Read about pgre | 40 Discussions | Page 1

Hi friends , I am an electrical engineering student , interested in applying M.S in physics program in Europe . So i have started preparing for this , when i searched the web how to study for PGRE , most effective and common suggestion is go through the recommended books for each subject and...

I am pushing myself through an accelerated course of undergraduate physics (a number of reasons) and, if all goes well, it looks like I can complete the degree in two years. I have a 4.0 in physics up to this point, so I've seen no indication of my lack of work ethic/aptitude. After that, I...

Hello all, Sorry for the long(ish) post but please bear with me, I've been reading posts in this forum for a while but haven't posted myself before. I have the feeling this sort of thread crops up a lot but I really feel like I need some advice. So I'm applying for masters programs in...

Problem from past PGRE: A particle of mass m moves in a one-dimensional potential V(x)=-ax2 + bx4, where a and b are positive constants. The angular frequency of small oscillations about the minima of the potential is equal to: Answer is 2(a/m)1/2. I understand how this is found 'the long...

I intend to take the physics GRE this coming april, and will probably retake it again next year. I want to go to a good grad school, but my gpa isn't stellar (3.5ish), so in order to atone for my sins (so to speak) I want to put a lot of work into getting a stellar grade on the pGRE. However...

I have a GRE score of 6.0 writing, 170 reading, and 168 quantitative, and a 4.0 GPA. I also have 4 semesters of soft matter theory research and 1 summer of particle physics theory research. I'm applying to do theory to many schools, including MIT, SUNY Stony Brook, Stanford, Harvard, UMass...

Hi guys and gals, first post here, but I've lurked here before but just now registering and posting I'm getting ready to apply for my graduate schools. I'm not sure what exactly I'm seeking, so I want to provide a little background. I've always been a tinkerer, ever since I was young I've...

I have been registered for both the September and October PGRE dates for a while now. It was my original intention to take both and send the better of the two scores, which I presumed would be my second attempt. However I reflected on this a bit more recently and I am considering the possibility...

Hi there, If any people who have sat on grad school admissions committees are lurking out there, I would love to hear your opinion on this: I'm reapplying to grad school for next fall after I took my Masters and left at another institution. I made a right mess of things there; was going...

I did OK but not good or great on the PGRE last April, so I think I'm going to take it again. However, one thing that concerns me is if I actually do worse (since I took all of my core classes last year and I am rusty). Is there an option that allows me to only send the April score and not my...

Hi all, I've got a question about PhD programs: I have a BS in Mechanical Engineering, good GPA, and have been working for 4 years since. I will have strong rec's and plan to mostly apply to Materials Science and Engineering PhD programs. I did take the pGRE this spring and scored an 850...

So the way my schedule is looking, I will be finished after a fall semester. Now I want to do an REU during that summer leading into the fall, so I won't really be studying then, which is from what I understand, when most people do their studying for the PGRE. Would it be best to postpone my...

Hello. I have a quick procedural question about the physics GRE. I know that incorrect answers deduct 1/4 point from your raw score, but I do not understand how questions that are left unanswered affect you. Basically I am trying to understand if I have absolutely no idea how to answer a...

Hi Physics Forums, I have a bit of a dilemma because I am 12 credits short of completing my B.S. in Physics, but cannot return to school due to an outstanding balance and an inability to immediately repay it. So, my question is the following: given that I am just 12 credits shy of my...

I am taking the PGRE in April and started studying for it this winter. I initially took the 2008 test and was struggling. Then I decided to break the test into sections. First studying only the E&M questions, then mechanics, and so on. I figured out how to do most of the problems after working...

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...

So, PGRE scores came in today. I did unbelievably awful. I always test poorly on standard tests, so I'm used to that. But I really don't know what happened here. I did very bad. And I know this isn't a good reflection of my physics background. I've been doing amazing in physics...

Hello, I will only be applying to US Grad schools next year (circumstances...), but I took the GRE this year anyway cause there was no real reason not to and it would allow me to take it without too much pressure at the time. So I just got my scores: 980, in the 94-th percentile. From what I...

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'm looking to get a copy of a classic physics text that will serve as good preparation for the elementary subjects on the pgre(mechanics, thermal, optics). I see Griffith's gets recommended a lot for E&M and I've got most of the modern subjects covered, but what edition of Halliday's Physics...

I recently got back my final marks for the first half of my courses (3rd year physics in Spain) and am getting a little frustrated at the fact that my marks don't reflect the work I've put into them. Grades in my country's system work as follows: "Aprobado" (5.0-6.9/10) "Notable"...

Homework Statement I am having trouble understanding how I would apply the Michelson Interferometer equation to a problem on the PGRE. Here is a link to a diagram displaying the interferometer as well as the equation which is very similar to the way the topic is shown in my REA pgre book...

Homework Statement Hello forum, please see the attached image. This problem amounts to finding the equivalent resistance for the circuit and using Ohm's law to solve for the current. Homework Equations V=IR The Attempt at a Solution What I really need help with is learning how...

Homework Statement The problem amounts to finding the eigenvalues of the matrix |0 1 0| |0 0 1| |1 0 0| (I have no idea how to set up a matrix in the latex format, if anyone can tell me that'd be great) Homework Equations The characteristic equation for this matrix is...

Homework Statement Hello PF, I'm studying for the PGRE and I am having trouble understanding why exactly we use the reduced mass to calculate the energy levels of the positronium atom. Well I think I understand why but I just can't visualize, conceptually, what exactly using the reduced mass...

Since the start of the semester, I have been preparing for this test. One professor, my de facto advisor, has reminded me repeatedly that, due to my less-than-outstanding GPA of 3.5ish, the PGRE could be my saving grace. While I will end up asking him all these questions, I am interested in...

Hi all, I'm sure this subject has already been posted before, so please forgive me if this seems like a rehashed post. I know from google searches what the GRE is, but how exactly is it different from a physics GRE? And do I have to take both? I know that probably depends on what grad...

These are the books that i have decided to study from for my PGRE...Any advice and recommendations are needed..... Fundamentals of Physics : Halliday, Resnick and Walker Introduction To Electrodynamics : David J. Griffiths Introduction To Quantum Mechanics : David J. Griffiths Optics : E...

Hi, so as many of you who are in 3rd year or so know, the PGRE is coming this October and November.. exciting times.. So from what I have heard, there are barely any exclusively PGRE-prep books.. Hence I look forward to some input on what kind of books (in general) that would be a good idea...

Hello PF, I have some questions regarding the PGRE in particular. 1) I heard most of the questions on the PGRE can be answered with knowledge of the Introductory Physics Sequence (intro mechanics, e&m, thermal, quantum). At the most, you would need to take one intermediate course...