Mathematical Physics - school recommendations
Posted: Mon Jul 13, 2020 1:16 pm
Hello all.
This is both my first time on this website and my first post, so please have some forgiveness if I am forgetting any information.
Undergrad Institution: Michigan State University
Major(s): Advanced Mathematics, Physics, (and Computational Mathematics, but this was an accident)
Minor(s): Computer Science
GPA: 4.0
Honors/Awards: Dean's List, tuition scholarship, one math award
Type of Student: White, M, domestic
Program Applying: applied math phd, hopefully mathematical physics
Research Experience: One semester of research into contemporary problems in symplectic geometry, 3+ years of experimental physics research mainly focused on photon simulation and headed my own project in this group, brief research into machine learning.
Publications: no publications, but created my own photon monte carlo simulation from scratch for research
Relevant work: Physics TA for 3 semesters, RA for 3+ years
Graduate courses: 3 math courses by application (Complex Analysis, Real Analysis, Machine Learning) and 3 physics courses (Classical Mechanics, Quantum Mechanics, Particle Physics)
Additional information: The advanced math program at MSU is specifically tailored for students wanting to do graduate work in math. The courses are all proof-based starting fall semester of freshman year, and are all taught at a roughly graduate level. Of the 14000 students admitted every fall, only 50ish are allowed into the program and only 8-10 graduate with the major every year.
GRE: Since the April one was cancelled, I haven't taken it yet
When I came into undergraduate, I was fully convinced I would become a physicist, hence the focus on physics research. However, at the beginning of last year, I realized that I enjoyed math more and decided to switch. Unfortunately, with COVID, I was unable to get math research experience this summer, so I've continued with the experimental physics. Given all of my physics background and the immense satisfaction I get when making connections between math and physics, I really want to do my phd in mathematical physics.
However, I'm having trouble finding good graduate schools for mathematical physics and also having trouble determining which grad schools I have a chance with because of my half-physics focused degree. Can anyone provide information on good mathematical physics schools and/or what schools I should be focusing my applications on?
Thank you!
This is both my first time on this website and my first post, so please have some forgiveness if I am forgetting any information.
Undergrad Institution: Michigan State University
Major(s): Advanced Mathematics, Physics, (and Computational Mathematics, but this was an accident)
Minor(s): Computer Science
GPA: 4.0
Honors/Awards: Dean's List, tuition scholarship, one math award
Type of Student: White, M, domestic
Program Applying: applied math phd, hopefully mathematical physics
Research Experience: One semester of research into contemporary problems in symplectic geometry, 3+ years of experimental physics research mainly focused on photon simulation and headed my own project in this group, brief research into machine learning.
Publications: no publications, but created my own photon monte carlo simulation from scratch for research
Relevant work: Physics TA for 3 semesters, RA for 3+ years
Graduate courses: 3 math courses by application (Complex Analysis, Real Analysis, Machine Learning) and 3 physics courses (Classical Mechanics, Quantum Mechanics, Particle Physics)
Additional information: The advanced math program at MSU is specifically tailored for students wanting to do graduate work in math. The courses are all proof-based starting fall semester of freshman year, and are all taught at a roughly graduate level. Of the 14000 students admitted every fall, only 50ish are allowed into the program and only 8-10 graduate with the major every year.
GRE: Since the April one was cancelled, I haven't taken it yet
When I came into undergraduate, I was fully convinced I would become a physicist, hence the focus on physics research. However, at the beginning of last year, I realized that I enjoyed math more and decided to switch. Unfortunately, with COVID, I was unable to get math research experience this summer, so I've continued with the experimental physics. Given all of my physics background and the immense satisfaction I get when making connections between math and physics, I really want to do my phd in mathematical physics.
However, I'm having trouble finding good graduate schools for mathematical physics and also having trouble determining which grad schools I have a chance with because of my half-physics focused degree. Can anyone provide information on good mathematical physics schools and/or what schools I should be focusing my applications on?
Thank you!