Any feedback on my choices?

Forum for the GRE subject test in mathematics.
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Transcendent
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2016 10:52 am

Any feedback on my choices?

Post by Transcendent » Sun Nov 27, 2016 7:34 am

Undergrad Institution: Foreign (Iran)
Major(s): Electrical Engineering
Minor(s): Telecommunications
GPA: 3.08/4.00
Type of Student: International male

GRE Revised General Test:
Q: 164 (87%)
V: 152 (55%)
W: 4.0 (59%)
GRE Subject Test in Mathematics:
M: 830 (86%)

TOEFL Score: (99 = R28/L28/S22/W21)

Program Applying: Pure Math/Applied Math PhD/Master

Research Experience: None
Awards/Honors/Recognitions: None
Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Tutoring mathematics and physics to high school students for 2 years

Applying to:

Reach
Georgia Tech
Toronto

Realistic
Michigan state

Safety
Kansas University
???
Last edited by Transcendent on Sun Nov 27, 2016 8:16 am, edited 2 times in total.

Transcendent
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2016 10:52 am

Re: Any feedback on my choices?

Post by Transcendent » Sun Nov 27, 2016 7:37 am

Can you please tell me how are my chances, considering my conditions? Additionally, can you suggest me a safety university from Canada? Generally any advice is appreciated!

P.S. Does University of Toronto grant TA fund?

verysweetjuices
Posts: 108
Joined: Sat Aug 27, 2016 3:47 pm

Re: Any feedback on my choices?

Post by verysweetjuices » Tue Dec 06, 2016 12:52 am

You are definitely overqualified for any Canadian school you apply for. Canada's best schools are the University of Toronto, McGill, and UBC in that order. Waterloo is another good bet. I recommend you apply to all of them. Your GPA is a bit low but your GRE score is high... explain that in your statement. They all have fully (or almost fully, sometimes, for international students) Master's programs. Note: A PhD requires a Master's degree in Canada. Also, there are two options at most universities: a 1 year master's project or a 2 year thesis. U of T has phased out the 2 year thesis and only offers the 1 year MSc now.

MathCat
Posts: 187
Joined: Thu Oct 23, 2014 12:17 am

Re: Any feedback on my choices?

Post by MathCat » Tue Dec 06, 2016 5:41 am

Waterloo is also a 1 year program now too. Being an international student with a fairly low (I would say it's more than "a bit" low) GPA, I actually don't think you have a great chance of getting into Toronto - spots for international students are pretty limited (I believe when I visited, they told me they only were taking 10 international students that year), and 3.0GPA is the minimum. If you have great letters or research experience it is possible, but your GPA and lack of math bachelors will hurt you. It would definitely be worth mentioning your subject test score to show you do know some math, but in general Canadian schools do not care about GRE scores (with a few exceptions, such as SFU). There's not even a place to enter them in most applications. I don't know why the previous poster thinks you are overqualified for any Canadian university. Perhaps they can explain their view.

MathCat
Posts: 187
Joined: Thu Oct 23, 2014 12:17 am

Re: Any feedback on my choices?

Post by MathCat » Tue Dec 06, 2016 3:59 pm

Transcendent wrote:P.S. Does University of Toronto grant TA fund?
Yes. I believe their standard funding package is $17.5k/academic year TAship, tuition waived. It's pretty low for living in Toronto, especially given the housing market currently.

verysweetjuices
Posts: 108
Joined: Sat Aug 27, 2016 3:47 pm

Re: Any feedback on my choices?

Post by verysweetjuices » Wed Dec 07, 2016 10:52 pm

MathCat wrote:Waterloo is also a 1 year program now too. Being an international student with a fairly low (I would say it's more than "a bit" low) GPA, I actually don't think you have a great chance of getting into Toronto - spots for international students are pretty limited (I believe when I visited, they told me they only were taking 10 international students that year), and 3.0GPA is the minimum. If you have great letters or research experience it is possible, but your GPA and lack of math bachelors will hurt you. It would definitely be worth mentioning your subject test score to show you do know some math, but in general Canadian schools do not care about GRE scores (with a few exceptions, such as SFU). There's not even a place to enter them in most applications. I don't know why the previous poster thinks you are overqualified for any Canadian university. Perhaps they can explain their view.
As a Canadian, I can tell you that Canadian schools aren't hard to get into. The minimum requirement is a B+ in your last year of courses.
We don't care about the GRE for domestic applicants, but a lot of schools recommend them for international applicants. Based on those, and considering the stock they draw on, I'd say he was overqualified on that math subject test alone.

MathCat
Posts: 187
Joined: Thu Oct 23, 2014 12:17 am

Re: Any feedback on my choices?

Post by MathCat » Thu Dec 08, 2016 3:18 am

verysweetjuices wrote:
MathCat wrote:Waterloo is also a 1 year program now too. Being an international student with a fairly low (I would say it's more than "a bit" low) GPA, I actually don't think you have a great chance of getting into Toronto - spots for international students are pretty limited (I believe when I visited, they told me they only were taking 10 international students that year), and 3.0GPA is the minimum. If you have great letters or research experience it is possible, but your GPA and lack of math bachelors will hurt you. It would definitely be worth mentioning your subject test score to show you do know some math, but in general Canadian schools do not care about GRE scores (with a few exceptions, such as SFU). There's not even a place to enter them in most applications. I don't know why the previous poster thinks you are overqualified for any Canadian university. Perhaps they can explain their view.
As a Canadian, I can tell you that Canadian schools aren't hard to get into. The minimum requirement is a B+ in your last year of courses.
We don't care about the GRE for domestic applicants, but a lot of schools recommend them for international applicants. Based on those, and considering the stock they draw on, I'd say he was overqualified on that math subject test alone.
I am also a Canadian. Minimum requirements are different from what will actually get you in, and having a low GPA and no math degree are definitely going to hurt him. There are definitely schools that will accept almost anybody in Canada, but then you have to wonder if it's worth going.

verysweetjuices
Posts: 108
Joined: Sat Aug 27, 2016 3:47 pm

Re: Any feedback on my choices?

Post by verysweetjuices » Thu Dec 08, 2016 11:16 pm

MathCat wrote:
verysweetjuices wrote:
MathCat wrote:Waterloo is also a 1 year program now too. Being an international student with a fairly low (I would say it's more than "a bit" low) GPA, I actually don't think you have a great chance of getting into Toronto - spots for international students are pretty limited (I believe when I visited, they told me they only were taking 10 international students that year), and 3.0GPA is the minimum. If you have great letters or research experience it is possible, but your GPA and lack of math bachelors will hurt you. It would definitely be worth mentioning your subject test score to show you do know some math, but in general Canadian schools do not care about GRE scores (with a few exceptions, such as SFU). There's not even a place to enter them in most applications. I don't know why the previous poster thinks you are overqualified for any Canadian university. Perhaps they can explain their view.
As a Canadian, I can tell you that Canadian schools aren't hard to get into. The minimum requirement is a B+ in your last year of courses.
We don't care about the GRE for domestic applicants, but a lot of schools recommend them for international applicants. Based on those, and considering the stock they draw on, I'd say he was overqualified on that math subject test alone.
I am also a Canadian. Minimum requirements are different from what will actually get you in, and having a low GPA and no math degree are definitely going to hurt him. There are definitely schools that will accept almost anybody in Canada, but then you have to wonder if it's worth going.
I'd say even U of T accepts almost anybody. It seems we disagree about this guy but to each a zone.

Transcendent
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2016 10:52 am

Re: Any feedback on my choices?

Post by Transcendent » Mon Dec 12, 2016 11:41 am

Thanks for the replies. I decided to apply to SFU. But it's application fee is 125$! And they say: SFU has a very limited number of Major Entrance Scholarships for exceptional students, valued at $18,000 for a one-year period. https://www.sfu.ca/math/graduate/admiss ... ninfo.html

What does it mean? I have low chances of getting funded?

verysweetjuices
Posts: 108
Joined: Sat Aug 27, 2016 3:47 pm

Re: Any feedback on my choices?

Post by verysweetjuices » Mon Dec 12, 2016 3:31 pm

Transcendent wrote:Thanks for the replies. I decided to apply to SFU. But it's application fee is 125$! And they say: SFU has a very limited number of Major Entrance Scholarships for exceptional students, valued at $18,000 for a one-year period. https://www.sfu.ca/math/graduate/admiss ... ninfo.html

What does it mean? I have low chances of getting funded?
Not a bad choice. That's our best primarily undergraduate university I think.

MathCat
Posts: 187
Joined: Thu Oct 23, 2014 12:17 am

Re: Any feedback on my choices?

Post by MathCat » Mon Dec 12, 2016 7:04 pm

$125 is the high side of normal for application fees, but not that outrageous. Toronto's is (or was) $100.

I would consider SFU to be a good school, but not among the top 3-5 schools in Canada (I would roughly estimate the top 3-5 schools to be comparable to ~top 20-40 schools in the US) for math in general. However, for graduate school, what area of math you are interested in obviously matters: perhaps it is a great choice for your interests. We can't know since you haven't said what your interests are.

As for the SFU funding, see this page: https://www.sfu.ca/math/graduate/financial-support.html. They guarantee $18,000 for all masters students. I believe the awards mentioned are likely fellowship style, so you don't have to TA/RA for your funding, while most students do.

I think verysweetjuices is overestimating the weight your mGRE score will have on applications. I think GPA and letters of recommendation matter far more. We seem to disagree on many aspects of what Canadian schools are looking for in applicants, so take this as you will. It will probably help to show that you have some familiarity with whatever your field of interest is (not expected to be known in great deal for a MSc, but you should have some exposure at least), especially since you are coming from a non-math background.



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