classes like Philosophy/Art.
A lot of potential grad students that I am friends with are taking lots of advanced courses above and beyond the degree requirements, some even staying for 5 years as an undergrad to do so, but not getting the best grades in any of them.
A conference I went to said that Grad schools only look at three main things: High Level Astro classes, Quantum I, E&M, and thermo, and then research that you have completed/professors letters as a secondary component to getting into a Phd program.
I have taken Quantum, Honors Optics, Classical I, Stellar Properties, and a couple other randoms thrown in, but I am not in the top niche of students grade wise for the physics courses. I always have gotten above the average grade, but I have not as of yet gotten a 3.5 or higher on a upper level physics class. Is that going to kill my chances?
Also, I am not in the honors college, but I take honors courses as I think grad schools will look favorably on applicants taking an Honors option rather than the regular route. Am I correct in this, or is the extra work a waste of my time?
Being a standard college freshman with too large of an ego to study hard, I got a 1.5 on my Honors Physics I (first calc-based physics you take). The next semester I got a 4.0 in Physics II with ease. Should I retake this my senior year, or will it be negiligible in the overall view of things?
Also, will being a dual-majored Physics/Astrophysics really help? I only have to take one more class to get the duality, as I took all of the other prereqs out of general interest, but if it doesn't matter at all I would rather not.