In need of some advice
Posted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 6:55 pm
Hello everyone! I've lurked for a long time, and I've finally worked up the nerve to formerly register. I need a bit of advice in regards for grad school. I'm a physics/philosophy major finishing up my junior year at a fairly reputable state school. It was actually fairly recently this Spring semester that I began thinking seriously about graduate school.
I always wanted to be a scientist. From starting college I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do or which discipline I would choose, but I was always fond of the sciences. Physics was something I really enjoyed and was pretty good at (when I had the time to invest), but now I'm serious about taking my studies further. Here's where I stand, and forgive me for emulating the applicant profile format:
GPA cumulative: 3.0
GPA(physics): 3.1
Research Experience: 6 months soft condensed matter (liquid crystals), and ongoing research (about 9 months by the time I apply to grad schools) involving computer models of self-organized criticality. Also, 6 months of work in a neurobiology lab on a computer modelling experiment.
Field of interest: Not sure, but definitely experimental.
Special Awards: NJSGC-NASA research grant, undergraduate research grant in biology
Other: Took two graduate courses, Neurobiology I (A) and Neurobiology II (B).
*Also, I know for sure I can get three really good letters of recommendation.
I know my main obstacle is a less than ideal GPA, which is in all honesty due not to laziness or irresponsibility, but simply having too many things on my plate at one time. In addition to work and personal projects, I was always too scattered with my interests and other responsibilities, which unfortunately reflected on my grades. Now that I know I that grad school in physics is my goal, I'm focusing more and making sure I do well in my final semesters and land a solid score on the physics GRE.
I was mostly wondering about masters degrees - my advisor in the physics department was even in a worse situation when he was an undergraduate, and found that doing a masters degree first not only helped him as a student (got him to "zero in" on his interests), but made him more attractive to good Ph.D. programs. I love science, and I'm confident in my ability, so I think this is a great idea to focus exclusively on physics and actually get to know what I truly want to do.
So, I guess my question is twofold: do any of you know of good (or even "safety" options) for doing a masters degree in terms of possible schools to apply to (not sure what field I want to work in, but I definitely have an experimentalist slant)? And have any of you done this masters-first path, and have any advice to someone new to the grad-school application process? I would really appreciate any answers, I'm sorry if this seems like just another generic "what are my chances" posts, but it would be a big help.
I always wanted to be a scientist. From starting college I didn't know exactly what I wanted to do or which discipline I would choose, but I was always fond of the sciences. Physics was something I really enjoyed and was pretty good at (when I had the time to invest), but now I'm serious about taking my studies further. Here's where I stand, and forgive me for emulating the applicant profile format:
GPA cumulative: 3.0
GPA(physics): 3.1
Research Experience: 6 months soft condensed matter (liquid crystals), and ongoing research (about 9 months by the time I apply to grad schools) involving computer models of self-organized criticality. Also, 6 months of work in a neurobiology lab on a computer modelling experiment.
Field of interest: Not sure, but definitely experimental.
Special Awards: NJSGC-NASA research grant, undergraduate research grant in biology
Other: Took two graduate courses, Neurobiology I (A) and Neurobiology II (B).
*Also, I know for sure I can get three really good letters of recommendation.
I know my main obstacle is a less than ideal GPA, which is in all honesty due not to laziness or irresponsibility, but simply having too many things on my plate at one time. In addition to work and personal projects, I was always too scattered with my interests and other responsibilities, which unfortunately reflected on my grades. Now that I know I that grad school in physics is my goal, I'm focusing more and making sure I do well in my final semesters and land a solid score on the physics GRE.
I was mostly wondering about masters degrees - my advisor in the physics department was even in a worse situation when he was an undergraduate, and found that doing a masters degree first not only helped him as a student (got him to "zero in" on his interests), but made him more attractive to good Ph.D. programs. I love science, and I'm confident in my ability, so I think this is a great idea to focus exclusively on physics and actually get to know what I truly want to do.
So, I guess my question is twofold: do any of you know of good (or even "safety" options) for doing a masters degree in terms of possible schools to apply to (not sure what field I want to work in, but I definitely have an experimentalist slant)? And have any of you done this masters-first path, and have any advice to someone new to the grad-school application process? I would really appreciate any answers, I'm sorry if this seems like just another generic "what are my chances" posts, but it would be a big help.