Schools A few quick q's about grad school criteria

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The discussion centers on a junior undergraduate student at San Francisco State University (SFSU) who is preparing for graduate school, holding a 4.0 GPA in their major and a 3.7 overall. They are pursuing a BA in physics and a BS in mathematics, with plans to graduate in Spring 2009. The student expresses concern about the reputation of SFSU in comparison to more prestigious institutions, particularly regarding PhD program applications. They also question whether their age, graduating at twenty-nine, might negatively impact their admission chances. Participants in the discussion emphasize that while SFSU may not have the same prestige as UC Berkeley, the student's research experience is crucial and can significantly enhance their application. The consensus suggests that transferring to UC Berkeley, which has a stronger reputation, could be beneficial for future opportunities, especially in the field of nuclear engineering.
strangequark
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hey all,

I'm entering my junior year as an undergrad, hence looking forward towards grad school studies. At the moment, I'm attending san francisco state and have a 4.0 in my major with a 3.7 overall. I'm working toward a BA in physics and a BS in mathematics, both to be completed in Spring of 2009. Obviously I haven't taken GRE's, but am confident I'll do well. Also, I have had some opportunity (and will continue) to work on research projects with my professors.

I'm very happy with the academic programs at SFSU, but am aware that it does not have a top name/rating in my field. I am wondering if (and to what extent) this will weigh against me when applying to PhD programs.

Secondly, I will be twenty-nine when I graduate, and while I am familiar with the "does not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, race, etc." clause, but I am wondering if this will negatively affect my chances of admissions.

Anyone who can offer insight/opinions... I highly appreciate it.

Thanks.
 
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Anybody? I'm trying to decide wether to continue at sfsu or to transfer to UC berkeley's nuclear engineering program (for which I was accepted), and i need to make a decision within a couple weeks...

anyone who's been in or known someone to be in a similar situation... I would REALLY appreciate some advice
 
age won't matter. berkeley will carry more weight. (but my experience is in the field of math.)
 
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I don't see where you list your research experience. That's really a bigger factor than some of the other things you list there.
 
Hey, I am Andreas from Germany. I am currently 35 years old and I want to relearn math and physics. This is not one of these regular questions when it comes to this matter. So... I am very realistic about it. I know that there are severe contraints when it comes to selfstudy compared to a regular school and/or university (structure, peers, teachers, learning groups, tests, access to papers and so on) . I will never get a job in this field and I will never be taken serious by "real"...
Yesterday, 9/5/2025, when I was surfing, I found an article The Schwarzschild solution contains three problems, which can be easily solved - Journal of King Saud University - Science ABUNDANCE ESTIMATION IN AN ARID ENVIRONMENT https://jksus.org/the-schwarzschild-solution-contains-three-problems-which-can-be-easily-solved/ that has the derivation of a line element as a corrected version of the Schwarzschild solution to Einstein’s field equation. This article's date received is 2022-11-15...

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