Schools Preparing for Graduate School in Mathematics without Prefix

AI Thread Summary
Top graduate schools in mathematics generally require strong academic performance in advanced undergraduate courses, particularly in mathematics. Freshmen should focus on excelling in their coursework and aim to take the most challenging classes available early in their academic career, ideally by the end of their second or third year. Engaging in research, such as participating in a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU), is encouraged, although it may be more beneficial to first deepen mathematical knowledge before pursuing research opportunities. Choosing a research area wisely can also impact success, with fields like numerical analysis being more accessible for beginners compared to more complex areas like algebraic geometry. While immediate results in research may be rare for freshmen, persistence and quality of work are crucial for future academic endeavors.
Mustapha13
Messages
15
Reaction score
0
Hello everyone, i have a couple of questions:

1-What are the General basic admission requirements for top Grad schools in Mathematics?
2-As an undergraduate how do i prepare for Math grad school?
(I am not allowed to take grad courses at my school, There are no high-level summer math courses, should i do independant reaserch?)

Btw I am a freshman,

Any advice would be highly appreciated!
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Mustapha13 said:
Hello everyone, i have a couple of questions:

1-What are the General basic admission requirements for top Grad schools in Mathematics?
2-As an undergraduate how do i prepare for Math grad school?
(I am not allowed to take grad courses at my school, There are no high-level summer math courses, should i do independant reaserch?)

Btw I am a freshman,

Any advice would be highly appreciated!

There are many threads answering these exact questions. But to answer your question about what to do in the summer; yes, try to get involved in research. An REU is a good goal.
 
I'm sure that if you ask your school after doing very well in undergraduate mathematics, your school *should* allow you to take grad. classes in math. To improve your chances, you should try to do very well in the most advanced undergrad. math classes they have as early as possible. If you can do this by the end of your second year (preferably), or by the end of your third year (more likely), you're in good position.

Research: I'm not exactly sure whether it's worth doing research as a freshman. You should try by all means, but it's probably better if you try to absorb some more mathematics. Also choose your field carefully. It's easier to do research in something like numerical analysis, rather than algebraic geometry, for example. And don't be discouraged if you don't get results immediately. It's rare for freshmen to have research published (but it does sometimes happen). Quality is the most important. Getting small results is very helpful, but you shouldn't discount the possibility of getting major breakthroughs. The latter is more likely if you have a greater set of tools at your disposal.
 
Annonymous111 said:
I'm sure that if you ask your school after doing very well in undergraduate mathematics, your school *should* allow you to take grad. classes in math. To improve your chances, you should try to do very well in the most advanced undergrad. math classes they have as early as possible. If you can do this by the end of your second year (preferably), or by the end of your third year (more likely), you're in good position.

Research: I'm not exactly sure whether it's worth doing research as a freshman. You should try by all means, but it's probably better if you try to absorb some more mathematics. Also choose your field carefully. It's easier to do research in something like numerical analysis, rather than algebraic geometry, for example. And don't be discouraged if you don't get results immediately. It's rare for freshmen to have research published (but it does sometimes happen). Quality is the most important. Getting small results is very helpful, but you shouldn't discount the possibility of getting major breakthroughs. The latter is more likely if you have a greater set of tools at your disposal.


Thank you so much for the wondeful reply!,
 
TL;DR Summary: I want to do a PhD in applied math but I hate group theory, is this a big problem? Hello, I am a second-year math and physics double major with a minor in data science. I just finished group theory (today actually), and it was my least favorite class in all of university so far. It doesn't interest me, and I am also very bad at it compared to other math courses I have done. The other courses I have done are calculus I-III, ODEs, Linear Algebra, and Prob/Stats. Is it a...
Yesterday, 9/5/2025, when I was surfing, I found an article The Schwarzschild solution contains three problems, which can be easily solved - Journal of King Saud University - Science ABUNDANCE ESTIMATION IN AN ARID ENVIRONMENT https://jksus.org/the-schwarzschild-solution-contains-three-problems-which-can-be-easily-solved/ that has the derivation of a line element as a corrected version of the Schwarzschild solution to Einstein’s field equation. This article's date received is 2022-11-15...

Similar threads

Replies
16
Views
2K
Replies
20
Views
2K
Replies
2
Views
2K
Replies
12
Views
2K
Replies
7
Views
2K
Replies
2
Views
2K
Replies
3
Views
3K
Back
Top