Schools A few quick q's about grad school criteria

AI Thread Summary
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
Messages
37
Reaction score
0
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.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
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.)
 
Last edited:
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.
 
I'm going to make this one quick since I have little time. Background: Throughout my life I have always done good in Math. I almost always received 90%+, and received easily upwards of 95% when I took normal-level HS Math courses. When I took Grade 9 "De-Streamed" Math (All students must take "De-Streamed" in Canada), I initially had 98% until I got very sick and my mark had dropped to 95%. The Physics teachers and Math teachers talked about me as if I were some sort of genius. Then, an...
Bit Britain-specific but I was wondering, what's the best path to take for A-Levels out of the following (I know Y10 seems a bit early to be thinking about A-levels, but my choice will impact what I do this year/ in y11) I (almost) definitely want to do physics at University - so keep that in mind... The subjects that I'm almost definitely going to take are Maths, Further Maths and Physics, and I'm taking a fast track programme which means that I'll be taking AS computer science at the end...
After a year of thought, I decided to adjust my ratio for applying the US/EU(+UK) schools. I mostly focused on the US schools before, but things are getting complex and I found out that Europe is also a good place to study. I found some institutes that have professors with similar interests. But gaining the information is much harder than US schools (like you have to contact professors in advance etc). For your information, I have B.S. in engineering (low GPA: 3.2/4.0) in Asia - one SCI...

Similar threads

Replies
12
Views
3K
Replies
2
Views
2K
Replies
3
Views
3K
Replies
9
Views
3K
Replies
5
Views
2K
Replies
12
Views
2K
Back
Top