3.0 GPA, 3 REUs, industry experience, not sure where to look
Posted: Sun Aug 16, 2015 10:42 am
Hi everyone,
I've been working in industry for a year and am thinking of going back to grad school next fall for a physics PHD program. I got 3 REU's as an undergrad, one in astronomy, and two in condensed matter physics. For the latter both were in thin film growth, one in hydrogenation of thin films, one in spintronics. I've been working at two lab tech jobs, one 6 month for 3m and just starting working at HB Fuller. So I'm great on the experimental side and can get good letters for recommendation but my gpa is only a 3.04 (physics gpa a bit lower). I am not quite sure where that places me or what schools I should be looking at. I'm taking the PGRE in October so that should finish my profile. I'm looking into condensed matter physics and AMO programs but am not sure where to start when i'm not looking at top-10 programs. I'm considering going industry-phd-industry so my skills will matter than my degree, but I still want someplace with an actual program. Narrowing down what I want to focus on in condensed matter physics is also difficult because the field is so huge (and so ingrained with chemistry.)
BTW I'm a Female, American student
I've been working in industry for a year and am thinking of going back to grad school next fall for a physics PHD program. I got 3 REU's as an undergrad, one in astronomy, and two in condensed matter physics. For the latter both were in thin film growth, one in hydrogenation of thin films, one in spintronics. I've been working at two lab tech jobs, one 6 month for 3m and just starting working at HB Fuller. So I'm great on the experimental side and can get good letters for recommendation but my gpa is only a 3.04 (physics gpa a bit lower). I am not quite sure where that places me or what schools I should be looking at. I'm taking the PGRE in October so that should finish my profile. I'm looking into condensed matter physics and AMO programs but am not sure where to start when i'm not looking at top-10 programs. I'm considering going industry-phd-industry so my skills will matter than my degree, but I still want someplace with an actual program. Narrowing down what I want to focus on in condensed matter physics is also difficult because the field is so huge (and so ingrained with chemistry.)
BTW I'm a Female, American student