Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Forum for the GRE subject test in mathematics.
AugmentedSeventh
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Nov 23, 2019 8:52 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by AugmentedSeventh » Wed Jan 01, 2020 1:59 pm

Based on gradcafe, it looks like OSU sent out their first wave of offers on 12/31 :shock: According to their website, this is their admission process:
We typically receive between 300 and 350 applications for the PhD program each year, and our recruitment target for an incoming class is usually around 15-25 new PhDs. The process typically starts with a pre-screening of the files by the chair of the recruitment committee based on basic data such as performance in critical courses, general background, test scores, and brief inspections of letters. The graduate recruitment committee then reviews about 100-120 files in greater depth, split over two rounds, one in early January and another in late February. This review typically leads to the admission of around 70-80 students to the PhD program, as well as an ordered wait list issued sometime in March.
So I guess there will be another round of offers made in February and it is not worth worrying yet :D

JK10
Posts: 20
Joined: Mon Dec 09, 2019 2:12 am

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by JK10 » Thu Jan 02, 2020 12:09 am

So they will not release any offer recently? I hate waiting lol
But I feel that only 3 offers in Gradcafe is unreal, maybe they will release more after the beginning of the new semester

JK10
Posts: 20
Joined: Mon Dec 09, 2019 2:12 am

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by JK10 » Fri Jan 10, 2020 2:47 pm

UIUC released their offers, still hear from nothing

Orpheus11235
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Feb 18, 2019 12:00 am

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by Orpheus11235 » Fri Jan 10, 2020 8:29 pm

A few applications show as not having received my GRE score report... these are schools that I chose for free reports when I took it. My ETS account shows the scores as having been delivered. Should I be worried?

PhilippMainlander
Posts: 50
Joined: Tue Dec 03, 2019 10:44 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by PhilippMainlander » Fri Jan 10, 2020 8:42 pm

Orpheus11235 wrote:
Fri Jan 10, 2020 8:29 pm
A few applications show as not having received my GRE score report... these are schools that I chose for free reports when I took it. My ETS account shows the scores as having been delivered. Should I be worried?
Is it UIC? I'm in the same situation.

Orpheus11235
Posts: 18
Joined: Mon Feb 18, 2019 12:00 am

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by Orpheus11235 » Fri Jan 10, 2020 9:14 pm

PhilippMainlander wrote:
Fri Jan 10, 2020 8:42 pm
Orpheus11235 wrote:
Fri Jan 10, 2020 8:29 pm
A few applications show as not having received my GRE score report... these are schools that I chose for free reports when I took it. My ETS account shows the scores as having been delivered. Should I be worried?
Is it UIC? I'm in the same situation.
Nah, Chicago and Berkeley for me.

MathParent
Posts: 83
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2019 8:32 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by MathParent » Fri Jan 10, 2020 9:53 pm

Orpheus11235 wrote:
Fri Jan 10, 2020 9:14 pm
PhilippMainlander wrote:
Fri Jan 10, 2020 8:42 pm
Orpheus11235 wrote:
Fri Jan 10, 2020 8:29 pm
A few applications show as not having received my GRE score report... these are schools that I chose for free reports when I took it. My ETS account shows the scores as having been delivered. Should I be worried?
Is it UIC? I'm in the same situation.
Nah, Chicago and Berkeley for me.
Berkeley wasn't getting the *subject* scores of my son, even though they arrived in the same report as the general scores. He wrote to the Math Department, it was fixed (required two letters though). I do not recall him having problems with Chicago.
At any rate, the right thing to do it to write or call the Math Department of the University you are targeting.

AugmentedSeventh
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Nov 23, 2019 8:52 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by AugmentedSeventh » Fri Jan 10, 2020 10:36 pm

Orpheus11235 wrote:
Fri Jan 10, 2020 8:29 pm
A few applications show as not having received my GRE score report... these are schools that I chose for free reports when I took it. My ETS account shows the scores as having been delivered. Should I be worried?
The same thing happened to me for three of the schools I applied to (although they were not free reports). Two of the schools resolved the problem very quickly when I emailed them, whereas the third school still says that they haven't received the GRE report (even though I had it sent a second time per their request) and is not being particularly cooperative in solving the issue. At least this is a school I now know I am not attending, so it is inconsequential whether or not my application is complete, but I still wish they would be more helpful towards applicants that paid their fee...

PhilippMainlander
Posts: 50
Joined: Tue Dec 03, 2019 10:44 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by PhilippMainlander » Fri Jan 10, 2020 10:56 pm

I'm in a situation right now where I have emailed this school two times about my GRE scores being incomplete, should I do it again? I'm scared of comming off as neurotic. It has been a week since my last email.

nicole2
Posts: 100
Joined: Thu Nov 21, 2019 6:58 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by nicole2 » Fri Jan 10, 2020 11:03 pm

PhilippMainlander wrote:
Fri Jan 10, 2020 10:56 pm
I'm in a situation right now where I have emailed this school two times about my GRE scores being incomplete, should I do it again? I'm scared of comming off as neurotic. It has been a week since my last email.
I would call the graduate college, most of the time they are the ones that get your score and match them to your profile. This happened to one of my schools, the graduate admissions (department) was able to find my score and then put it into my profile.

PhilippMainlander
Posts: 50
Joined: Tue Dec 03, 2019 10:44 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by PhilippMainlander » Fri Jan 10, 2020 11:06 pm

nicole2 wrote:
Fri Jan 10, 2020 11:03 pm
PhilippMainlander wrote:
Fri Jan 10, 2020 10:56 pm
I'm in a situation right now where I have emailed this school two times about my GRE scores being incomplete, should I do it again? I'm scared of comming off as neurotic. It has been a week since my last email.
I would call the graduate college, most of the time they are the ones that get your score and match them to your profile. This happened to one of my schools, the graduate admissions (department) was able to find my score and then put it into my profile.
When I call the graduate admissions (department), I end up getting transferred to the math department, it is very annoying, lol.

nicole2
Posts: 100
Joined: Thu Nov 21, 2019 6:58 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by nicole2 » Fri Jan 10, 2020 11:09 pm

PhilippMainlander wrote:
Fri Jan 10, 2020 11:06 pm
nicole2 wrote:
Fri Jan 10, 2020 11:03 pm
PhilippMainlander wrote:
Fri Jan 10, 2020 10:56 pm
I'm in a situation right now where I have emailed this school two times about my GRE scores being incomplete, should I do it again? I'm scared of comming off as neurotic. It has been a week since my last email.
I would call the graduate college, most of the time they are the ones that get your score and match them to your profile. This happened to one of my schools, the graduate admissions (department) was able to find my score and then put it into my profile.
When I call the graduate admissions (department), I end up getting transferred to the math department, it is very annoying, lol.
LOL. That is indeed very annoying.

nicole2
Posts: 100
Joined: Thu Nov 21, 2019 6:58 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by nicole2 » Mon Jan 13, 2020 6:13 pm

Did anyone hear anything back from UCLA? I called them up they said it's under review, how did this asian dude got an unofficial acceptance already?
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4950#p21499

I saw many people got into Ohio State already, if I didn't get a rejection does it mean I'm waitlisted?
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4950#p21658
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4950#p21823
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4950#p21851
and more

I spent way too much on app fees....

User avatar
mani_fold
Posts: 50
Joined: Wed Jan 08, 2020 10:49 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by mani_fold » Mon Jan 13, 2020 7:12 pm

nicole2 wrote:
Mon Jan 13, 2020 6:13 pm
Did anyone hear anything back from UCLA? I called them up they said it's under review, how did this asian dude got an unofficial acceptance already?
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4950#p21499

I saw many people got into Ohio State already, if I didn't get a rejection does it mean I'm waitlisted?
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4950#p21658
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4950#p21823
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=4950#p21851
and more

I spent way too much on app fees....
I think Ohio State just did their first round of offers on 12/31. I’d expect a second round in February, and waitlist after that. And I’m speculating but that UCLA unofficial acceptance could be their home institution or very close research connection? Emphasis on “unofficial.”

nicole2
Posts: 100
Joined: Thu Nov 21, 2019 6:58 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by nicole2 » Wed Jan 15, 2020 3:01 am

Call it a hunch I think my advisor wrote me a bad letter. IS there a way to see the letters written by my recommenders if I am accepted to a school?

Very worried now. :(

Also I just noticed that 2 of my applications (Wisconsin Madison and Illinois Chicago) with a December 15 deadline are incomplete due to missing letters. They probably forgot or missed the email since I applied to so many schools. :lol: Would this have an impact on my chances?

dujiahan
Posts: 37
Joined: Sun Jul 07, 2019 8:50 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by dujiahan » Wed Jan 15, 2020 3:40 am

nicole2 wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 3:01 am
Call it a hunch I think my advisor wrote me a bad letter. IS there a way to see the letters written by my recommenders if I am accepted to a school?

Very worried now. :(

Also I just noticed that 2 of my applications (Wisconsin Madison and Illinois Chicago) with a December 15 deadline are incomplete due to missing letters. They probably forgot or missed the email since I applied to so many schools. :lol: Would this have an impact on my chances?
This is not good. Many schools say they won't look at incomplete applications on their websites.

MathParent
Posts: 83
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2019 8:32 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by MathParent » Wed Jan 15, 2020 9:24 am

nicole2 wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 3:01 am
Call it a hunch I think my advisor wrote me a bad letter. IS there a way to see the letters written by my recommenders if I am accepted to a school?

Very worried now. :(

Also I just noticed that 2 of my applications (Wisconsin Madison and Illinois Chicago) with a December 15 deadline are incomplete due to missing letters. They probably forgot or missed the email since I applied to so many schools. :lol: Would this have an impact on my chances?
Nicole, it is my understanding that, as a rule, if a professor agrees to write you a letter, it is going to be a good one. Where the hunch is coming from? From a few rejections that you got? As people were telling you around here, these rejections should have been expected. Please go search for safety schools, and apply to those ASAP. Also, you may want to consider applying to a few Masters programs. As for advisor's letters - after you submit your applications (or even before you submit them, but already have a portal at a particular school), you should monitor the arrival of the letters, after you generated the invites to write those. If the letters are not coming two days or whatnot after the invites, you should compile the list of the schools where the letters are missing, and send a polite reminder to the "guilty" professor. If this is not working - walk to their office and remind. If they are not co-located, try calling. Come on! Nothing works by itself in this world. You have to be active at every step.

If you add other schools, then do it quickly. If you add Masters programs - do it quickly. After you add all of these, compile the list of the NEW letters your professors will have to write. Do not "drip" on them one letter a day. Give it in bulk. People do not want to spend time on the same stuff over and over. Put yourself in their shoes, and think - what would you like to happen regarding the letters? If your answer is "to think about my student and attend to her every new thought" - this is an incorrect answer. The correct answer would be "get it done ASAP and never return to this topic." It is not you, it is just that everybody thinks about themselves and their work (and their family) first, and wasting time on letters is not pleasant for anyone.

nicole2
Posts: 100
Joined: Thu Nov 21, 2019 6:58 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by nicole2 » Wed Jan 15, 2020 12:57 pm

MathParent wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 9:24 am
nicole2 wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 3:01 am
Call it a hunch I think my advisor wrote me a bad letter. IS there a way to see the letters written by my recommenders if I am accepted to a school?

Very worried now. :(

Also I just noticed that 2 of my applications (Wisconsin Madison and Illinois Chicago) with a December 15 deadline are incomplete due to missing letters. They probably forgot or missed the email since I applied to so many schools. :lol: Would this have an impact on my chances?
Nicole, it is my understanding that, as a rule, if a professor agrees to write you a letter, it is going to be a good one. Where the hunch is coming from? From a few rejections that you got? As people were telling you around here, these rejections should have been expected. Please go search for safety schools, and apply to those ASAP. Also, you may want to consider applying to a few Masters programs. As for advisor's letters - after you submit your applications (or even before you submit them, but already have a portal at a particular school), you should monitor the arrival of the letters, after you generated the invites to write those. If the letters are not coming two days or whatnot after the invites, you should compile the list of the schools where the letters are missing, and send a polite reminder to the "guilty" professor. If this is not working - walk to their office and remind. If they are not co-located, try calling. Come on! Nothing works by itself in this world. You have to be active at every step.

If you add other schools, then do it quickly. If you add Masters programs - do it quickly. After you add all of these, compile the list of the NEW letters your professors will have to write. Do not "drip" on them one letter a day. Give it in bulk. People do not want to spend time on the same stuff over and over. Put yourself in their shoes, and think - what would you like to happen regarding the letters? If your answer is "to think about my student and attend to her every new thought" - this is an incorrect answer. The correct answer would be "get it done ASAP and never return to this topic." It is not you, it is just that everybody thinks about themselves and their work (and their family) first, and wasting time on letters is not pleasant for anyone.
My advisor looked annoyed after I told her that I am applying to more schools. I offered to mail/upload the letters myself if she can provide me with a copy. She started acting condescending and repeatedly refused. So I wonder if there's anything in the letter that she doesn't want me to see.

Also the fact that people started getting acceptance and I've only been getting rejections (and I'm a female) means something is probably wrong.

lambert
Posts: 65
Joined: Tue Sep 12, 2017 7:41 am

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by lambert » Wed Jan 15, 2020 1:22 pm

It's getting harder to think nicole2 is not a troll. She applied literally to all the top 20 schools with a 14% mGRE, no graduate work and no research to speak of, then initially refused to apply to lower-tier schools because "she deserves better" and insisted her advisor is convinced she will get in at least one top choice. She called some mGRE questions involving "vector space with span" and "group theory" too hard and not taught to undergrads. It's hard to think someone could be that oblivious to reality.

But in the off-chance she is not actually a troll, the rec letters will not make a difference. At 14% mGRE the application is already done for, banking on being a white domestic female will only get you so far but top schools will not (and should not) accept scores this low.

There are a couple of other DWFs in the profile thread applying to Berkeley with scores like 14%, 40% etc... like I know the best UCs have ridiculously lower standards for domestic white women than practically anyone else for entrance, but this has become a joke. The competitive part doesn't end at being accepted, it only starts there and scores this low tend to correlate with being woefully underprepared to take on these (very hard) phd programs. I remember there was another white woman here 3-4 years ago who got accepted to Berkeley with a 51% mGRE. Last I know is she failed and got out of Berkeley with a masters.

PhilippMainlander
Posts: 50
Joined: Tue Dec 03, 2019 10:44 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by PhilippMainlander » Wed Jan 15, 2020 1:26 pm

lambert wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 1:22 pm
Last I know is she failed and got out of Berkeley with a masters.
Uh, how do you know that? You also sound very bitter in your post. If women statistically do bad on the subject GRE due to their gender then I think they should get somewhat of a pass. Standardized testing does favor males because we are more willing to take risks.

lambert
Posts: 65
Joined: Tue Sep 12, 2017 7:41 am

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by lambert » Wed Jan 15, 2020 1:39 pm

PhilippMainlander wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 1:26 pm
lambert wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 1:22 pm
Last I know is she failed and got out of Berkeley with a masters.
Uh, how do you know that? You also sound very bitter in your post. If women statistically do bad on the subject GRE due to their gender then I think they should get somewhat of a pass. Standardized testing does favor males because we are more willing to take risks.
Her name is rather obvious from her username and her linkedin profile lists staying at Berkeley for 3 years and leaving with an MA.

I don't know about any mGRE statistics, and I agree not everyone should be held up to the same standards. Scores as low as 14% though? Berkeley is a top 5 school. The poster even claimed the most important facet of her app was her gender. If you're banking on just that with nothing else standing out in your application ... good luck I guess, but again: Berkeley and all the top schools will *not* be a smooth ride, and your sex alone will not get you a good phd.

It's also interesting that this seems to be a thing with *white* and *domestic* women. International women / men have a much harder time getting in to the UCs cause their non-domestic quotas are rather strict. And I barely see any woman of color among their grads ... though that's an issue most of the top schools are rather shit on.

MathParent
Posts: 83
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2019 8:32 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by MathParent » Wed Jan 15, 2020 1:53 pm

nicole2 wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 12:57 pm
MathParent wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 9:24 am
nicole2 wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 3:01 am
Call it a hunch I think my advisor wrote me a bad letter. IS there a way to see the letters written by my recommenders if I am accepted to a school?

Very worried now. :(

Also I just noticed that 2 of my applications (Wisconsin Madison and Illinois Chicago) with a December 15 deadline are incomplete due to missing letters. They probably forgot or missed the email since I applied to so many schools. :lol: Would this have an impact on my chances?
Nicole, it is my understanding that, as a rule, if a professor agrees to write you a letter, it is going to be a good one. Where the hunch is coming from? From a few rejections that you got? As people were telling you around here, these rejections should have been expected. Please go search for safety schools, and apply to those ASAP. Also, you may want to consider applying to a few Masters programs. As for advisor's letters - after you submit your applications (or even before you submit them, but already have a portal at a particular school), you should monitor the arrival of the letters, after you generated the invites to write those. If the letters are not coming two days or whatnot after the invites, you should compile the list of the schools where the letters are missing, and send a polite reminder to the "guilty" professor. If this is not working - walk to their office and remind. If they are not co-located, try calling. Come on! Nothing works by itself in this world. You have to be active at every step.

If you add other schools, then do it quickly. If you add Masters programs - do it quickly. After you add all of these, compile the list of the NEW letters your professors will have to write. Do not "drip" on them one letter a day. Give it in bulk. People do not want to spend time on the same stuff over and over. Put yourself in their shoes, and think - what would you like to happen regarding the letters? If your answer is "to think about my student and attend to her every new thought" - this is an incorrect answer. The correct answer would be "get it done ASAP and never return to this topic." It is not you, it is just that everybody thinks about themselves and their work (and their family) first, and wasting time on letters is not pleasant for anyone.
My advisor looked annoyed after I told her that I am applying to more schools. I offered to mail/upload the letters myself if she can provide me with a copy. She started acting condescending and repeatedly refused. So I wonder if there's anything in the letter that she doesn't want me to see.

Also the fact that people started getting acceptance and I've only been getting rejections (and I'm a female) means something is probably wrong.
Nicole. If you are real, and not a troll, I really can't figure why you do not know these, I'd say, elementary things. You CANNOT offend a professor more than to ask to see the letter of recommendation they write!!! That's why you click a button over there, during the application process, waiving your rights!!! For God sake... And stop trying to play the female card. It doesn't work, and it is not an honest play. I am telling you as a female scientist, with PhD and all.

chrisps1992
Posts: 137
Joined: Sat Jul 22, 2017 6:17 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by chrisps1992 » Wed Jan 15, 2020 2:04 pm

I think it’s pretty clear it’s a troll who meant to start up an argument about gender.

ponchan
Posts: 126
Joined: Sat Apr 14, 2018 6:30 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by ponchan » Wed Jan 15, 2020 2:44 pm

chrisps1992 wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 2:04 pm
I think it’s pretty clear it’s a troll who meant to start up an argument about gender.
Yeah. Especially since they've been called a troll on here repeatedly and haven't denied it.

MathParent
Posts: 83
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2019 8:32 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by MathParent » Wed Jan 15, 2020 3:02 pm

ponchan wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 2:44 pm
chrisps1992 wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 2:04 pm
I think it’s pretty clear it’s a troll who meant to start up an argument about gender.
Yeah. Especially since they've been called a troll on here repeatedly and haven't denied it.
I don't know guys. It looks to me like a misguided girl, who took Calculus and Differential Equations, did well on those and decided she can do PhD at Harvard, in pure math. It seems that her professor at the undergraduate institution doesn't have any graduate students, and may be the school doesn't have the grad department anyway. Which all means the professor doesn't have much experience dealing with PhD students (probably forgot the times when she one one herself, and may be she got her PhD from a tier III school - which doesn't necessarily mean she is bad, it just means that she was less exposed to research and to other bright students). A combination of all this results in Nicole having no one to guide her. Her initial attitude of this beating the "I am a white female" card, so "they will admit me into all top schools" - seems to have subsided. She is now in a genuine fear that she might not get anywhere at all, - which for all I know, may be closer to the truth that she is willing to admit.

nicole2
Posts: 100
Joined: Thu Nov 21, 2019 6:58 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by nicole2 » Wed Jan 15, 2020 3:28 pm

ponchan wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 2:44 pm
chrisps1992 wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 2:04 pm
I think it’s pretty clear it’s a troll who meant to start up an argument about gender.
Yeah. Especially since they've been called a troll on here repeatedly and haven't denied it.
Well I am denying it now. What good does it actually do? How can you verify the truth, which nobody seems to care nowadays anyway? (okay let's not get political here LOL :oops:)

Wouldn't be easier if the forum requires a .edu email address for verification purposes? There are so many users with <=3 posts, how can you tell which ones are fake and which ones are not?

nicole2
Posts: 100
Joined: Thu Nov 21, 2019 6:58 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by nicole2 » Wed Jan 15, 2020 3:30 pm

MathParent wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 3:02 pm
ponchan wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 2:44 pm
chrisps1992 wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 2:04 pm
I think it’s pretty clear it’s a troll who meant to start up an argument about gender.
Yeah. Especially since they've been called a troll on here repeatedly and haven't denied it.
I don't know guys. It looks to me like a misguided girl, who took Calculus and Differential Equations, did well on those and decided she can do PhD at Harvard, in pure math. It seems that her professor at the undergraduate institution doesn't have any graduate students, and may be the school doesn't have the grad department anyway. Which all means the professor doesn't have much experience dealing with PhD students (probably forgot the times when she one one herself, and may be she got her PhD from a tier III school - which doesn't necessarily mean she is bad, it just means that she was less exposed to research and to other bright students). A combination of all this results in Nicole having no one to guide her. Her initial attitude of this beating the "I am a white female" card, so "they will admit me into all top schools" - seems to have subsided. She is now in a genuine fear that she might not get anywhere at all, - which for all I know, may be closer to the truth that she is willing to admit.
I took honours calculus 2, 3, linear algebra, introduction to proofs, advanced calculus 1, modern algebra 1, euclidean geometry, combinatorics and numerical analysis. Actually I never had a course in differential equations. I am currently taking advanced calculus 2 and modern algebra 2.

My advisor actually got her phd at Cornell ....

I think if I get into a top phd program and if I work hard I will probably do just fine, it's all about hard work anyway. I am indeed scared of getting in anywhere now that I started getting rejections - so I applied to more safety schools.

chrisps1992
Posts: 137
Joined: Sat Jul 22, 2017 6:17 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by chrisps1992 » Wed Jan 15, 2020 3:40 pm

If you are completely serious, then you need some advice. First, I do not think you should be posting things like "my adviser said I had a shot because I'm female" or anything along those lines. It is not only a slap in the face to women who have worked hard to get into those places, but it also lessens your own dignity if you were to get in. Secondly, you are not living in reality if you think you are a shoo-in at these prestigious universities with a 14th percentile on the mgre. To score that low means you can't even correctly do all the basic calculus or linear algebra on the exam. Your score indicates that you are not only ill prepared for graduate study in math, but you can barely handle freshman level undergraduate math.

nicole2
Posts: 100
Joined: Thu Nov 21, 2019 6:58 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by nicole2 » Wed Jan 15, 2020 3:43 pm

chrisps1992 wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 3:40 pm
you are not only ill prepared for graduate study in math, but you can barely handle freshman level undergraduate math.
.... that's pretty harsh. :(

bark_muffalo
Posts: 58
Joined: Sat Apr 06, 2019 6:56 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by bark_muffalo » Wed Jan 15, 2020 5:33 pm

Really? You know, on the basis of a single test score, that a person is "not only ill prepared for graduate study in math, but can barely handle freshman level undergraduate math"? Come on. That's not only an unfair assessment of an individual's level of preparation for graduate study, it's an unhelpful and mean comment.

Nicole, applying to more safety schools is a good idea. It's probably something most of us (myself included) should have done. If one of your safeties ends up being your only option, then so be it. Presumably going to graduate school is something you want to do for the right reasons. If that's true, then you can make a great and meaningful career for yourself at many, many more schools than you think. Best of luck to you.

dujiahan
Posts: 37
Joined: Sun Jul 07, 2019 8:50 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by dujiahan » Wed Jan 15, 2020 6:07 pm

bark_muffalo wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 5:33 pm
Really? You know, on the basis of a single test score, that a person is "not only ill prepared for graduate study in math, but can barely handle freshman level undergraduate math"? Come on. That's not only an unfair assessment of an individual's level of preparation for graduate study, it's an unhelpful and mean comment.

Nicole, applying to more safety schools is a good idea. It's probably something most of us (myself included) should have done. If one of your safeties ends up being your only option, then so be it. Presumably going to graduate school is something you want to do for the right reasons. If that's true, then you can make a great and meaningful career for yourself at many, many more schools than you think. Best of luck to you.
Not just a test score, if Nicole2 is telling the truth, she barely has enough math courses to graduate at Berkeley.

chrisps1992
Posts: 137
Joined: Sat Jul 22, 2017 6:17 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by chrisps1992 » Wed Jan 15, 2020 6:13 pm

bark_muffalo wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 5:33 pm
Really? You know, on the basis of a single test score, that a person is "not only ill prepared for graduate study in math, but can barely handle freshman level undergraduate math"? Come on. That's not only an unfair assessment of an individual's level of preparation for graduate study, it's an unhelpful and mean comment.
Are we still pretending this is a real applicant profile and not a troll? This person went to US news and copied and pasted the top ranking schools into a list and then said they had a good chance of getting in according to their adviser who is a PhD from an Ivy League even though some of these schools basically have something along the lines of “no thanks if you score below 800” in their FAQ’s. I cannot take it seriously, forgive me. They clearly didn’t research their schools at all if they are indeed being serious.

dujiahan
Posts: 37
Joined: Sun Jul 07, 2019 8:50 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by dujiahan » Wed Jan 15, 2020 6:13 pm

lambert wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 1:39 pm
PhilippMainlander wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 1:26 pm
lambert wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 1:22 pm
Last I know is she failed and got out of Berkeley with a masters.
Uh, how do you know that? You also sound very bitter in your post. If women statistically do bad on the subject GRE due to their gender then I think they should get somewhat of a pass. Standardized testing does favor males because we are more willing to take risks.
Her name is rather obvious from her username and her linkedin profile lists staying at Berkeley for 3 years and leaving with an MA.

I don't know about any mGRE statistics, and I agree not everyone should be held up to the same standards. Scores as low as 14% though? Berkeley is a top 5 school. The poster even claimed the most important facet of her app was her gender. If you're banking on just that with nothing else standing out in your application ... good luck I guess, but again: Berkeley and all the top schools will *not* be a smooth ride, and your sex alone will not get you a good phd.

It's also interesting that this seems to be a thing with *white* and *domestic* women. International women / men have a much harder time getting in to the UCs cause their non-domestic quotas are rather strict. And I barely see any woman of color among their grads ... though that's an issue most of the top schools are rather shit on.
Why should universities give preference to domestic colored females?? They are not better at math than other demographics. At my school, which is famous for the amount of asians and international students, you'll find there are ZERO domestic colored females in classes numbered above 100 (upper division classes) or 200(graduate level classes). I'm not counting asians as colored, and I'm international asian male, by the way.

If universities give preference to domestic colored females, they will fail and white and asian people who are qualified will get into less places. This is beneficial to no one, including the university.

And why shouldn't everyone be held up to the same standards? I understand public schools like Berkeley need to accept a certain amount of domestic students, and I'm fine with that. But domestic males and domestic females should be held up to the same standards, and international males and international females should also be held up to the same standards.

lambert
Posts: 65
Joined: Tue Sep 12, 2017 7:41 am

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by lambert » Wed Jan 15, 2020 7:33 pm

dujiahan wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 6:13 pm
lambert wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 1:39 pm
PhilippMainlander wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 1:26 pm

Uh, how do you know that? You also sound very bitter in your post. If women statistically do bad on the subject GRE due to their gender then I think they should get somewhat of a pass. Standardized testing does favor males because we are more willing to take risks.
Her name is rather obvious from her username and her linkedin profile lists staying at Berkeley for 3 years and leaving with an MA.

I don't know about any mGRE statistics, and I agree not everyone should be held up to the same standards. Scores as low as 14% though? Berkeley is a top 5 school. The poster even claimed the most important facet of her app was her gender. If you're banking on just that with nothing else standing out in your application ... good luck I guess, but again: Berkeley and all the top schools will *not* be a smooth ride, and your sex alone will not get you a good phd.

It's also interesting that this seems to be a thing with *white* and *domestic* women. International women / men have a much harder time getting in to the UCs cause their non-domestic quotas are rather strict. And I barely see any woman of color among their grads ... though that's an issue most of the top schools are rather shit on.
Why should universities give preference to domestic colored females?? They are not better at math than other demographics. At my school, which is famous for the amount of asians and international students, you'll find there are ZERO domestic colored females in classes numbered above 100 (upper division classes) or 200(graduate level classes). I'm not counting asians as colored, and I'm international asian male, by the way.

If universities give preference to domestic colored females, they will fail and white and asian people who are qualified will get into less places. This is beneficial to no one, including the university.

And why shouldn't everyone be held up to the same standards? I understand public schools like Berkeley need to accept a certain amount of domestic students, and I'm fine with that. But domestic males and domestic females should be held up to the same standards, and international males and international females should also be held up to the same standards.
Because representation matters? Not all of those ethnic groups have had the privilege you had to study at a good school all day long and not feel like a fish out of the water. Everyone comes from a different background, and especially in the case of internationals, many will not be familiar with the school the applicant is from, and wouldn't be able to tell if an A+ in algebraic geometry means something big or not. That's why mGRE scores matter a bigger deal in these cases. Students from China are apparently trained enough to be able to score 900s across the board. You know that filling a place wall-to-wall asians is also not beneficial to the university; a lot of Asians are good at standardized test taking, a much smaller subset of them will be actually good at research and become top mathematicians.

What I am against is holding people to such different standards that essentially you're doing a disservice to them by accepting them (and also a disservice to more capable people who didn't get accepted in their place). Someone with a 14% mGRE most likely hasn't grasped a huge chunk of the undergrad curriculum. The coursework nicole2 listed consists of stuff that most people getting into the top 20 schools have grasped before going to undergrad, or by their first year or so. Berkeley has a bunch of quals plus a specialized exam, anyone thinking she would get to that level from her current average freshman math level in a year is kidding themselves.

Edit: on closer look that makes no sense. What kind of school gives out math bachelors without requiring a real / complex analysis course or a course in topology? Maybe nicole2 confused this forum for an undergrad applicant forum

dujiahan
Posts: 37
Joined: Sun Jul 07, 2019 8:50 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by dujiahan » Wed Jan 15, 2020 7:48 pm

lambert wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 7:33 pm
dujiahan wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 6:13 pm
lambert wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 1:39 pm


Her name is rather obvious from her username and her linkedin profile lists staying at Berkeley for 3 years and leaving with an MA.

I don't know about any mGRE statistics, and I agree not everyone should be held up to the same standards. Scores as low as 14% though? Berkeley is a top 5 school. The poster even claimed the most important facet of her app was her gender. If you're banking on just that with nothing else standing out in your application ... good luck I guess, but again: Berkeley and all the top schools will *not* be a smooth ride, and your sex alone will not get you a good phd.

It's also interesting that this seems to be a thing with *white* and *domestic* women. International women / men have a much harder time getting in to the UCs cause their non-domestic quotas are rather strict. And I barely see any woman of color among their grads ... though that's an issue most of the top schools are rather shit on.
Why should universities give preference to domestic colored females?? They are not better at math than other demographics. At my school, which is famous for the amount of asians and international students, you'll find there are ZERO domestic colored females in classes numbered above 100 (upper division classes) or 200(graduate level classes). I'm not counting asians as colored, and I'm international asian male, by the way.

If universities give preference to domestic colored females, they will fail and white and asian people who are qualified will get into less places. This is beneficial to no one, including the university.

And why shouldn't everyone be held up to the same standards? I understand public schools like Berkeley need to accept a certain amount of domestic students, and I'm fine with that. But domestic males and domestic females should be held up to the same standards, and international males and international females should also be held up to the same standards.
Because representation matters? Not all of those ethnic groups have had the privilege you had to study at a good school all day long and not feel like a fish out of the water. Everyone comes from a different background, and especially in the case of internationals, many will not be familiar with the school the applicant is from, and wouldn't be able to tell if an A+ in algebraic geometry means something big or not. That's why mGRE scores matter a bigger deal in these cases. Students from China are apparently trained enough to be able to score 900s across the board. You know that filling a place wall-to-wall asians is also not beneficial to the university; a lot of Asians are good at standardized test taking, a much smaller subset of them will be actually good at research and become top mathematicians.

What I am against is holding people to such different standards that essentially you're doing a disservice to them by accepting them (and also a disservice to more capable people who didn't get accepted in their place). Someone with a 14% mGRE most likely hasn't grasped a huge chunk of the undergrad curriculum. The coursework nicole2 listed consists of stuff that most people getting into the top 20 schools have grasped before going to undergrad, or by their first year or so. Berkeley has a bunch of quals plus a specialized exam, anyone thinking she would get to that level from her current average freshman math level in a year is kidding themselves.

Edit: on closer look that makes no sense. What kind of school gives out math bachelors without requiring a real / complex analysis course or a course in topology? Maybe nicole2 confused this forum for an undergrad applicant forum
I'm not saying that PhD programs should be filled with asians. Although I'm international, I'm perfectly OK with schools prefer domestic applicants, but why give preferences based on one's gender or race? This is a university's math department, not some caucus of the democratic party. And the reason why Chinese score 99% percentile for fun is because the GRE math is NOT supposed to be hard! All it is asking for you to do is some simple CALCULUS and linear algebra which you should know by the time you become a sophomore. It is no more difficult than the math 1a/1b finals at Berkeley. And yes, only a tiny percentage of chinese will become good mathematicians, but this is true for any demographics, and do you really think the percentage is going to be higher for "underrepresented minorities"?

CoronalRain
Posts: 63
Joined: Sat Jan 26, 2019 1:02 am

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by CoronalRain » Wed Jan 15, 2020 9:58 pm

lambert wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 7:33 pm
Edit: on closer look that makes no sense. What kind of school gives out math bachelors without requiring a real / complex analysis course or a course in topology? Maybe nicole2 confused this forum for an undergrad applicant forum
You'd be surprised. Math majors at my school could graduate with just:
  • Calculus sequence + diff eq
  • Intro to proofs
  • Linear algebra
  • Real analysis (really basic version though)
  • Abstract algebra (mostly just group theory)
  • An assortment of math electives
Those math electives could include some pretty challenging material, but they could also be classes like combinatorics, numerical analysis, statistics, applied math, etc. Topology was not offered. Complex analysis was not offered. A class on complex variables existed, but it wasn't proof-centric and very few people took it.

The program has improved a lot since I was an undergraduate student, but my points still stands. There do exist many small math programs in the US that do not adequately prepare their students for PhD programs. It's tragic, but it's true.

AugmentedSeventh
Posts: 38
Joined: Sat Nov 23, 2019 8:52 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by AugmentedSeventh » Wed Jan 15, 2020 10:14 pm

CoronalRain wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 9:58 pm
lambert wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 7:33 pm
Edit: on closer look that makes no sense. What kind of school gives out math bachelors without requiring a real / complex analysis course or a course in topology? Maybe nicole2 confused this forum for an undergrad applicant forum
You'd be surprised. Math majors at my school could graduate with just:
  • Calculus sequence + diff eq
  • Intro to proofs
  • Linear algebra
  • Real analysis (really basic version though)
  • Abstract algebra (mostly just group theory)
  • An assortment of math electives
Those math electives could include some pretty challenging material, but they could also be classes like combinatorics, numerical analysis, statistics, applied math, etc. Topology was not offered. Complex analysis was not offered. A class on complex variables existed, but it wasn't proof-centric and very few people took it.

The program has improved a lot since I was an undergraduate student, but my points still stands. There do exist many small math programs in the US that do not adequately prepare their students for PhD programs. It's tragic, but it's true.
That is exactly how my undergraduate school was. I am assuming the math major requirements at most schools without a math graduate program are similar.

cc119
Posts: 5
Joined: Sun Dec 15, 2019 5:35 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by cc119 » Wed Jan 15, 2020 11:32 pm

CoronalRain wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 9:58 pm
lambert wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 7:33 pm
Edit: on closer look that makes no sense. What kind of school gives out math bachelors without requiring a real / complex analysis course or a course in topology? Maybe nicole2 confused this forum for an undergrad applicant forum
You'd be surprised. Math majors at my school could graduate with just:
  • Calculus sequence + diff eq
  • Intro to proofs
  • Linear algebra
  • Real analysis (really basic version though)
  • Abstract algebra (mostly just group theory)
  • An assortment of math electives
Those math electives could include some pretty challenging material, but they could also be classes like combinatorics, numerical analysis, statistics, applied math, etc. Topology was not offered. Complex analysis was not offered. A class on complex variables existed, but it wasn't proof-centric and very few people took it.

The program has improved a lot since I was an undergraduate student, but my points still stands. There do exist many small math programs in the US that do not adequately prepare their students for PhD programs. It's tragic, but it's true.
True. Similar requirements at my undergrad institution. Complex analysisa and topology were intended to run, but cancelled because only two people registered lollll

MathParent
Posts: 83
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2019 8:32 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by MathParent » Thu Jan 16, 2020 7:54 am

nicole2 wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 3:43 pm
.... that's pretty harsh. :(
Btw, Nicole, (and others)...
I searched through some past posts, and found quotes from UPenn web site, and from Berkeley web site, and these quotes are no longer available (the content is gone from the web pages, which are either updated with info on some other topics, or "401-cannot-be-found"). The post with the quotes is this: viewtopic.php?f=1&t=750&p=3890#p3890

The quotes themselves look like this:
UPenn wrote: Scores on the Advanced Math Subject Test of the GRE should be at least 750, though applicants with somewhat lower scores may be admitted if the rest of their application is sufficiently strong.
Berkeley wrote: A score below the 80th percentile suggests inadequate preparation and must be balanced by other evidence if a favorable admission decision is to be reached.
80% percentile is around 810-820, according to the last table I can find (https://www.ets.org/s/gre/pdf/gre_guide_table2.pdf)

These old quotes inject some numbers into the discussion of what's low and what's ok, mGRE wise, for these top schools, and probably similar schools as well, and this information is not a single data point ("I was admitted here and here with the score of X"), but a reliable (hopefully) statistical semi-cut-off. These days, schools are a lot more secretive about their admission process, but I doubt the reality of what's considered to be an "ok" score for math subject GRE changed much since 2011, when these quotes were dug out from the web sites of these leading schools.

lambert
Posts: 65
Joined: Tue Sep 12, 2017 7:41 am

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by lambert » Thu Jan 16, 2020 1:29 pm

dujiahan wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 7:48 pm
lambert wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 7:33 pm
dujiahan wrote:
Wed Jan 15, 2020 6:13 pm


Why should universities give preference to domestic colored females?? They are not better at math than other demographics. At my school, which is famous for the amount of asians and international students, you'll find there are ZERO domestic colored females in classes numbered above 100 (upper division classes) or 200(graduate level classes). I'm not counting asians as colored, and I'm international asian male, by the way.

If universities give preference to domestic colored females, they will fail and white and asian people who are qualified will get into less places. This is beneficial to no one, including the university.

And why shouldn't everyone be held up to the same standards? I understand public schools like Berkeley need to accept a certain amount of domestic students, and I'm fine with that. But domestic males and domestic females should be held up to the same standards, and international males and international females should also be held up to the same standards.
Because representation matters? Not all of those ethnic groups have had the privilege you had to study at a good school all day long and not feel like a fish out of the water. Everyone comes from a different background, and especially in the case of internationals, many will not be familiar with the school the applicant is from, and wouldn't be able to tell if an A+ in algebraic geometry means something big or not. That's why mGRE scores matter a bigger deal in these cases. Students from China are apparently trained enough to be able to score 900s across the board. You know that filling a place wall-to-wall asians is also not beneficial to the university; a lot of Asians are good at standardized test taking, a much smaller subset of them will be actually good at research and become top mathematicians.

What I am against is holding people to such different standards that essentially you're doing a disservice to them by accepting them (and also a disservice to more capable people who didn't get accepted in their place). Someone with a 14% mGRE most likely hasn't grasped a huge chunk of the undergrad curriculum. The coursework nicole2 listed consists of stuff that most people getting into the top 20 schools have grasped before going to undergrad, or by their first year or so. Berkeley has a bunch of quals plus a specialized exam, anyone thinking she would get to that level from her current average freshman math level in a year is kidding themselves.

Edit: on closer look that makes no sense. What kind of school gives out math bachelors without requiring a real / complex analysis course or a course in topology? Maybe nicole2 confused this forum for an undergrad applicant forum
I'm not saying that PhD programs should be filled with asians. Although I'm international, I'm perfectly OK with schools prefer domestic applicants, but why give preferences based on one's gender or race? This is a university's math department, not some caucus of the democratic party. And the reason why Chinese score 99% percentile for fun is because the GRE math is NOT supposed to be hard! All it is asking for you to do is some simple CALCULUS and linear algebra which you should know by the time you become a sophomore. It is no more difficult than the math 1a/1b finals at Berkeley. And yes, only a tiny percentage of chinese will become good mathematicians, but this is true for any demographics, and do you really think the percentage is going to be higher for "underrepresented minorities"?
I'm not having this discussion with you here, since apparently the concept of representation is lost on you and only seems to be tied to a social cause. I will say this: not everyone is on equal footing as you think, and not everyone's research potential can be judged by their coursework and test scores. If you had your way, then say EVERY INTERNATIONAL had to be judged on an mGRE basis (since they presumably come from unknown schools and they have to be filtered somehow); graduate programs would be flooded with asians hitting those 99% (they already are, to some extent). Does that mean non-asians who scored less do not deserve the same spots? Obviously not. Neither does that mean that Asians as a whole have more of an affinity for math research - they are no better than any other large group when it comes to math research. So there needs to be some adjustment to admission criteria so that they can filter out true prodigies from people who just gamed the system to get a good score. It's also about giving others a chance in a field that has been historically dominated by a bunch of white and asian guys - you know, like in pretty much any other field when people start questioning "what if things didn't have to be so one-sided?".

To reiterate: I am not fond of when this practice becomes a joke and as a result grad programs start to get undermined. Surely some level of competence has to be demonstrated by anyone entering top programs, so that they would at least be able to keep up. A lot of applicants seem to think that their troubles end once they get into a good program ... and then they realize that the real deal starts now they have to put in a significant amount of work to get something out of it. I've seen the best of the bunch entering places like Princeton and MIT, burning out, churning out a mediocre thesis and then abandoning academia for a job in data science or financing, and it feels like a waste. Likewise, Berkeley's tendencies to accept DWFs with low mGRE results in their grad department being filled with a bunch of average white american women, and one already dropping out with a masters doesnt reflect nicely on them. (maybe they're just returning to their old policies of accepting a bunch of people then weeding them out with quals)

User avatar
mani_fold
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Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by mani_fold » Thu Jan 16, 2020 7:28 pm

Does anyone have an idea when (on average) Yale gives out their first offers? From 2018-present the profile threads don’t have any candidates who were given an offer; just waitlisted and rejected candidates. Info from the 2020 profile thread and a recent gradcafe entry indicate that there may have been a round of rejections? Any past/present candidates have an idea when they send out offers?

CoronalRain
Posts: 63
Joined: Sat Jan 26, 2019 1:02 am

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by CoronalRain » Thu Jan 16, 2020 10:00 pm

mani_fold wrote:
Thu Jan 16, 2020 7:28 pm
Does anyone have an idea when (on average) Yale gives out their first offers? From 2018-present the profile threads don’t have any candidates who were given an offer; just waitlisted and rejected candidates. Info from the 2020 profile thread and a recent gradcafe entry indicate that there may have been a round of rejections? Any past/present candidates have an idea when they send out offers?
From gradcafe, it looks like Yale's been pretty consistent over the years, though they sometimes release results over the course of a week. In past years, all acceptances (excluding waitlist) were released by the following dates:
  • 2020 - TBA
  • 2019 - Jan 16
  • 2018 - Jan 10
  • 2017 - Jan 17
  • 2016 - Jan 22
  • 2015 - Jan 22
Furthermore, Yale likes to release rejections on the same day as their acceptances. So, I would expect to hear from them by the end of next week, if not sooner.
Last edited by CoronalRain on Fri Jan 17, 2020 2:38 am, edited 2 times in total.

ADlibertyRP
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Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by ADlibertyRP » Fri Jan 17, 2020 1:32 am

Looking at gradcafe it seems some schools don't give all of their acceptances out until late March or April. Are these typically only for those that were on the waitlist? Or is it possible that I may not hear anything back from the schools I applied too until late March? For reference I applied to University of Washington, UC-Davis and similar schools.

CoronalRain
Posts: 63
Joined: Sat Jan 26, 2019 1:02 am

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by CoronalRain » Fri Jan 17, 2020 2:49 am

ADlibertyRP wrote:
Fri Jan 17, 2020 1:32 am
Looking at gradcafe it seems some schools don't give all of their acceptances out until late March or April. Are these typically only for those that were on the waitlist? Or is it possible that I may not hear anything back from the schools I applied too until late March? For reference I applied to University of Washington, UC-Davis and similar schools.
It varies from school to school. As a general rule of thumb, you can expect most schools to release their first round of acceptances between mid-January and mid-February. Some larger schools may push it into early March. Acceptances after that are typically from the waitlist and are harder to predict. Some smaller and/or more prestigious programs may not even have waitlist (or at most a very small one). Again, this is a rule of thumb, and if you're really concerned you should just look up previous data for the schools you're interested in.

Here's a quote from UMD's website that's worth reading:
Acceptances are made from mid-February through April 15. Here's what happens: Since we support all accepted students with Teaching Assistantships, we need to end up with a predetermined number of students, with a very small error term. Some acceptances are sent out in mid February, but no one can be required to answer until April 15. Therefore, nothing happens for several weeks. Everyone else starts getting nervous, especially since they see on grad cafe web sites that we've made some acceptances. Finally, around April 1, these accepted students either get rejected by their higher choices and accept our offer, or they have been accepted by a higher choice and are trying to get up the courage to say no to us. (If you end up in this latter category, please be courageous. The graduate director is getting besieged with emails from people who want your place.) When it looks like we'll be below our quota, we send more acceptances. (If it looks like we have too many, we hide from the budget people and hope for rejections.) Around April 10, we have filled about half of our positions, with many offers awaiting responses. By some miracle, over the last five days, the rejections and acceptances come and go, and we hit our projected number.

ADlibertyRP
Posts: 12
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2019 12:52 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by ADlibertyRP » Fri Jan 17, 2020 3:06 am

CoronalRain, I appreciate the great answer. Thank you!

MathParent
Posts: 83
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2019 8:32 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by MathParent » Sat Jan 18, 2020 9:27 am

mani_fold wrote:
Wed Jan 08, 2020 11:14 pm

Ohio State - Accepted 12/31 (+ 1 yr. funding)
North Carolina, Chapel Hill - Unofficial acceptance
Congratulation on your acceptances! Did UNC tell you when they are going to send the official letters? Or you do not care because you like Ohio State more?

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mani_fold
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Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by mani_fold » Sat Jan 18, 2020 11:36 am

MathParent wrote:
Sat Jan 18, 2020 9:27 am

Congratulation on your acceptances! Did UNC tell you when they are going to send the official letters? Or you do not care because you like Ohio State more?
Thanks! According to UNC website, “Offers are sent out beginning in February.”

PhilippMainlander
Posts: 50
Joined: Tue Dec 03, 2019 10:44 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by PhilippMainlander » Sat Jan 18, 2020 11:41 am

mani_fold wrote:
Sat Jan 18, 2020 11:36 am
MathParent wrote:
Sat Jan 18, 2020 9:27 am

Congratulation on your acceptances! Did UNC tell you when they are going to send the official letters? Or you do not care because you like Ohio State more?
Thanks! According to UNC website, “Offers are sent out beginning in February.”
Curious. If you didn't get an "unofficial notice" does that imply you will not get an official acceptance? I didn't apply to UNC chapel hill, just asking for general knowledge.

MathParent
Posts: 83
Joined: Wed Nov 06, 2019 8:32 pm

Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by MathParent » Sat Jan 18, 2020 3:05 pm

mani_fold wrote:
Sat Jan 18, 2020 11:36 am
MathParent wrote:
Sat Jan 18, 2020 9:27 am

Congratulation on your acceptances! Did UNC tell you when they are going to send the official letters? Or you do not care because you like Ohio State more?
Thanks! According to UNC website, “Offers are sent out beginning in February.”
Hmmm. Last year first acceptances to Chapel Hill started to show up January 17 - on Grad Cafe. I was hoping for similar timing this year. So, I was hoping that you got some timing information during your "unofficial acceptance" interaction.

MathParent
Posts: 83
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Re: Fall 2020 Sweat Thread

Post by MathParent » Sat Jan 18, 2020 3:12 pm

PhilippMainlander wrote:
Sat Jan 18, 2020 11:41 am
Curious. If you didn't get an "unofficial notice" does that imply you will not get an official acceptance? I didn't apply to UNC chapel hill, just asking for general knowledge.
Some schools do phone or Skype interviews, and by the end of it they tell you "you should be expecting an official letter soon." This is your unofficial acceptance. Some schools just accept or reject. Some call you to come to visit, and decide after that.

I am not sure whether Chapel Hill interviews all of their applicant or not. I am also not sure how many "waves" of acceptances they have.

The variety between colleges is great. I am thinking that the variety of admission styles is large even within one school: the professors are hunting for their future PhD candidates, and some of them want to personally interview the applicants. But not all. Say, may be a number theorist form some school will interview every candidate who indicated Number Theory as their line of interest. And may be a geometer from the same school will make his recommendation/decision based on application material alone, with no interview.

The details are in the dark.



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