Good 2008 Physics Phd and M.S. Applicant Resource

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around resources for graduate school applications in physics, specifically focusing on acceptance rates and user-reported statistics from a particular website. Participants explore the implications of these acceptance rates and the nature of the data presented.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • One participant shares links to resources for graduate school applications, including lists of programs and admission results.
  • Another participant expresses skepticism about the high acceptance rates reported for prestigious institutions, questioning the reliability of the data.
  • A participant suggests that the acceptance rates reflect only those who registered on the site and reported their outcomes, implying a potential bias in the statistics.
  • It is noted that the information is user-reported, which may skew the acceptance rates and profiles of admitted students.
  • A participant mentions the usefulness of the site for tracking responses from programs after applications have been submitted.
  • One participant humorously reflects on their own rejection, indicating a personal experience with the application process.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that the acceptance rates may not accurately represent the overall applicant pool, but there is no consensus on the implications of this data or its reliability.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights the limitations of user-reported data and the potential for skewed statistics based on self-selection of participants who choose to report their application outcomes.

Who May Find This Useful

Undergraduate students considering graduate school in physics, as well as those interested in understanding the application process and acceptance trends in physics programs.

breakfree2002
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Hi everyone.

I discovered an excellent resource for graduate school applications.

* List of US Graduate School Physics Programs.

http://www.yuster.com/school/get_universities_for_major/6

* Admission Results & Decisions from many different Physics Programs

http://www.yuster.com/school/get_major_responses/6

* Subscribe for alerts on when your program has started to send out admission decisions.

http://www.yuster.com/school/rss

* General Graduate School Admission Resources.
http://www.yuster.com

Hope you find these useful!
 
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Mmm, I'm just an undergrad currently looking in general at grad school possibilities, but those acceptance rates (in the first link) seem pretty high to me... Harvard, Columbia, Caltech at around 70%, MIT at 100%... the only seemingly selective ones are Yale, Princeton, Stanford, Santa Barbara and Chicago. Is there more to this than meets the eye?
 
dpackard said:
Mmm, I'm just an undergrad currently looking in general at grad school possibilities, but those acceptance rates (in the first link) seem pretty high to me... Harvard, Columbia, Caltech at around 70%, MIT at 100%... the only seemingly selective ones are Yale, Princeton, Stanford, Santa Barbara and Chicago. Is there more to this than meets the eye?

This site is obviously not tracking every applicant.
 
Looked strange at first to me too. I think the deal with this site is that you sign up and record your progress in applying (I applied here, I got accepted there). These are the acceptance rates for members of the site.

I guess that means just registering boosts your chances of getting accepted.
 
It's really user reported information. So the statistics are definitely skewed.

However, it is still interesting to view the profiles of those that do get admitted to get a rough sense of the type of profiles that the successful applicants have.

It is also useful after you have submitted your apps and are waiting for a response, because it tells you when other people hear back, so you can get a rough idea of when you will hear back.

Cheers,
Henry
 
i wish i registering would boost my chance...but no alas...just got a ding!
 

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