Choosing PhD in US after a QFFF master at Imperial College or?

[aworrystudent]

Dear everyone,

I have a question about career future and I am deeply worrying about it.

I am currently a master student in QFFF program at Imperial College. I will graduate soon but haven't get any Ph.D. offer (I applied a couple of places in Europe, some does not reply, some rejected me, perhaps I am a oversea student, espeically lack of funding for oversea student in UK). I think my grade cannot reach "distinction" (Is grade very crucial? I have two papers published on Phys. Rev. A, but it is not high-energy physics) and I would like to do either hep-th/cosmology, not hep-ph/hep-lat/quantum information.

I am thinking about three possibilties

1) Apply US (I don't have GRE score right now).
Cons:
Does it somehow a waste of time? I heard in US you have to redo classical mechanics, electrodynamics, statistical physics, and quantum mechanics. But in QFFF, it starts from QFT, GR, supersymmetry, string theory...
Pros: more funding in US, more places in US.

2) Continuing apply Ph.D. places in Europe
I am doing that, but I am not really sure about the result

3) Asking some continental Europe university if I can do a second year Master (in UK this is one year)

Perhaps in reality, 1) is the only option. However, I desperately would like to see your comments and opinions... Esepcially, if I enter graduate program in US, can I waive a few exams?

Thank you very much in advance!

 

[TomServo]

Did your Master's include grad-level classes in qm, stat mech, e&m, and classical mech? If yes, you shouldn't need to retake anything, but any gap will have to be filled for a PhD in physics.

You need the general GRE and the physics GRE and possibly an English proficiency exam (you'll probably get a waiver on that but I can tell your English needs improvement, no offense).

 

[aworrystudent]

Did your Master's include grad-level classes in qm, stat mech, e&m, and classical mech? If yes, you shouldn't need to retake anything, but any gap will have to be filled for a PhD in physics.

You need the general GRE and the physics GRE and possibly an English proficiency exam (you'll probably get a waiver on that but I can tell your English needs improvement, no offense).

Thank you very much! I also feel I need to improve my English. Would you give me any suggestion?

 

[inotyce]

Thank you very much! I also feel I need to improve my English. Would you give me any suggestion?

I only hear native people say "I feel" in phrases like "I feel better", "I feel like I need...", "I feel like doing..."
Your "feel" above already takes over the place of "think","know" or "guess", all of which should be a better choice. In some countries where English is not the first language of use i.e Singapore, Vietnam..., "feel" seems overused since its meaning maps naturally well to the speaker's mother tongue's.

This is just my personal opinion, if you google, you might also find examples of feel used in an exactly the same way as you do by native speakers, I just find it rare, perhaps due to my limited cases interacting with more native speakers.

 

[aworrystudent]

I only hear native people say "I feel" in phrases like "I feel better", "I feel like I need...", "I feel like doing..."
Your "feel" above already takes over the place of "think","know" or "guess", all of which should be a better choice. In some countries where English is not the first language of use i.e Singapore, Vietnam..., "feel" seems overused since its meaning maps naturally well to the speaker's mother tongue's.

This is just my personal opinion, if you google, you might also find examples of feel used in an exactly the same way as you do by native speakers, I just find it rare, perhaps due to my limited cases interacting with more native speakers.

Thank you very much for your kind instruction. I really appreciate your help.