- #1
Dishsoap
- 1,017
- 310
Hello all,
I realize I may be a bit early for this, but I don't want to screw it up. I'm a junior in undergrad (physics major), and I'd like to begin thinking about graduate school. Usually only one or two graduates from my physics department go on to graduate school, so when I ask my advisors these questions, I typically get an "I don't know". I've been looking around on this forum as well as other physics forums, and been looking at the Applicant Profile threads on physics-gre.com. Anyway, I have a 4.0 GPA, some research experience (3 publications, 1 in phys rev A), and I'm a Goldwater scholar (and a female, if that matters), so I'd like to think I stand a chance at getting into grad school. Anyway, I have the following questions:
I realize I may be a bit early for this, but I don't want to screw it up. I'm a junior in undergrad (physics major), and I'd like to begin thinking about graduate school. Usually only one or two graduates from my physics department go on to graduate school, so when I ask my advisors these questions, I typically get an "I don't know". I've been looking around on this forum as well as other physics forums, and been looking at the Applicant Profile threads on physics-gre.com. Anyway, I have a 4.0 GPA, some research experience (3 publications, 1 in phys rev A), and I'm a Goldwater scholar (and a female, if that matters), so I'd like to think I stand a chance at getting into grad school. Anyway, I have the following questions:
- For an advanced mathematics class, would an admissions person rather see that I took it pass/fail or should I risk taking it for credit and getting a B?
- I have a publication in mathematics in an undergraduate research journal from doing math research for a semester. Should I include it on my applications even though it may imply that I give up easily on research projects? (I don't - I found out I couldn't get a math degree so I stopped doing math research)
- How difficult is it to get an application fee waiver? (my FAFSA information is based on my parents' income, but I am not financially dependent on them)
- How many graduate schools does the average person apply to? (I have a friend who recently applied to fourteen, and got into only one - I don't want to end up like him)
- Is it normal to visit places you've been accepted to? If so, how do you juggle visiting places and the workload present in the last few semesters of undergrad?
- How important is the pGRE? No one at my school has ever gotten above a 715. And I'm looking at the forums and noticing that people are getting 900+ scores and still not getting in anywhere.
- I am doing an internship this summer at FNAL. I would like to ask my mentor for a LoR but I'm afraid that he will forget about me by the time I go to apply to grad school.