- #1
s0l0m0nsh0rt
- 10
- 0
Hello everyone, I am looking for some advice about a decision I am about to make.
I am just finishing up degress in math and physics at U of MN and am starting to look at grad schools for fall 2005. My problem is that I want to incorporate aesthetic beauty into the whole operation.
Heres the deal. I've always wanted to go to Alaska for some extended amount of time, for the obvious reasons, and so i thought, "why not go there for graduate school?". I've looked over the U of Fairbanks math dept, and it seems to be decent, but it is of course no where near the top of anyones list ( in fact, on some lists of grad school rankings it doesn't even appear!) They do offer MS and PhD programs though. If I go there it will only be for a MS degree, because they are very limited compared to other schools. I figure that i could study general mathematics for another 2 years without having to specialize too much (just take classes), and then move on somewhere else for a PhD. I may not even stay in mathematics. At the moment my interests are in mathematical neuroscience (although that has not always been the case, and I cannot be sure it will remain that, as there are soo many interesting areas). That is what i would really like to go to grad school for later. But i think i could use some more math first. So , what i really want to know is, in doing this, will I be restricting myself by going to a "more limited" school? Will getting accepted for a PhD program in a "better" school later be more difficult because of this?
"acedemic suicide" as the saying goes.
I believe I could get accepted into a more high powered program elsewhere, if i couldn't I wouldn't really be worried about this and I would just go there anyway (If they would let me!). But I do not think this to be the case.
Understand my dilemma?
Any professors or grad students who can offer any advice?
Thanks for reading this and taking the time respond, it is very appreciated.
I am just finishing up degress in math and physics at U of MN and am starting to look at grad schools for fall 2005. My problem is that I want to incorporate aesthetic beauty into the whole operation.
Heres the deal. I've always wanted to go to Alaska for some extended amount of time, for the obvious reasons, and so i thought, "why not go there for graduate school?". I've looked over the U of Fairbanks math dept, and it seems to be decent, but it is of course no where near the top of anyones list ( in fact, on some lists of grad school rankings it doesn't even appear!) They do offer MS and PhD programs though. If I go there it will only be for a MS degree, because they are very limited compared to other schools. I figure that i could study general mathematics for another 2 years without having to specialize too much (just take classes), and then move on somewhere else for a PhD. I may not even stay in mathematics. At the moment my interests are in mathematical neuroscience (although that has not always been the case, and I cannot be sure it will remain that, as there are soo many interesting areas). That is what i would really like to go to grad school for later. But i think i could use some more math first. So , what i really want to know is, in doing this, will I be restricting myself by going to a "more limited" school? Will getting accepted for a PhD program in a "better" school later be more difficult because of this?
"acedemic suicide" as the saying goes.
I believe I could get accepted into a more high powered program elsewhere, if i couldn't I wouldn't really be worried about this and I would just go there anyway (If they would let me!). But I do not think this to be the case.
Understand my dilemma?
Any professors or grad students who can offer any advice?
Thanks for reading this and taking the time respond, it is very appreciated.