Should I try for the top ones?
Posted: Fri Oct 25, 2019 5:02 am
Hi everyone, I'm an Italian student and I am applying for the PhDs 2020.
I would like to hear some suggestions about my school list, as I think that I have a strong profile in some areas but some catches.
GPA:
28.4/30 in Bachelor of Physics (which from a previous post I got it should be around 3.6-3.7) BUT with a downward trend (actually an awful last semester, before which I was around 3.9-4). However I have reasons for such semester.
29.7/30 ~ 3.95 in my Master of Physics
29.8 ~ 3.95 in my second master in Applied Math
GRE
V167 Q169, but AWA 4.0
TOEFL
no problem with English, 115, well above any threshold here
pGRE:
I am applying to applied science, so not required for the most. However, I will give it one shot tomorrow o.O
Especially in the hope of "compensate" my poor grades (is that really a thing?)
I was thinking to send it only if >94o-ish (too low maybe?)
RESEARCH:
1 poster with invitation a conference
1 article but unfinished (probably on ArXiv but not published at the time of application)
Some internships both in Italy and Europe. Part time but constant (~2 years) research job during the second master and an internship at Max Planck Institute, which should be very well known in the US too (?) and one summer internship at a minor university in Denmark.
PRIZES:
Excellence program in my department (basically some more courses and projects)
Some scholarships (do these count?) for thesis projects, ERASMUS and residential scholarship in a college in Italy
ANYHING ELSE:
worked as editor of a journal for an association of physics students, science divulgation blog (are they really relevant for a PhD?)
Should I try for top schools like Harvard, MIT etc or would it be a waste of money? I am especially concerned with the GPA issue (I definitely don't reach the - apparently magical - 3.8 all those schools indicate in their websites) and the lack of many scientific results: with quite much research time, would I be supposed to bring in more than just a poster and a paper?
I would like to hear some suggestions about my school list, as I think that I have a strong profile in some areas but some catches.
GPA:
28.4/30 in Bachelor of Physics (which from a previous post I got it should be around 3.6-3.7) BUT with a downward trend (actually an awful last semester, before which I was around 3.9-4). However I have reasons for such semester.
29.7/30 ~ 3.95 in my Master of Physics
29.8 ~ 3.95 in my second master in Applied Math
GRE
V167 Q169, but AWA 4.0
TOEFL
no problem with English, 115, well above any threshold here
pGRE:
I am applying to applied science, so not required for the most. However, I will give it one shot tomorrow o.O
Especially in the hope of "compensate" my poor grades (is that really a thing?)
I was thinking to send it only if >94o-ish (too low maybe?)
RESEARCH:
1 poster with invitation a conference
1 article but unfinished (probably on ArXiv but not published at the time of application)
Some internships both in Italy and Europe. Part time but constant (~2 years) research job during the second master and an internship at Max Planck Institute, which should be very well known in the US too (?) and one summer internship at a minor university in Denmark.
PRIZES:
Excellence program in my department (basically some more courses and projects)
Some scholarships (do these count?) for thesis projects, ERASMUS and residential scholarship in a college in Italy
ANYHING ELSE:
worked as editor of a journal for an association of physics students, science divulgation blog (are they really relevant for a PhD?)
Should I try for top schools like Harvard, MIT etc or would it be a waste of money? I am especially concerned with the GPA issue (I definitely don't reach the - apparently magical - 3.8 all those schools indicate in their websites) and the lack of many scientific results: with quite much research time, would I be supposed to bring in more than just a poster and a paper?