Applying to Graduate School
Or, is there life after college?
The steps:
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Choosing a graduate program
The admissions process
Money: financial support
Getting started
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What field are you interested in? Do you want a
graduate (Ph.D.) or professional degree (M.D.)?
Talk to as many people as possible.
Career/employment opportunities? See
www.aps.org/jobs/index.html,
http://physicsweb.org/
If you are interested in a Ph.D. in physics, you'll
need to think about a subfield (e.g., condensed
matter physics, particle physics), and theoretical
vs. experimental.
Researching programs
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Surf the web. See
http://www.gradschoolshopper.com/
Use Peterson's Guide, the AIP Guide to
Graduate Programs in Physics and
Astronomy.
Rankings
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National Research Council
http://www.nas.edu/nrc/
U.S. News and World Reports also provides
rankings (see http://www.usnews.com/usnews/
Look for strength in programs that interest you. If
you are undecided, go for a large department.
Questions to ask
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Some items to ask about:
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External funding of research? Support for
students?
Are faculty widely recognized-are papers widely
cited, are they invited to make presentations on
their work)?
What are the facilities like?
Are the current graduate students happy and
productive?
What do graduates do?
The process
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Send in the application well ahead of any
deadlines (good manners). The deadlines are
usually in Jan. or Feb.
Notification will probably occur during Feb. or
March
If you are offered the chance to visit, do so!
Deadline for reply is April 15. You might be
placed on a waiting list.
The Graduate Record Exam
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Most graduate programs require the general
GRE, and possibly a subject test.
Can now take computer-based exams. Faster,
more convenient. See www.gre.org for
details, and sites.
Study!
Take it twice if you aren't happy with your
score.
Transcripts
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Transcripts from all colleges attended are
required.
Hopefully you have mostly A's and B's in your
major courses.
A couple of C's are okay. A D or E(F) requires
explanation.
If your college has an unconventional grading
system or curriculum, attach a letter
explaining it. Better yet, have a college
administrator attach a letter explaining it.
Personal statement
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A statement of purpose is usually required.
Keep it short-about one page.
Make it germane, don't get weird.
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Why you want to attend graduate school
What you hope to accomplish
How you plan to accomplish it
Emphasize any research experience (REU).
Briefly explain any embarrassing grades.
Type it, check for mistakes.
Letters of recommendation
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Usually two or three letters of
recommendation are required.
Some letters need to come from your
instructors, but others can come from
employers, research advisors, and so on.
Think about whether the letter will be
relevant.
Talk to the person about the nature of the
letter. Supply him/her with an up-to-date
resume, and your statement of purpose.
Personal information is important.
Financial support
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Most science Ph.D. programs will offer
financial support, as a teaching or research
assistant.
Check on the amount of support. What is the
cost of living?
Is insurance provided? Does it include the
summer? Does it cover tuition?
For how many years is support provided?
What are the requirements?
You should investigate fellowship
opportunities.
Fellowships
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National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowships.
$30,000 per year stipend. Deadline in November.
www.ehr.nsf.gov/EHR/DGE/grf.htm.
National Physical Science Consortium (NPSC)
Graduate Fellowships in the Physical Sciences; see
http://www.npsc.org/ Deadline: November 5.
Fannie and John Hertz Foundation Graduate
Fellowships; see www.hertzfndn.org/index.html.
$25,000 per year stipend plus tuition paid! Requires a
GPA>3.75/4.00. Deadline in November.
U.S. Department of Education Graduate Assistance in
Areas of National Need (GAANN) Fellowships.
http://www.ed.gov/programs/iegpsgaann/index.html
Other opportunities
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American Association of University Women Fellowship Program
DOE High-Performance Computer Science Fellowship Program
Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowships for Minorities
Lucent Technologies Foundation Bell Laboratories Cooperative
Research Fellowship Program
Lucent Technologies Graduate Research Program for Women
National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowships
(NDSEG)
National Institutes of Health Predoctoral Extramural Research
Training Award
Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans
SRC Graduate Fellowship Program
U.S. Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate
Fellowships
Whitaker Foundation Graduate Fellowships in Biomedical
Engineering