What schools should I apply to?
Posted: Mon Aug 05, 2019 10:08 am
Hello! I am about to enter my senior year and am a bit anxious about the graduate school application process. I am wondering what level of school I should be applying to / what programs would fit my resume and interests.
Undergrad: : large public research university, ranked around 100 public
Majors: Math and Physics
Domestic White Male
GPA: 4.0
GRE General Revised Test:
Q: 167
V: 160
W: score not in yet, expecting around 5
mGre: I take in September but am doing quite a bit of preparation and expect to score above or around 75% (shooting for 99%!!!)
Other things: I have quite a bit of Physics research (Biophysics) with a well respected professor in his field.
I am published in a paper on noncommutative geometry. It’s short, not a huge deal but figure it helps.
I won the award for best upperclassmen in Math at my Institution. I was unofficially told I will win the one for Physics this upcoming year as well. I won a best presentation award at an in institution conference (biophysics research presentation) and have the largest merit scholarship my school offers. I plan on taking the physics GRE to put on apps if I do well. I expect my letters to be fairly strong - one of my writers (the one who knows me least well, I took two semester of analysis with him with A+’s, But didn’t really talk to him a lot or go to his office more than a few times) is famous.
This fall I will be taking two graduate courses and maybe a reading course as well. I hope to give a talk on the paper I published as well. Will be applying for pure math PhD.
On one hand, I feel like I could be a fairly strong applicant: decent test scores, perfect gpa, published with good research experience and likely strong letters and clearly did very very well in undergrad.
On the other hand, my institution is not prestigious by any means, and I did no math REUs (Funded Research Experience every summer in Physics at my institution).
So where should I apply? Should my “slightly realistic reach schools” be top 20? Top 50? Additionally, any specific universities with math departments that would value my experience in physics and have strong mathematical physics would be appreciated. I know, my physics resume is likely a lot better, but I can’t help it I love math.
Thanks!
Undergrad: : large public research university, ranked around 100 public
Majors: Math and Physics
Domestic White Male
GPA: 4.0
GRE General Revised Test:
Q: 167
V: 160
W: score not in yet, expecting around 5
mGre: I take in September but am doing quite a bit of preparation and expect to score above or around 75% (shooting for 99%!!!)
Other things: I have quite a bit of Physics research (Biophysics) with a well respected professor in his field.
I am published in a paper on noncommutative geometry. It’s short, not a huge deal but figure it helps.
I won the award for best upperclassmen in Math at my Institution. I was unofficially told I will win the one for Physics this upcoming year as well. I won a best presentation award at an in institution conference (biophysics research presentation) and have the largest merit scholarship my school offers. I plan on taking the physics GRE to put on apps if I do well. I expect my letters to be fairly strong - one of my writers (the one who knows me least well, I took two semester of analysis with him with A+’s, But didn’t really talk to him a lot or go to his office more than a few times) is famous.
This fall I will be taking two graduate courses and maybe a reading course as well. I hope to give a talk on the paper I published as well. Will be applying for pure math PhD.
On one hand, I feel like I could be a fairly strong applicant: decent test scores, perfect gpa, published with good research experience and likely strong letters and clearly did very very well in undergrad.
On the other hand, my institution is not prestigious by any means, and I did no math REUs (Funded Research Experience every summer in Physics at my institution).
So where should I apply? Should my “slightly realistic reach schools” be top 20? Top 50? Additionally, any specific universities with math departments that would value my experience in physics and have strong mathematical physics would be appreciated. I know, my physics resume is likely a lot better, but I can’t help it I love math.
Thanks!