Chances of Getting Into Graduate School Ph.D Programs

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the prospects of gaining admission to Ph.D. programs in Atomic, Molecular, and Optics (AMO) physics, particularly focusing on quantum information, quantum computing, and quantum optics. Participants share their academic backgrounds, experiences, and seek advice on application strategies and school selection.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant outlines their strong academic record, including a 3.90 overall GPA and a 3.99 physics GPA, while expressing concerns about the reputation of their small liberal arts college and limited research experience.
  • Another participant questions the feasibility of achieving a high GPA while suggesting that the grading system may vary across institutions.
  • Some participants emphasize the importance of GRE and PGRE scores, suggesting that aiming for above the 50th percentile is crucial, with recommendations to study intensively for these exams.
  • There are discussions about the difficulty of finding lower-ranked graduate programs and the need for realistic expectations regarding admissions chances based on academic performance and test scores.
  • One participant suggests that connections with letter writers could influence admissions outcomes, highlighting the variability in application strength based on individual circumstances.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the significance of GRE scores relative to GPA, with some advocating for higher expectations based on academic performance, while others suggest a more cautious approach. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best strategies for application success and the perceived strength of individual applications.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the lack of consensus on the impact of GRE scores versus GPA, the variability in grading practices across institutions, and the subjective nature of admissions processes that depend on multiple factors beyond academic metrics.

Who May Find This Useful

Undergraduate students preparing to apply for graduate programs in physics, particularly those interested in AMO fields, as well as individuals seeking insights into the application process and admissions criteria.

  • #31
Completely disagree. If the OPs professors think they stand a good chance of getting into top schools if not several of them.They should apply to a lot of them while having maybe two or three safeties. If you are a great applicant, most often you will get into a top program of you apply to enough. You run into the same general group of AMO people at all of the top 10 open houses. That's because they were the top applicants that year so everyone wanted them.

Tufts syndrome is for the most part not a thing at PhD programs. If they really want you to come they will offer you a special fellowship and no teaching duties. There was a program I got into which I would never attended (they most likely knew that) so they tried to lure me in by giving me extra money and no teaching duties for the first year.
 
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  • #32
The weak research experience may be something that can be overcome if they get very strong letters, or possibly take a gap year to do research, which is definitely not a bad idea. However, the level of schools they apply to should be based on professors advice. If the professors think they have a good chance of getting into a top school they need to apply to a lot.

If you feel less secure about your application in this case, just apply to more schools, have realistic places but still apply to a lot of the top places
 
  • #33
radium said:
Completely disagree. If the OPs professors think they stand a good chance of getting into top schools if not several of them.They should apply to a lot of them while having maybe two or three safeties. If you are a great applicant, most often you will get into a top program of you apply to enough. You run into the same general group of AMO people at all of the top 10 open houses. That's because they were the top applicants that year so everyone wanted them.

Tufts syndrome is for the most part not a thing at PhD programs. If they really want you to come they will offer you a special fellowship and no teaching duties. There was a program I got into which I would never attended (they most likely knew that) so they tried to lure me in by giving me extra money and no teaching duties for the first year.

In my experience, only low-tier (think 60+ and down) departments will suffer from Tufts Syndrome...
 
  • #34
Well I wouldn't call it Tufts syndrome, I would say it's getting a sense that you are not interested in their program and would be unlikely to come if admitted. At least at the undergrad level there is really no hard evidence of so called Tufts syndrome since if you looks at the data for the schools people claim to practice it, you will see that at the level peoe think it applies there are also a lot of students who are in fact admitted. This means that the failure for the other high scoring/well qualified students to be accepted has more to do with holistic admissions than it does with denying people who are overqualified.

At the PhD level, I would believe if you show knowledge and genuine interest in the program that they would admit you regardless if you are technically one of the most qualified applicants. These schools also tend to be smaller so they need to make sure they don't admit too many people. Overestimating yield is not a great thing, it has happened at several schools I know in the past few years and it means that professors need to take on more students than usual.

Anyway, if your professors think very highly of you and tell you from experience that you should apply to top programs, you should maybe stick to the top 40. These schools have more money and resources as well as higher quality students. If you take a gap year and perform very well in research, I think you should most definitely aim very high. Also, if you get an outstanding research from your time at the government research lab that will really be great for your application.

It is definitely possible to be admitted to top programs from a less well known LAC if you really stand out, especially in research.
 

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