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applying to grad schools Grad Life

By joft
Posted Thu Nov 13, 2008 at 03:57:38 AM PDT
Do I have a chance? Where should I apply? Any advice/recommendations would be greatly appreciated.

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I'd like to know what anyone thinks about my chances of admission, given the following:

Strong points:
General GRE- 800 Q, 700 V.
GPA of 4.0, with almost 60 credits in math by time of graduation, including 2 semesters of analysis, abstract algebra, linear algebra, differential equations, graph theory, and one semester each of number theory, topology.
Will have very strong letters of recommendation. My letter writers have suggested I apply to Princeton and MIT. I have done independent studies with my writers so they know me quite well.

Weak points:
Subject GRE- Don't know yet, but likely between 650-780 (65%-85%)
My university is ranked near 105 on the NRC list. It's fairly unknown.

Based on that information, would my application be considered relatively strong? What types of schools should someone with my level of competitiveness apply to?

So far, I've decided I will probably apply to these schools:

U of Michigan
Rice
Berkeley
Rutgers
U of Washington
UT Austin
Northwestern
Princeton
Maryland College Park

I'm having difficulty choosing which of these to eliminate from my list. I think I should add a few safer options, but I'm having trouble finding a lot of information. I'm using the NRC and US News & World report rankings, and then investigating department web sites, emailing admissions directors, and so forth. I'm about to try to email a few grad students at some places. But perhaps some people here could give me a few recommendations.

I'm curious about the atmosphere at each place, the relationship between students and professors, how friendly it is, and things of that nature which cannot be found on department websites. I'm somewhat ambitious, but prestige is less important to me than learning atmosphere. I'm afraid that an unfriendly atmosphere may hurt my demeanor. I'm highly motivated and can study by myself and go much faster than classes usually do.

I don't know what I want to specialize in, but I have found the following subjects attractive: algebra, algebraic geometry, algebraic topology, category theory, knot theory, topological field theory, lie theory, geometric group theory. That list is not exhaustive; I also enjoy analysis, dynamical systems, ergodic theory, number theory, lots of applied math, and many other things. But the first list seems to attract me most (at least for now).

I would appreciate any information or advice about grad schools, and any comments about my apparent level of competitiveness. Thanks very much.

< Typical Grad School Concerns | budget crunches, word smithing, and the writing of a job ad >
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applying to grad schools | 3 comments (3 topical, 0 hidden)
[new] Grad school advice (none / 0) (#1)
by kristimeyer on Fri Nov 14, 2008 at 08:16:21 AM PDT

I don't have knowledge of any of those specific schools, but I'm wondering what you want to do with your Ph.D. Are you interested in teaching or research? Do you want a job at a smaller liberal arts school where teaching is (usually) your first priority and research is second, or would you rather be at a large university where you teach less and concentrate on research more? Knowing where you want to end up should influence your grad school decision.

If you are more interested in teaching, look for a school where many grad students have TAs. Look also at whether TAs are able to teach their own classes when they have more experience or whether they are always doing grading or supervising recitation sections. If you are more interested in research, look for a school where fellowships are available.

Knowing what you want to specialize in is probably not a huge concern at this point in time. You will likely choose your field of specialization based at least partly on who you want as your adviser, and that isn't something that can be decided until you are actually in grad school. Since you don't seem to be in love with any particular subject, I wouldn't make that count too heavily in your decision-making process.

As for general grad school advice, I would highly recommend working with other students. When I was an undergrad, I worked almost exclusively by myself, and it worked just fine for me then. Once I got to grad school, I think I would have killed myself if I had continued to be a math student island. (It took me a semester to figure that out, but it eventually sunk in.) This also ties in with your desire for a friendly atmosphere.

Good luck in making the decision! Hopefully someone else with more knowledge of any of these specific schools will also be able to comment.



[new] Chances (none / 0) (#2)
by Cotati on Sun Nov 16, 2008 at 04:46:18 PM PDT

Ditto on Kristi's comments.

From the sounds of it, you should be able to get accepted somewhere. I would not lay odds one way or the other on Princeton, Harvard, or MIT, since I have no idea how they make their decisions, and they get many, many more applicants than they have openings. But that does not mean you should not apply to them. You never know.

You talk about paring down your list, but you only list nine schools. Why not apply to them all? My own mentor advised me to apply to "at least a dozen" schools. One disincentive is the application fees, which can add up. Are you financially strapped? Can someone float you a loan for the fees if necessary?

If you indeed have as much energy and drive as your post suggests, you should have no trouble succeeding wherever you go.



[new] More advice from locals? (none / 0) (#3)
by overconvergent on Fri Nov 21, 2008 at 08:30:21 AM PDT

Have your letter-writers suggested any "safety schools" as well as Princeton and MIT? They presumably think quite highly of you if they are suggesting that you should apply there.

Good luck!



applying to grad schools | 3 comments (3 topical, 0 hidden)
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