Are My Grad School Hopes for UW-Madison Unrealistic?

[Kites]

Hello everyone,

It's that time of the year... Applying for grad school, taking GREs and all that business and honestly I am freaking out. Currently waiting right now to get my PGRE scores back but it's starting to bug me and I could use a bit of persuasion that scores aren't all that.

So here's the situation, tell me if it's hopeless or not,

3.7 Undergrad GPA
6 Months of Computational Physics research experience, no papers.
3 good recommendations
540 V/750 Q General GRE
? PGRE

US-Domestic Male

I am applying to UW-Madison and several other medical physics programs. I really have my heart set on Madison but here's what's aching me. When I first came out of the PGRE I thought I did fantastic, answered some 90 questions on it. Shortly after that I start realizing that I got such and such question wrong, you know the game.

Gradschoolshopper.com lists really high PGRE scores for pretty much any and all grad schools. If it turns out that I only did so-so on the PGRE? Or maybe even badly... say 550-600. Are my hopes of UW-Madison just crazy?

 

[renz]

I'm not going to be useful on medical physics programs since I don't know much about those.
But I've been there last year (applying and worrying).

is the 6-month research at your home institution? Have you done any other research?
Any of your recommenders well-known in their field?
Those might affect your chances.

And apply to various range of programs. I don't know how budget issue is this year. But according to my grad program, they're going to make a cut on number of admitted students next year.

good luck!