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What are my chances of PhD admission?

By jdbowen
Posted Fri Oct 03, 2008 at 11:02:53 AM PDT

Hello! I'm wondering what my chances are of PhD admission. I'll tell you a little about myself, and maybe you can help me figure out what kind of programs I should apply to, etc.

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I'm receiving my BS from the University of San Francisco in the spring, and I'm in the process of grad school applications for PhD programs. My GRE scores were 590 Verbal, 790 Quant., 5.5 Analytical. I haven't taken the subject test yet, but I anticipate doing very well on it - I'm studying quite a bit and doing well on all the practice tests I can find. I received a 10 on the Putnam exam in 2004, my freshman year of college. I am taking it for the second time this December. I will be getting stellar letters of recommendation - one of the professors writing a letter called me to his office and practically demanded I apply to PhD programs, he was so impressed with me. I'm not trying to boast, but to give you an honest portrait of my ability and passion for mathematics. I'm doing a directed readings in a graduate text, in Differential Topology, and another directed reading in Baby Rudin. __________________________ I am concerned about my chances for PhD admission because my grades were poor for some courses (not because I didn't understand the topic, but because I was forced to miss most of the semester for these classes). I failed Diff Eq, and received Cs in Calc 3 and Formal Methods. I received As in Complex Analysis, Real Analysis, Topology, Calc-based statistics, and a B in linear algebra. My overall GPA for ALL college courses is a 2.2 It's that last sentence that concerns me so much. Do I have a shot?

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What are my chances of PhD admission? | 3 comments (3 topical, 0 hidden)

[new] you're in - somewhere (5.00 / 1) (#1)
by dkung on Fri Oct 03, 2008 at 11:10:44 AM PDT

There are many graduate schools out there, and given your record, I don't doubt that you'll find a place somewhere. It's possible that your GPA would disqualify you at some schools - the top programs can afford to be incredibly picky. On the other hand, you should be able to explain your circumstances in your application and I would guess that most places would take the time to read through and carefully consider your application. In the past, there have been articles on choosing a grad school here at YMN, as well as panel discussions at the Joint Meetings. Here's a couple of places to start: a list of resources and a more recent note.

[new] admissions (none / 0) (#2)
by Cotati on Mon Oct 06, 2008 at 12:42:54 PM PDT

I'm just a grad student, but I would affirm dkung's comment. Some schools can afford to exclude those with a spotty undergrad record. But most schools will care far more about your GPA within the math courses than about the overall GPA. High scores on the general GRE will mitigate a low general GPA. Schools usually care much more about the math subject GRE score. A high score on the math subject GRE, together with strong recommendations and scoring more than zero on the Putnam, will trump the poor grades. These things will show that you are qualified to enter a PhD program. The situation where a spotty record might hurt is when the school has many more qualified applicants than openings and so you are being compared to others. But there are many schools out there with PhD programs, and there's bound to be a place for you. You might have to adopt the strategy of applying to many schools. Way back when, my mentor advised me to apply to at least a dozen schools (I ended up applying to fifteen). This can cost a chunk of dollars for all of the filing fees, but consider it the ante for playing the game.

Thanks, guys by jdbowen, 10/09/2008 11:14:05 PDT (none / 0)

What are my chances of PhD admission? | 3 comments (3 topical, 0 hidden)

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