Attending a PhD program in boston area

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slepton20201
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2020 1:58 am

Attending a PhD program in boston area

Post by slepton20201 » Sat Feb 15, 2020 2:05 am

I got admission to Northeastern university in Boston. I have two questions:

1) What are the advantages of doing physics in Boston given that MIT and Harvard awill be at a walking distance from me? In other words, will I be able to attend courses at Harvard and MIT and make connections there? Will I be able to work with professors at these schools? Is it possible to get them on my thesis committee?

2) How good is Northeastern University in theoretical particle physics?

jabennett2194
Posts: 118
Joined: Tue Jun 12, 2018 6:54 pm

Re: Attending a PhD program in boston area

Post by jabennett2194 » Sat Feb 15, 2020 3:37 pm

I'm HEP-th and admitted as well. I was accepted last year too, but did Fulbright research abroad for a year.
I have info from attending the open house last year.

1) You definitely can take courses at MIT. All Boston uni's are super open with one another. Brandeis HEP-th PhDs take courses at MIT/etc. for example.
I am not sure about actually working with profs there though. They have their own students whom they want (and ought to if you think about it — it's their job) to give priority to, you know?
But you can and should have at least one non-Northeastern prof on your committee. That is totally something another uni prof would do.

2) Shouldn't you know this before applied? :/ why did you apply if you don't know which profs there are good in your field/you're interested in? :'(

slepton20201
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2020 1:58 am

Re: Attending a PhD program in boston area

Post by slepton20201 » Sat Feb 15, 2020 5:07 pm

Thank you. I know that there are 3 good professors there. One of them is quite famous in the amplitudes program. However, I don't know more. What is it lke to work on amplitudes at Northeastern, for instance?

slepton20201
Posts: 5
Joined: Sat Feb 15, 2020 1:58 am

Re: Attending a PhD program in boston area

Post by slepton20201 » Sat Feb 15, 2020 5:08 pm

If you went to the open house there, what was your impression?

jabennett2194
Posts: 118
Joined: Tue Jun 12, 2018 6:54 pm

Re: Attending a PhD program in boston area

Post by jabennett2194 » Sun Feb 16, 2020 2:21 pm

Quite right, this celestial sphere amplitudes work seems awesome! :D
1) the campus was amazing, truly in the heart of the city while still having some "campus" area.
2) unfortunately, the 3 profs you mention were not at the open house so I didn't get to meet them, but I spoke with one of their PhD students about the group's work. One of my friends also joined me on the open house visit (she is HEP-ex) and she found her visit amazing.

doxtor6
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Joined: Sat Oct 12, 2019 9:35 pm

Re: Attending a PhD program in boston area

Post by doxtor6 » Sun Feb 23, 2020 9:46 am

I got admission as well for hep-th. I really like their research on string theory with machine learning since I did research on both. But I am quite worried about their graduate course. It seems like thery only provide one course on string theory and hep-th. Is it because students usually take courses in other unis like what jabennett said?

jabennett2194
Posts: 118
Joined: Tue Jun 12, 2018 6:54 pm

Re: Attending a PhD program in boston area

Post by jabennett2194 » Sun Feb 23, 2020 1:35 pm

doxtor6 wrote:
Sun Feb 23, 2020 9:46 am
I got admission as well for hep-th. I really like their research on string theory with machine learning since I did research on both. But I am quite worried about their graduate course. It seems like thery only provide one course on string theory and hep-th. Is it because students usually take courses in other unis like what jabennett said?
Precisely, you can ask at the open house, but I'm fairly certainly the HEP-th students can take higher level QFT/GR/String courses at MIT



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