Programs Can a Spotty Academic Record Affect PhD Admissions in Mathematics?

[kilimanjaro]

Well, let me start with a bit of background info. My transcript is an absolute mess, I have dropped out twice (one withdrawal, and one semester of all F's). So basically I am finishing a 4 year degree in 5. Since my whole dropout phase I have been at 3 schools total, a community college, a local state university, and now I back at my original school, a well respected (top 15) school finishing up a pure math degree.

My GPA here is pretty poor, due to 16 hours of F's (all one semester). In terms of core coursework, things aren't so bad but still a bit spotty.

A: Analysis 1, Algebra 1, Probability, Topology, Linear Algebra, Vector Calc
B: Algebra 2, Knot Theory, Number Theory, Diff Eq
C: Complex Analysis

This semester I am probably going to get an A in Analysis 2 (measure & integration, hilbert spaces), A or B in an "applied linear algebra" class (mainly spectral theorem and applications to problems of physics) and a C in a numerical methods class.

I'm really lazy when it comes to some classes, if it doesn't interest me I have a bad habit of just not doing the work. That's a pretty gaping character flaw of mine. However, when I am interested in something I'm pretty dedicated to it, I think I would find phd level mathematics rewarding and would even be pretty good at it (relatively speaking... not a superstar but able to do good work).

Next semester I'm going to take the undergrad PDE and Diff Geometry courses, and I'll probably get A's in both of those.

I missed the GRE deadline so I'm going to apply next fall, but I expect I should have a pretty good score. So with the above mentioned grades, and 3 mediocre reference letters ("he was a top student in my class but I don't know much about the guy"), what sort of school should I be shooting for? I hope to be able to continue some independent studies this summer (if I manage to land a job somewhere around here) with a professor on topics in analysis & geometry, so it's possible that I could get at least one interesting letter.

If anyone read this far, I'd appreciate some advice. I'm probably going to go talk with a professor about this same issue to see what he has to say.

Thanks

 

[Vanadium 50]

I'm really lazy when it comes to some classes, if it doesn't interest me I have a bad habit of just not doing the work.

This is a Big Red Flag. This will make life as a graduate student extraordinarily difficult, as you will almost certainly have to learn things that don't immediately interest you.