Doing a PhD in the USA: Advice for the PF Community

[JD_PM]

Hi PF community!

Let me briefly expose you all my situation. I have a degree in Biotech but I've always been interested in Physics. Once I finished it I decided to start studying Physics and it has been the best decision I've ever taken in my life.

I am currently in a 3 year programme which is 1 year of preparation (fundamental bachelor courses) + 2 years of Master's.

I am still in the first year of the programme but I feel like I'd like to do a PhD afterwards. And I'd like to do it in The States (an option would be to do the Master's Theses + PhD).

I have been looking at different universities and all of them request for recommendation letters, taking oral exams, taking GREs...

I have several questions:

1) I see GRE are tests with a wide different range of topics. I see in Physics they ask on CM, Electrodynamics, QM and so on. What's the difficulty of GRE tests and how much time should I study before taking them? (I know the time depends on the person but let's say I have an average knowledge on every topic).

2) How difficult is to get a scholarship for studying in a top university in America? Setting aside good marks, is there anything else I can do to boost my chances to get one?

3) As an immigrant, do I need to present any extra documentation or take any extra test (in English, for instance)?

I feel like I could do something else apart from getting good marks to improve my chances.

My profile is more of a passionate guy rather than a brilliant student.

I'd like to say that the idea of moving to America is a desire not an objective (I do not want to get obsessed with the idea of getting into a big place), but I feel I have to give it a shot.

I know it is may be too soon to be talking about a PhD in my situation but I think is good to plan this with time ahead.

Any advice is appreciated.

Thank you.

 

[jtbell]

Have you seen the thread near the top of this forum, titled something like "So you want to be a physicist - 22 part guide"? The descriptions and advice are geared towards US graduate schools.

How difficult is to get a scholarship for studying in a top university in America?

Generally, if you're admitted into a PhD program, you will receive financial aid of some kind: a teaching assistantship in which you teach introductory labs or recitation sections; a research assistantship in which you get paid for helping with a group's research (normally the group with which you do your PhD research); or a fellowship which has no work obligation except to make good progress in your coursework and research (these are normally for only the very best students).

My profile is more of a passionate guy rather than a brilliant student.

In that case you probably want to aim for lower-tier schools than the "top universities" (e.g. MIT, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Chicago, Caltech, Stanford).

take any extra test (in English, for instance)?

Most schools will probably require you to take the Test of English as a Foreign language (TOEFL). Google it.

What's the difficulty of GRE tests and how much time should I study before taking them?

In the US, students take the GRE during the summer after the third year of a 4-year undergraduate program, or during the fall of the fourth year. Questions are at a level that should have been reached in courses up to that point. You can find a summary and a practice book at the https://www.ets.org/gre/subject/about/content/physics.