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Cannot decide on a grad school ? | 7 comments (7 topical, 0 hidden)

[new] Warning about Courant (none / 0) (#5)
by emengee on Sat Mar 31, 2007 at 09:21:10 AM PDT

I must strongly advise against going to Courant. I have a lot of knowledge about the way the program works, having been an undergraduate math major at NYU who has taken graduate courses and interacted with many graduate students, and also having a friend who has worked in graduate admissions at Courant. I know both from experience and from my friend that Courant will only outright reject an applicant if they have a severely weak background in mathematics and haven't even satisfied the requirements for an undergraduate education in math. Otherwise, if they are not accepted into the PhD program with funding, they will almost assuredly be given an offer of acceptance into the masters program without funding (and the not-even-promise that they could receive funding upon passing the comprehensive exams). Basically, they're willing to take nearly anyone's money. Having taken graduate courses at Courant, I must say that the PhD students I've interacted with are absolutely brilliant. They're top-notch students and very hard workers. I actually have very intelligent friends who applied for the graduate program at Courant who were denied admission (although they were high enough on Courant's list to be accepted into the PhD program but waitlisted for funding - some of them were awarded funding in the end, others weren't, but none actually went). That said, even the extremely brilliant people I met who Courant considered intelligent enough to admit into the PhD program with full funding had a very difficult time with the program, and many of them failed their quals the first time around. I certainly don't know anything about how intelligent/billiant/hard-working/etc. you are, but if the students who were accepted into the PhD program with funding are having difficulties passing their exams, I would find it hard to believe that someone admitted to the masters program without funding would have anything less than one large uphill struggle in the program. Additionally, the department is very two faced when it comes to the graduate students. Their graduate secretary, in particular, has a widely-known reputation for being biased. The department is quick to cater to the concerns of funded students, but when a masters student needs to discuss something, the administration seems to not have the time of day to give them. This is also the graduate program's view on undergraduates. I was often times turned away from Tamar with legitimate questions because she seemed to be too busy to deal with me, but on the occasion she thought I was a PhD student (because I was taking a course with only other PhD students), she welcomed me into her office to cut in front of another student who had been waiting for longer than I had. I don't know what the other school you got into was, but if I were in your position, I would certainly choose the other school. Since you were admitted with funding, they think highly enough of you to make such a large financial investment in you that you'll most assuredly be treated with more respect. Additionally, if the department has at least a few people you'd be interested in working with, I think you'll find yourself much happier there. This is just my opinion, though. Others can feel free to share their different experiences with Courant.

Cannot decide on a grad school ? | 7 comments (7 topical, 0 hidden)

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