What is Grad: Definition and 1000 Discussions

Hi guys. I'm relatively new to the Physics Forums, so forgive me if this question has been asked a bunch already. (I'm sure it has). I'm currently a junior in UCLA and majoring in Physics. I want to go to grad school (not sure which yet) so I'll obviously need to take both the general GRE and...

I applied to eight schools last october. My gpa is 3.04 I have good gre and good letters. I have about eighteen months of research experience altogether. So far I've been rejected by three schools. Am i being delusional in thinking ill get acceptwd,? I've met gead students before and i don't...

I'm here to get advice on my personal statement/statement of purpose for grad schools. However, my major is biology and I have a low overall GPA (but not physics GPA). In fact, I was academically dismissed earlier in college because of grades. However my previous two years were very good and...

Hello everyone. I'm currently a sophomore working toward a BS in physics (and a minor in astronomy) at a top private engineering school. With the semester finishing up, I'm a little worried about where I am now and where I will be after graduation and I have a few questions. A little...

My questions are regarding admissions at top universities in Europe. Many of them are of a rather general nature, I hope that is okay. I am from Austria (EU) and I currently studying for a BSc in Physics from the University of Vienna. I will graduate in July 2017 after three years of full time...

Hi All. I was pretty idiotic and waited until last minute to prepare my NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Proposal. In under 2-weeks time, I 'slapped together' my application, figuring that even if I didn't win, I would at least obtain valuable feedback. I just submitted it. The problem is, I am...

Hi everybody! To be concise -My undergraduate majors are math and physics -I want to go on and do research in physics (probably theoretical/mathematical physics) and be a professor. -My GPA is a 3.98 and Real Analysis and Abstract Algebra will likely drag down my GPA (I'm currently in these...

Hello, I am currently an undergrad aiming for a B.S in Physics and a minor in Space and Planetary Sciences. I have only had the chance to take one astronomy class towards my minor and I am wondering how much a minor is considered in grad school admissions? My end game is to continue on through...

How much importance do pure mathematics graduate schools give to programming ? Like how much programming knowledge do they expect a successful applicant to have ?

TL;DR: in over my head with study abroad program Hi. I have been doing a Physics + Computer Science Double Major at a college and right now I'm in the 2nd semester of my sophomore year. However, I'm wondering about this. One of the things I had wanted to do when at this college was to do a...

I'm currently an undergraduate sophomore at Rutgers double majoring in Physics and Mechanical Engineering. I've recently made the decision that I want to go for a master's degree in physics and then potentially a PhD. However, I'm doing research in mechanical engineering right now and I don't...

Homework Statement Let T(r) be a scalar field. Show that, in spherical coordinates ∇T = (∂T/∂r) rˆ + (1/r)(∂T/∂θ) θˆ + (1/(r*sin(θ)))(∂T/∂φ) φˆ Hint. Compute T(r+dl)−T(r) = T(r+dr, θ+dθ, φ+dφ)−T(r, θ, φ) in two different ways for the infinitesimal displacement dl = dr rˆ + rdθ θˆ + r*sin(θ)dφ...

Hi, everyone. I really, really want to go to graduate school. My focus will be AMO and I'm aiming for a PhD. However, I've looked through a lot of forums to see how others fared when offers rolled around. I also use this as a way to set goals. The problem is: I can't find a lot of people like me...

Hi, I just have a quick question regarding Chemistry grad school admissions. If a student attended community college before transferring to a UC to finish a BS in chemistry, would chemistry grad schools look at both GPA's when considering them for admission? Basically, would a GPA of around...

Hi, I recently got accepted into Moscow institute of physics and technology for a masters degree and was wondering how it would be compared to different grad schools in the USA. With other factors constant (LOR, research, etc), how would this set me up for a Phd at a top university in the USA...

Hi, I'm currently a final undergrad student and trying to apply for grad school. The thing is that on the application forms there is a section about "scholarships, prizes and distinctions" and last year I was nominated for the JYA programme at Cambridge by our university with a conditional...

Hello, I'm currently a college student that is a CS major. I'm thinking about doing a double major in applied math, because I really enjoy it. I also plan on going to grad school to get either a PhD or a Master's degree in applied math. Is this a good path? Or should I go to grad school for CS...

I will be graduating with a bachelors degree in physics in the next year. Most of my professors have advised me that if I am considering graduate school (which I am), to just go straight for a PhD instead of stopping at a MA. Unfortunately, my family is currently in a terrible place...

Hi there. I'm currently in my senior year for my physics degree. I was wondering whether it would be wiser to finish up my undergrad this year, or if I'd be better off taking a fifth year to complete it. My university does not grade with + or -, so a low B is represented exactly the same as a...

Hi Everyone, I have a double B.S. in physics and math from UMD. I graduated in 2012, and have since worked primarily in tech startups. I am considering going back to school to get a masters, likely in applied math or something computationally intensive. My concern is that I have no academic...

Homework Statement Hi everybody! I'm preparing a maths exam and I unsure how to answer this question: What is a local extremum of a function ##f: \mathbb{R}^2 \to \mathbb{R}##? Explain why ##\nabla f(x) = 0## when ##x## is a local minimum of ##f## and ##f## is continuous and differentiable...

Hey, I'm an Electrical and Computer Engineering senior, studying at the American University of Beirut, one of the top schools in the region. I have recently realized that I really want to go to graduate school and study theoretical computer science, however, due to a general lack of motivation...

Homework Statement Hi everybody! I'm preparing a maths exam so I run through a lot of problems, and I am unsure whether I tackled this one correctly or not: Prove that for every differentiable function ##f: \mathbb{R}^3 \to \mathbb{R}## and for every point ##x \in \mathbb{R}^3## the following...

I'm going into chemical physics for undergrad, but I'm worried that would hinder me in grad school if I decide to switch fields. Is it something to be concerned about?

I'm already in grad school and I have my last shot at applying for the NSF. The first semester of my grad school was going great until a death in my family to someone I was very close to. I unraveled and my grades sunk. Just not that bad, like I overall passed my classes. However, I am sure it...

Good morning all, I’m about to enter my sophomore year of college, and after doing a significant amount of job research, a career in medical physics appears very interesting to me. The idea of using applied physics to have a direct, positive impact upon people’s lives sounds pretty neat. That...

I was wondering if anyone has had any experience in settling for a different field than what their first choice may have been? I am applying to physics grad school this fall, and am torn on which field to apply for. I have to choose between medical physics and high energy. On the one hand I...

I'm currently entering my second year in college so I'm kind of worried about declaring my major. Originally I was planning on doubling in astrophysics and physics but then I was wondering about combining astrophysics and mathematics. I thought this would be good because a) I like math and I...

I am currently high school Junior (soon to be senior) who plans to major in Chemical engineering. I know I want to go into research but I do not know what I want to specialize in. I plan to major in chemical engineering because it gives a good knowledge base for chemistry and physics both of...

I've seen a few threads discussing a topic similar to this, and I've been making some serious considerations and thinking about things. I'm currently debating switching over from a Physics major to a Math major and minoring in Physics. There are a few various reasons to do this, one being it...

I'm sorry if this is a bit of a mundane question but we all do impulsive things when we're anxious. I may get a B+ in General Physics II and Calculus II this semester (2nd semester freshman). I know I am capable of much better, and to be honest, I was very bogged down emotionally/psychologically...

I am presently finishing my second year as a combined mathematics and physics major, and I am planning on pursuing graduate school in theoretical physics, as many here no doubt are. I have already, or will have already taken the standard core mathematics courses: i.e. calculus, linear algebra...

*Edit I currently study Nanotechnology at UNAM's (National Autonomous University of Mexico) CNyN (Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. I have an 8.85 / 10.00, or roughly a 3.54 GPA (when calculated) but I see that for convenience, 3.5GPA is usually equivalent to a 9.00 / 10.00. * Is it...

I want to go to grad school. I also want to do the Fulbright program. Is it possible to apply for these both in the same year, or will I go insane from the amount of work it takes? If I'm accepted to both, I would go on the Fulbright and defer grad school for a year. A little about me: I'm in...

First off, forgive me if this question has been posted and answered prior. I'm a non-traditional physics student and should complete my BS degree in December of this year; I have a previous BA in English, for whatever that's worth (the market says it's not worth much). I'm looking to attend...

I saw a link on MIT open courseware proving grad operator yields perpendicular vector to contour, but I can't make sense of how dg/dt=0. Can someone explain to me please...

Which medical physics program is better between Duke MS, UPenn MS, or Vanderbilt DMP? I would have to pay for penn and Duke but tuition would be taken care of at Vanderbilt. Thanks!

So, I want to apply to a graduate program in physics in the fall. I have a decent 3.5 overall gap (3.8 upper level physics), but I feel like my course work is light. I'm graduating this semester and am contemplating coming back for a few more courses (maybe graduate) to strengthen my application...

I'm currently in my third year of undergraduate Physics, and plan to graduate at the end of my fifth year (since I'm doing CO-OP). I'm starting to think about grad schools, one element of which is my faculty recommendations. I worked in a well known scientist's lab in my first year, first...

I'm 3rd year undergraduate student at Brazil and I wish to apply for some USA universities,but I'm scared with GRE. I have good and knowed physicists for rec. letters, experience with research and good grades,what are my chances? I'm thinking in 4 uni : Stony Brook,Chicago,Cornell and Penn. Here...

I want to apply to graduate school for physics but I'm worried that my cumulative GPA might be too low. My GPA within the physics major is 4.0, but my cumulative GPA is 3.1. I started college in electrical engineering but wasn't happy in the major, and my grades were not very good. I have...

Pretty broad question, but to be more specific, in my case I'm currently in my 2nd year of undergrad going for physics and electrical engineering at ucsb. I didnt perform too well up until now with a cumulative of 3.2, so if i were to raise my gpa up to around 3.5-3.6 by the time i graduate what...

Can you get into a graduate program for biomedical engineering with a computer engineering degree? would you be at a big disadvantage to someone with an electrical engineering degree?

In my current time frame for graduating I will be finishing in the Fall of next year. I'm scared because I know a lot of graduate programs don't take people starting in the Spring, so would it be better if I waited an extra semester, maybe take a graduate course or something?

This is a topic that has kept me wondering for some months. In grad school one of my friends said that when he was applying to study for his Ph.D, one of the first things one must find out before applying was if funding was available. Where I went to study, many professors were available for...

Homework Statement I need a pointer to a proof of the following items: if div X =0 then X = curl Y for some field Y. if curl X = 0 then X = grad Y for some field Y. Can anyone provide a pointer to a proof? Thanks. Bob Kolker Homework EquationsThe Attempt at a Solution

Hello everyone, I need your advice here. I am in my last term in EE in a fairly reputable school in Canada (or so they say). Due to a variety of factors, my gpa is pretty embarrassing (I am looking forward to graduate with a 2.6x gpa) I understand this is well below the 3.0 line for grad...

Hey everyone! I know this question has been asked a hundred times before, but my position is slightly different: I have a PSM (Professional Science Masters) in Nanoscience, as of Dec 2015, along with a Physics BS and am looking for starting jobs. Does anyone have any recommendations? I find...

Hi Everyone, I've scoured the internet to find answers to this question and I haven't had much luck. I graduated in 2014 with a 2.86 GPA in physics. To counteract this lower gpa in my applications; I have a lot of research experience and I'm currently working in industry doing some...

Is taking complex analysis before graduate school apps a "make-or-break" deal if one is looking to apply for theory? I am currently deciding whether to take it junior spring or defer it to senior spring. As it has come up in my research, I have studied some of it, but I'm wondering if it must be...