- #1
ab77
- 5
- 0
Hello all. I'm an international student, and I need some advice or ideas, something.
I received my GRE math subject scores for October, got 99% (900 raw, out of 990 I suppose). Is that high enough for being competitive at top institutions (Princeton, MIT, Berkeley, ...)? What else do you need?
The thing is that I'm in a 20th something ranked school, towards my PhD, but I want to transfer. I just got into this one place in Fall 2006, and I accepted it, I think I made a mistake, being that in my country I was at the best school, it's just so different here.
I'm so stressed right now with the applications, because I finally got a good score (3rd time, first I got around 77%, then 92%), but now I found out that most places give high value to rec letters, and I can't say I know a lot my profs, I don't know how strong they'll write about me, I wish they'll write great things. Of course I performed excellent in their courses, but did no more, with exception of one, which I took a reading course with. It's just so unfair perhaps that the one thing you can't control weights more. I can't tell this to them, I don't think it's appropiate.
I also got excellent grades (only A's) but no undergrad research, not possible where I come from.
Finally, I'm applying to Brown and UCLA, as 'backup'. Do I have there any chance?
I'd like to hear from some similar experience.
So what is really needed to get into those institutions, it seems such a random thing. Some say rec letters, but then need also high gre, and then research, and personal statement, and...
I feel so overwhelmed.
Thanks for reading.
I received my GRE math subject scores for October, got 99% (900 raw, out of 990 I suppose). Is that high enough for being competitive at top institutions (Princeton, MIT, Berkeley, ...)? What else do you need?
The thing is that I'm in a 20th something ranked school, towards my PhD, but I want to transfer. I just got into this one place in Fall 2006, and I accepted it, I think I made a mistake, being that in my country I was at the best school, it's just so different here.
I'm so stressed right now with the applications, because I finally got a good score (3rd time, first I got around 77%, then 92%), but now I found out that most places give high value to rec letters, and I can't say I know a lot my profs, I don't know how strong they'll write about me, I wish they'll write great things. Of course I performed excellent in their courses, but did no more, with exception of one, which I took a reading course with. It's just so unfair perhaps that the one thing you can't control weights more. I can't tell this to them, I don't think it's appropiate.
I also got excellent grades (only A's) but no undergrad research, not possible where I come from.
Finally, I'm applying to Brown and UCLA, as 'backup'. Do I have there any chance?
I'd like to hear from some similar experience.
So what is really needed to get into those institutions, it seems such a random thing. Some say rec letters, but then need also high gre, and then research, and personal statement, and...
I feel so overwhelmed.
Thanks for reading.