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Contacted by schools!

Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 1:35 pm
by physicsstudent
Hello guys,

First off, I would like to wish every body the very best of luck with their applications.

This week, I was contacted by two different physics departments. One is in a U California, and another one is in Boston (not Harvard, MIT or UB). Both say that they are interested in me to apply to their programs, and that there is planety of funding (I am an international student, and I did my undergradute degree at an IVY famous for its physics program)! Anyhow, I believe that they got my info (GPA, etc) from the GRE Search Service (cannot think of something else, and no I am not famous :-)

Has any one of you guys been approached by any programs? Does this mean I have a chance at any of these places?

Yours,

Physicsstudent!

Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 2:01 pm
by butsurigakusha
Several of my friends have been contacted by UC Riverside, and maybe one other UC school. I think they contact California Residents who signed up for the search service, because all my friends who have been contacted are from California. But I have not been contacted by any schools.

Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 2:16 pm
by physicsstudent
hi butsurigakusha,

Thank you very much for the reply.
I am not a California resident, and I was still cotacted by this California school. I am actually an international student, so knowing how hard it is to get funding as an international student from a UC, I asked the chair about funding. He said that they make about 30 offers--with full assistanships--to international students so that they could recruit about 10 (out of 24) in each entering class. This actually made me question what I repeatedly heard on this forum: UCs do not have much money for international students!

Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 2:31 pm
by butsurigakusha
The statistics published by AIP show pretty consistently that about 1/4 of the UC graduate students are international, whereas most of the private schools like Stanford and MIT seem to have about 1/2 of their students international. So the UCs do except a smaller percentage of international students, but it is not impossible for international students to get accepted.

Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 3:17 pm
by quizivex
I actually got e-mails from the same schools you mentioned. So it looks like these schools try to use the GRE service to recruit students.

I'm not sure if they sent this message to everyone who took the test or just to people with a minimum score, but it looks like nationality wasn't a factor.

*by the way, I'm from the east coast

Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 3:25 pm
by physicsstudent
Thank you very much guys for your replies.

I think the GRE Search Service provides these school with certain criteria (self-reported GPA, GRE scores ranges, etc.). I do not believe top school will really use this service, because they have a lot of well-qualified applicants anyhow. I feel that decent schools feel underserved by the status quo so they are agressively seeking to attract good applicants.

I have actually decided to pick up some of these schools as safety schools. And in fact, the financial packages are not bad at all...quite decent indeed!

Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 4:04 pm
by vicente
These e-mails don't mean much since they're automated. The department receives a bunch of names and e-mails from the GRE search service and the department head sends out a mass e-mail to these students advertising their department. In fact I got an e-mail inviting me to apply to a program I had already sent my application to.

BTW UC Davis is only 10% international and UC Santa Cruz is only 12%.

Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 4:05 pm
by TheHawkBat
I have been contacted by Brandeis, Drexel, UC Riverside, Northeastern, and Indiana U, and I believe this has all been through the GRE search service

Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 4:31 pm
by grae313
I've been solicited by about 6 to 10 schools through the GRE search service. Two of them have been UCs. All it means is you clicked "yes" when you took the GRE and you got decent scores.

Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 5:00 pm
by physicsstudent
Thank you very much for your replies, guys!

Has any one received an email from an MIT-caliber school?

Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 6:35 pm
by twistor
They just want you to apply so they can collect your application fee.

Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 9:59 pm
by dlenmn
@twistor

I don't think it's that simple. For instance, UC Riverside said in their email that they'll wave the application fee for people who meet certain standards (3.5 GPA, 1200+ on general GRE I think). The places sending out these emails aren't top places, but they're probably looking to improve. Part of what they want is good people to apply to them as safeties so that they have a chance to pick them up if things fall through at other places.

Posted: Fri Dec 07, 2007 11:38 pm
by twistor
Weren't they also the ones looking for physics bachelors to get a Ph.d. in IT?

Or was that some other school?

Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 12:26 am
by VT
I agree wih twistor!

Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 12:28 am
by cancelled20080417
VT,
you came out of the blue and said you agree with twistor!! :?:

Twistor, what does IT stand for! I think u twisted the word lil bit! :wink:

Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2007 12:51 am
by grae313
Information Technology