Statement of Purpose: Physics Grad & International Student

  • Thread starter Thread starter diraccc
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Grad Physics
AI Thread Summary
The discussion centers on whether an international student applying for physics PhD programs should mention their experience of only attending labs during their undergraduate studies, despite achieving high grades. The consensus leans against including this detail in the statement of purpose, as it may imply a lack of interest in the subject. The argument suggests that highlighting this could overshadow the positive aspect of good grades, which already demonstrate academic capability. It is emphasized that a PhD requires dedication and initiative, and mentioning a minimal engagement with coursework could be perceived negatively by admissions committees. The idea of independent study is acknowledged but deemed less compelling than the potential drawbacks of the statement.
diraccc
Messages
4
Reaction score
0
I'm an international student applying to some physics phd programs, during my BS i only attended labs (here, attending lectures is not obligatory)... and still I got high grades.
the question is: "is this fact positive or negative to mention in my statement of purpose"?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
I would definitely NOT mention that if I were you.
 
thanks, because I was thinking otherwise!
 
Don't take my answer as gold, it was given from a purely rational thinking perspective, so maybe someone else can chime in, as well. But to me, including this in your statement would suggest your disinterest in Physics, and the magnitude of this negative impact would be greater than any possible positive impact your ability to get good grades without attending lectures might have. If you have good grades, they are namely a testament of your abilities in and of itself, and need no additional "oh yeah, and I also wrote all of my tests with one of my eyes closed and three fingers tied together" bravado.
 
I would read that comment as "this candidate does that which is compulsory but nothing more". That is certainly not a good trait for a PhD, because nothing is compulsory, and you need to be highly dedicated in order to succeed.
 
what I had in mind is that indicates capabily of studying independently, but I think that the points you are making are more solid that mine
 
After a year of thought, I decided to adjust my ratio for applying the US/EU(+UK) schools. I mostly focused on the US schools before, but things are getting complex and I found out that Europe is also a good place to study. I found some institutes that have professors with similar interests. But gaining the information is much harder than US schools (like you have to contact professors in advance etc). For your information, I have B.S. in engineering (low GPA: 3.2/4.0) in Asia - one SCI...
I graduated with a BSc in Physics in 2020. Since there were limited opportunities in my country (mostly teaching), I decided to improve my programming skills and began working in IT, first as a software engineer and later as a quality assurance engineer, where I’ve now spent about 3 years. While this career path has provided financial stability, I’ve realized that my excitement and passion aren’t really there, unlike what I felt when studying or doing research in physics. Working in IT...
Hello, I’m an undergraduate student pursuing degrees in both computer science and physics. I was wondering if anyone here has graduated with these degrees and applied to a physics graduate program. I’m curious about how graduate programs evaluated your applications. In addition, if I’m interested in doing research in quantum fields related to materials or computational physics, what kinds of undergraduate research experiences would be most valuable?

Similar threads

Replies
3
Views
3K
Replies
52
Views
4K
Replies
3
Views
2K
Replies
6
Views
2K
Replies
12
Views
3K
Replies
7
Views
2K
Back
Top