Grad Definition and 1000 Threads

Consulting Career for New Grad?? Hello, I just graduated 2 months ago in Chemical engineering and I am trying to find a job. During my job search it appears that the overwhelming majority of engineering positions are with consulting firms. I have been pretty hesitant about applying to them...

Hi all, I'm studying Maths and Physics at a University in Europe and I have a few questions regarding going to Grad school in the U.S. and I would be ever so appreciative if you all could shed some light on these. Thanks! 1: The GRE I know that I must take the PGRE sometime in early 4th...

I'm a high school student who will be graduating this spring and I'm applying to the various Math REU's that accept pre-freshman undergrads. I'm confused about the essays and statements of intent. What exactly are they looking for in this component of the application? What constitutes a good...

How do you go about actually narrowing down potential advisers from different schools? What are some tips for visitations that will help with this decision? How does one compare the prestige of different advisers? Counting publications seems silly and asking around your undergrad department...

Hi, I worked for a professor as a visiting student at XYZ university this spring on a research project. He delegated the supervision to one of his assistants who didn't really seem to care about the project. I should have worked with more focus instead of simply doing what he wanted me to...

I am a rising senior in a well regarded Pittsburgh area public school. When I enter college next year I will be majoring in Physics with a minor (possible double major) in Computer Science. I would like to eventually be involved in research at a major institution and plan to get my PhD in...

I recently joined this forum because I wanted to provide a "physics grad student perspective" which I often felt was missing. (This is only possible because I have a little extra time lately; I will soon evaporate back into my research, but while I am here...) American students are not used...

Hello, I'm highly interested in going into grad school as a biophysics student, however in my country (Costa Rica) there isn't a undergraduate program for biophysics, so I'm entering physics program next year. I'm also planning to get into biology program later, but I'm not sure what to do...

I did pretty bad in undergrad EM and remember nothing. However, my advisor says that since I'm doing well in my mathematical physics class, and if I get an A, I should directly take the grad EM course to not waste time. However, he acknowledges that I had difficulties with EM in the past, so...

Hi, all. I’m applying to master’s programs in a technical discipline. For about three and 1/2 semesters in college I was severely clinically depressed. And, as I got to learn first-hand, being severely depressed is pretty debilitating, so for three semesters I got B+s, Bs and B-s. My question...

Hey all! I'm a little lost as to what I should get done in my last three semesters of college. I do plan on going to grad school and will take the GRE next spring, but I currently have no idea as to what else I should be getting done to prepare. I have passing interest in materials science and...

What do you think about a major such as bioinformatics versus a major in physics and minor in mathematics or a major in 'cell biology& neuroscience' w/ minor in computer science in terms of preparing me for computational neuroscience -- taking in mind that I've completed courses such as linear...

I'm currently a returning undergrad studying Physics at Penn State but I'm thinking about transferring to a smaller state school (Kutztown). I still have to take 2 years of my major classes to finish. My reason for transferring is to save money. Will graduating from a smaller/less known school...

Hello, If there is such a thread, then please guide me to it. I am seriously debating applying, or starting to get ready for applying to graduate school in physics. I am not very happy with my current career field and after doing much soul-searching, I believe this is what I want. I know...

I need to write a statement of objectives for a grad school application. Here are the instructions online: So where to start: Does this mean: write a sensibly structured statement in coherent English? What is that even supposed to mean? I'm applying to a very broad program...

is nuclear physics or plasma physics a better grad concentration for current/future fusion research? thx

Hey everyone, I am really nervous about my PGRE score. I scored in the bottom 5%. I am in the National Guard and so I am stuck staying in Texas. I wanted to apply to the condensed matter programs at Texas A&M, UT Austin, and Rice. I attend a state school up in Wisconsin right now. Here are my...

I attend university in Hong Kong, where (prior to this year's change to a 4-year program) a typical bachelor degree consists of 3 years of study. I am currently in my 3rd year. However, I am strongly considering deferring my graduation and extending my university studies another year, ie...

Hey all, I am a senior at a University here in california. I have 3 semesters left after this before i graduate. (5 year plan..) I am going to be getting a B.s Degree in "Professional physics: advanced study option". Basically they physics required for those intending on going to Grad school...

A little about me: I graduated with dual degrees in Psychology and English about two years ago. Since then, I haven't had a professional job which pays a good wage and have even had employers tell me that I need a stronger math proficiency. I heard that engineering and math/based fields are...

I'm currently studying for the PGRE. I'm doing miserable. After 3 years of physics courses, this is completely discouraging. Just completely. I don't know half this material, and I've done very well in almost all of my physics courses (except EM...). I'm starting to panic. I don't think...

I chose physics knowing that I probably will not go to graduate school for pure physics. I'm interested in interdisciplinary research whether that is in EE, biophysics, or Earth science, etc I do not yet know (though I'm leaning geophysics). I switched from engineering to physics because I like...

Homework Statement consider the position vector expressed in terms of its cartesian components, r=xiei. Let w=wjej be a fixed vector whose components wj are constants that do not depend on the xi, so that δwj/δxi = 0 Homework Equations I am trying to evaluate ∇((wXr)^2) The...

I've seen this letter circulating some astrophys blogs recently. Maybe some of you have seen it as well. http://jjcharfman.tumblr.com/post/33151387354/a-motivational-correspondance Essentially, a R1 astrophys department tells its grad students that working less than 60 hours per week is...

Do some physics grad schools offer tutoring for the graduate classes?

(Put in a lot of context, and post is long now. Question and TL;DR are at the bottom!) Recently finished my PhD in Physics: X-ray spectroscopy of transition-metal crystals, a lot of soft X-ray synchrotron and solid state science, vacuum science etc. I knew after a few months of starting the...

Hi, Over the past year, I've started finding the field of neuroscience very interesting. Can anyone recommend any books for a complete newbie on the field? And just out of curiosity, what graduate schools have good neuroscience/neurophysics programs?

Hi I am a freshmen at university and I would love some advice on looking more attractive to graduate schools. (i have looked around on the forums and talked to professors individually about it, but I figured the more opinions the better) I have been studying really hard and making A's on...

I've become somewhat curious about this since I'm starting the Grad School application process. I know some universities will fly you out for an interview for their grad program. Do physics grad programs do this, or is this something determined by the graduate school itself, ie ALL/NO...

Hey guys, long time lurker, first time poster here. I'm nearing the end of the first year of my undergraduate mathematics program. Starting next year I'll be getting a little bit more freedom in regard to what math subjects I can choose. I know it's a bit too early to worry about this but going...

What research opportunities are there out there for the summer between undergrad and grad school? For undergrads, there are the REUs that most people do. But REUs require that you have not graduated yet. This upcoming summer I'll be between graduate and undergraduate studies. So no REU...

I am an senior ready to start applying to grad school. Hopefully, you guys can look at my following circumstances: In my freshmen year, I did not study hard or provide myself with the proper motivation to do well. I poorly in my science classes (which composed of two biology class, general...

In May I graduated from a small liberal arts college with a Bachelors in Math (3.6/4) and in Economics (3.8/4). In July I shipped off to Vietnam where I am currently teaching HS Math at a large private school in Hanoi. I took a last minute GRE before I left and scored reasonably well IMO (V 159...

Hey everybody, Im planning on applying to Nuclear Engineering PhD programs next year and I was wondering if it is reasonable to ask my recommendation-writers to send the letters to 5 different schools? Do most people just apply to one grad school? Seeing as they all require three letters of...

I know UC San Diego is good, Rothschild and Ebenfelt are there, but are there any other ones that stand out in these and related fields? Thanks a bunch

Hi Guys, I have a BSc in physical sciences and an equivalent in mechanical engineering and I am going to apply to grad school for a masters in aerospace engineering. Problem is, where I am from, aerospace engineering is like way off the map, Both the institutions I study do not offer it...

I stumbled upon my school's grad school admissions criteria today. The GPA requirement was a 3.0 in junior- and senior-level coursework. I was always under the impression that the 3.0 cutoff was for your entire coursework. I then looked at UCLA's requirement and it was the same way. But another...

Hello everyone, I have a question on applying to graduate school to study a different field than one studied for their undergrad degree. Specifically, I am due to graduate from a Boston area school with a combined electrical engineering / physics degree. I have an A/A- average, solid GRE...

I've heard differing opinions on whether or not it costs to attend grad school (phd) for physics. I know that if you are a TA/RA you will receive a stipend, but does that also cover tuition prices? Is this true for grad programs across the board in the US? Meaning, does this apply to Ivy...

I was wondering what a introductory (1 year sequence) mathematical statistics would be like in terms of mathematical rigor and usages of calculus 1 - 3. The course I'm thinking about taking requires calc 3. I've heard that graduate level mathematical stats courses can be just as rigerous as a...

hey all i am applying for masters aerospace engineering. my undergrad is math. should i include the following on my personal statement: apart from single variable calculus, i completed my math major in 1 year with 3.8. for your information here at pf, i did 2 terms of vector calculus, 1 diff...

Hello everybody, I will be graduating with an undergraduate degree in physics this year. I am not an American and I would like to go to graduate school in the US. Last semester I failed some upper level classes and because of some personal stuff and my GPA is lower than 3 now. I want to...

Hey guys, I am a super-senior in Mathematics, and I am looking at grad schools for Nuclear Engineering. Particularly I would like to attend the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor for a PhD program. I am also looking at GaTech because I live within driving distance of that school. Is there...

I graduated with degrees in Electrical Engineering and Commerce from a good-ranking Australian university in 2010. I've been in the workforce for 18 months – found it to be not nearly as stimulating as the uni environment, so I'm contemplating the possibility of pursuing a masters or PhD...

I am a new grad with a very theoretically based B.A. in physics from a liberal arts college. I am devoted to physics entirely, but I couldn't bring myself to make the commitment to graduate school so soon. I'd like to try to find work in a physics field, but I don't know where to look. My...

Lately I have been reading about nonlinear systems and chaos. It's fascinating and I would like to know more about how I could prepare myself to possibly study this in grad school. I would be interested in looking at biological systems such as neural networks or even animal populations. I'm a...

hey all i am applying for masters aerospace engineering. my undergrad is math. should i include the following on my personal statement: apart from single variable calculus, i completed my math major in 1 year with 3.8. for your information here at pf, i did 2 terms of vector calculus, 1 diff...

I am from India and i have a bachelors in mechanical engineering. I have recently given my GRE and TOEFL with scores of 313/340 (161-quant & 152-verbal & 3.5-AWA) in gre & 110/120 in TOEFL. I am planning for MS and probably PHD in nuclear engineering. I am not interested in either hydraulics or...

Hey all, I'm starting my search for mechanical engineering grad schools and I could use a few suggestions. Just, so you know a bit about me, my current niche is in energy and I have experience in combustion research, but I've also always been interested in space-related work. Maybe I could even...

Hi. As part of my degree I will have to undergo 8 months on working in industry (I may be able to get a minor research position) but let's assume I end up in industry during my second semester of Junior (third) year. Unfortunately this takes up my summer holidays which would have been an...