Graduate School Application Results and Strategies - Fall 2008

[Brad Barker]

wow, you got pretty good admissions there! What do they look for? Hows your GPa and everything like, if you don't mind me asking...! Did you publish any papers in journals? I hope to be able to get a TA with a good graduate school when i graduate from my under-grad course!

GPA: 4.0
GRE physics: 920
GRE General
--Math: 800
--Verbal: 800
--Writing: 5.5
Research: Two REU's, plus research during senior year (no publications, though)
Work: TA'd for a math class; worked as a physics tutor during freshman year (and now)

 

[CaptainQuaser]

I don't understand the point of the GRE, is it due to inconsistent teaching in the US at the undergrad lvl?

 

[jhicks]

I don't understand the point of the GRE, is it due to inconsistent teaching in the US at the undergrad lvl?

That is a reasonable question. According to ETS' statistics, between 20 and 30% of electrical engineering majors get an 800 on the quantitative portion. If so many people hit the ceiling of the test in a particular major, the test isn't very good for that particular major. Subject tests are probably more appropriate in describing what GPA cannot, but to me the GRE represents a test of minimum competency.

There is definitely a huge variation between difficulty of subjects between universities, but the GRE isn't exactly designed to pick that stuff out. Where I went to undergrad, the grad classes I took were curved so that about 50% of people got A's, while the undergrad classes were curved so that the average was a B. Other places still curve based on C+ or C, and I think that's fair. I actually felt bad for getting A's in a few classes because I did not feel that I learned what I wanted to learn, but the other students were so apathetic that I shined by comparison.

 

[masnevets]

I don't understand the point of the GRE, is it due to inconsistent teaching in the US at the undergrad lvl?

Most math departments don't like the general GRE, but it is a requirement for university admissions. From my understanding, most departments don't care much for the subject GRE score--if you do well, it won't help you, but if you do poorly, it raises a flag. I think it's particularly important to do well on the subject GRE if you come from a small school.

I suspect the point of the GRE is for ETS to suck more money out of students' pockets. (the price of these things are ~$130)

 

[Brad Barker]

note to future applicants: stanford apparently doesn't care if you got a ****ing perfect score on the general gre. :/

 

[Oerg]

GPA: 4.0
GRE physics: 920
GRE General
--Math: 800
--Verbal: 800
--Writing: 5.5
Research: Two REU's, plus research during senior year (no publications, though)
Work: TA'd for a math class; worked as a physics tutor during freshman year (and now)

Where did you study at, if you dun mind me asking again hahha

 

[leright]

Where did you study at, if you dun mind me asking again hahha

IIRC University of Florida

 

[JasonJo]

Has anyone heard back from Texas-Austin for mathematics?

 

[Brad Barker]

IIRC University of Florida

that is correct.

 

[jhicks]

that is correct.

Obligatory "go gators!"

 

[Cyrus]

My friend, she got into stanford. (engineering, Mechanical).

Hope you guys get into wherever it is you want to go!

 

[jhicks]

I got my acceptance letter from Georgia Tech today. They offered me a TA with other random amounts of fellowships that total about 30k. Applied for MS. Florida accepted me unofficially for a similar amount of money but no TA requirement, plus I would have a great advisor already. There is something to be said for experiencing the hardship of seeking out new professional ties at a new university though.

Fun fact about the Tech letter: It was dated a month and a half ago!

 

[Gtay]

Just out of curiosity, I've heard that they do not give financial support for MS, only PhD. So it is wrong then?

 

[jhicks]

Just out of curiosity, I've heard that they do not give financial support for MS, only PhD. So it is wrong then?

I'm guessing you're addressing my post, but yeah they do apparently. I did indicate my interest in continuing on through PhD so that might have something to do with it, though I was not admitted as a PhD student.

 

[Laura1013]

Just out of curiosity, I've heard that they do not give financial support for MS, only PhD. So it is wrong then?

I've never been on a graduate admissions committee (being only a grad student myself), but this is what I've gathered: Different universities have different preferences.

Some universities prefer to fund Ph.D. students because it's more likely that a doctoral student will contribute significant research. Also, some universities are pressured to increase their Ph.D.-granting statistics for reputation purposes, and therefore are more likely to offer funding to Ph.D. students.

On the other hand, some universities prefer to give M.S. students teaching assistantships in order to free up their Ph.D. students for research assistantships. Some universities even find that an M.S. student is easier to fund because a master's degree is typically only a two-year funding commitment (compared to a doctoral degree, which is longer, and typically a little more expensive per year).

There are probably other factors as well. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong. In general, it's uncommon for physics departments not to give any funding at all to full-time graduate students.

 

[Cyrus]

Just out of curiosity, I've heard that they do not give financial support for MS, only PhD. So it is wrong then?

Depends on the school, I get a fellowship. Honestly, I would turn down any school that required you to pay to attend, and did not pay you in the process.

 

[Pyrrhus]

Fun fact about the Tech letter: It was dated a month and a half ago!

That's weird, didn't the online admission status changed a month and a half ago or just now?

 

[jhicks]

That's weird, didn't the online admission status changed a month and a half ago or just now?

It's said "decision made" since about Jan 15. They were definitely just extremely tardy in giving me my decision.

 

[Gtay]

I'm guessing you're addressing my post, but yeah they do apparently. I did indicate my interest in continuing on through PhD so that might have something to do with it, though I was not admitted as a PhD student.

Sorry I forgot to quote. Thanks for sharing and congrats.

 

[JasonJo]

Hey eastside, did you ever hear back about the funding? Hope everything turned out OK.

 

[eastside00_99]

eh,..., well, I don't know they emailed me at one point to say that I have been waitlisted for funding but then a couple of days latter I get postal mail saying I will not be offered support. So, at this point this is how I stand:

UIUC (admit w/o funding)
Tufts (admit w/o funding)
CUNY (admit, on funding wait list)
Duke (rejected)
UWash (rejected)

Haven't heard from:
Rice
USC
Wake Forest
Boston College

So, I am pretty sure everything is going to be up in the air for about 3-4 weeks.

 

[JasonJo]

If you were from NY, going to CUNY without funding is not a big deal since it is pretty cheap but if you are not from NYC it is very expensive, i.e. paying for an apartment, and overall living expenses.

Did you ever hear back from Rice, USC, Wake or BC?

 

[eastside00_99]

yeah, its like 10,000 a semester to go to CUNY. Luckily, I still have a shot since I am on the waitlist for support. Uh, Rice says they are only accepting 5-6 people?!? And, they said that it doesn't appear like I will be accepted. I messed up the application for USC. I put the wrong semester down on the application and it is too late to fix it. I am on the waitlist for both Wake and BC.