Physics GRE Discussion Forums

Post 'em here!

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I've been accepted to Ohio State and Texas so far; no word from anyone else yet.

vesperlynd wrote:The grad cafe says someone got accepted to Harvard and Michigan. I'm beginning to wonder whether or not any of the results reporting can be trusted.

I got accepted to Harvard without even applying.

By the way, anyone who posts on this thread that didn't post their application profile on the main thread I am going to harass you until you do so. =)

-Riley

So I got myself an acceptance on Dec 19 by phone and was promised an official e-mail when the university reopened after Christmas break. A fruitful investigation yielded January 12th as the promised date but... as of today, still no e-mail. Anyone who's gotten phone acceptances care to comment? Should I be getting worried that they accidentally accepted the wrong person...?

Alice wrote:So I got myself an acceptance on Dec 19 by phone and was promised an official e-mail when the university reopened after Christmas break. A fruitful investigation yielded January 12th as the promised date but... as of today, still no e-mail. Anyone who's gotten phone acceptances care to comment? Should I be getting worried that they accidentally accepted the wrong person...?

Alice, December 19th seems very early for an acceptance. I'm not saying it hasn't happened before it is just really early! So I would be slightly worried about the situation myself. Perhaps you should contact that school and ask them about the status of your application, but don't mention anything about getting accepted, just to see how they respond. Obviously, they will know if you have already been accepted yet. That way you save yourself the embarrassment just in case you were the "wrong person".

-Riley

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I think the first wave of offers will probably occur in 2 weeks time. The Harvard and Michigan ones on gradcafe are probably internet trolls.

giga17 wrote:I think the first wave of offers will probably occur in 2 weeks time. The Harvard and Michigan ones on gradcafe are probably internet trolls.

From PhysicsGRE.com Applicant profiles you'll notice the earliest acceptances tend to be in the last week of January. So I would assume that is when the majority of acceptances/rejections will begin.

-Riley

That sounds like great advice, Riley, thanks. I think I'll wait until after the long weekend and then call if I don't hear from them by Tuesday.

I'd be worried too if I'm in your shoes. But I'm sure we are all unnecessarily paranoid at this stage.

giga17 wrote:I think the first wave of offers will probably occur in 2 weeks time. The Harvard and Michigan ones on gradcafe are probably internet trolls.

Yeah, and the same for the person who claimed to be someone's mother who knew about an acceptance to a "top 20". That was just a little too weird.

axiomofchoice wrote:I'd be worried too if I'm in your shoes. But I'm sure we are all unnecessarily paranoid at this stage.

I think we'll all start to relax once we each get at least one official acceptance. I mean, I do think everyone will be paranoid even when we all should be fine! The weight will be relieved once we know we have a future!

-Riley

CarlBrannen wrote: Yeah, and the same for the person who claimed to be someone's mother who knew about an acceptance to a "top 20". That was just a little too weird.

There's always the benefit of the doubt. But one thing's for sure: us mere mortals will have to wait for the normal offer periods.

I heard form one of the schools that they will start the first round of evaluation this week with the second round one or two weeks after that.

Goran15 wrote:I heard form one of the schools that they will start the first round of evaluation this week with the second round one or two weeks after that.

I heard the same from Duke A friend of mine actually got an invite to the open house there (all expenses paid), but he applied to their engineering program.

kubikat wrote:

Goran15 wrote:I heard form one of the schools that they will start the first round of evaluation this week with the second round one or two weeks after that.

I heard the same from Duke A friend of mine actually got an invite to the open house there (all expenses paid), but he applied to their engineering program.

already? I haven't heard anything from the engineering program.

p.s. just looked at your profile and sure am glad I didn't apply for AMO

uzbyte, if you're reading this, if your pgre is between 700 and 800 I think it would help your applications rather than hurt them.

grae313 wrote:uzbyte, if you're reading this, if your pgre is between 700 and 800 I think it would help your applications rather than hurt them.

Yeah, definitely. Not submitting a PGRE to most of those schools might be application suicide, plus if you're above a 700, your score is definitely not bad.

-Riley

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Right, of course the pgre isn't required, otherwise you'd have to submit your GRE no matter what. I hate to say it, but "for a girl" having a pgre score below 800 isn't necessarily going to hurt your profile, and if she scored above or around the 70th percentile overall, that probably means she's well above the 70th percentile for women. Even if her score isn't blowing anyone's mind, people are more likely to think she bombed it if she doesn't submit it, so if it's decent, I think she should show them that. For bio programs coming from a physics background I think it would definitely help as well. You bring something unique to the table as a physicist in biology, and again if the score is at least somewhat respectable, you can erase the doubt in people's minds that you bombed it.

But this is all on my assumption that scoring "less than 800" means she scored within 100 or 150 points of 800. If this is not the case, then perhaps it is best to leave it off.

vesperlynd wrote: If you look at her list, those schools don't even require the scores. Harvard applied physics will accept students without the scores - a few people on previous profile threads were in that situation. And the PGRE won't help for the bio programs.

All of the applied physics programs I've looked at (quite a few) have PGRE as "strongly suggested". Then again, since she has been out of school for some time, they might be willing to overlook the PGRE.

I got an offer to visit Colorado State (engineering) for their grad day in early March. If I go, and meet with the right people and everything goes well, should I expect an offer at the time? How do these visits work? The email I got was from a faculty member who mentioned funded openings in his research group that I would be "an excellent candidate" for.

I'm sure this has been covered before, but I really don't have time to search the whole forum for it. Sorry.

An offer for what? An offer of admission or are you already admitted? Engineering may be different than physics, where once you are admitted you are invited to the open house all expenses paid, but it's just to try and recruit you. If you are already admitted and you mean an offer of funding or to join a group, well then that is something we don't have much experience with but that's usually just between you and your adviser. Regardless, it sounds like the professor you spoke to things you are a good match for his research group so you shouldn't be worrying about anything.

The odd thing about this is that this is the first I have heard from CSU, so I really don't know what to make of it. The email is almost generic.

Dear <t2>,

I'm writing you to let you know that I've been looking at graduate applicants to the Electrical Engineering department at CSU and I'm extremely impressed by your academic record and your passion for science. I've recommended that you be extended an invitation to visit CSU during our graduate visit day. I hope that you will be able to come and that I'll have a chance to tell you about the exciting research we have going on in my laboratory. Our projects span a large range of topics, from development of new lasers and light sources to new cutting edge microscopes. I currently have new exciting funding opportunities for a number of students, and you look like an excellent candidate for one of these slots. Please don't hesitate if you with to talk in further detail.

With kind regards,
< CSU ECE Prof>

followed by research group links ... where I see that they already have a couple of Physics grad students in the group.

I like this possibility better than Wisconsin, but I can't quite convince myself that its real.

@ cryingsun, who I happen to know.

Don't shortchange yourself, you'll bias the statistics! You know at least 2/3 of your recommenders are going to say you're the best to ever come out of the department, ever. They've said as much already. Also, all publications aren't the same, yours was a mostly independent theory paper on Dark Energy (in P.R.D), not, for instance, a data release paper from some experiment you were a minor cog in.

I'm pretty sure that these fall under "special bonus points".

t2kburl wrote:The odd thing about this is that this is the first I have heard from CSU, so I really don't know what to make of it. The email is almost generic.

Dear <t2>,

I'm writing you to let you know that I've been looking at graduate applicants to the Electrical Engineering department at CSU and I'm extremely impressed by your academic record and your passion for science. I've recommended that you be extended an invitation to visit CSU during our graduate visit day. I hope that you will be able to come and that I'll have a chance to tell you about the exciting research we have going on in my laboratory. Our projects span a large range of topics, from development of new lasers and light sources to new cutting edge microscopes. I currently have new exciting funding opportunities for a number of students, and you look like an excellent candidate for one of these slots. Please don't hesitate if you with to talk in further detail.

With kind regards,
< CSU ECE Prof>

followed by research group links ... where I see that they already have a couple of Physics grad students in the group.

I like this possibility better than Wisconsin, but I can't quite convince myself that its real.

It sounds like they want to make sure you would be a good match for their program. They probably have a shortlist of candidates and are using this opportunity to choose the final list. Best of luck .

bfollinprm wrote:@ cryingsun, who I happen to know.

Don't shortchange yourself, you'll bias the statistics! You know at least 2/3 of your recommenders are going to say you're the best to ever come out of the department, ever. They've said as much already. Also, all publications aren't the same, yours was a mostly independent theory paper on Dark Energy (in P.R.D), not, for instance, a data release paper from some experiment you were a minor cog in.

I'm pretty sure that these fall under "special bonus points".

Thanks for the note, Brent. I did try to be objective. I didn't mention recommenders because we have a small department, and honestly I don't think "best student in past 10 years" during which time there have been 30 physics majors is a serious bonus. For publication, I thought 1st out of 2 authors as I mentioned in my profile was explicit enough.

Good luck to your applications!

(And for the record the publication was not on dark energy )

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vesperlynd wrote:@cryingsun, I'm actually a little confused about your profile. Here (http://www.physicsgre.com/viewtopic.php ... 105#p32105) you said that you applied to UMich for applied physics, yet I don't see that on your profile.

Gee, I just can't hide anything!

Well, I applied to quite a few applied physics schools, but I just didn't feel like including them .

cryingsun wrote:Gee, I just can't hide anything!

n00dz plz

-Riley

Got into UW Seattle by postal mail! The envelope was postmarked Jan 18th.
The other program I got into by phone has confirmed my acceptance. Apparently the next correspondence will be from the dean of graduate admissions, which should be at some point next week. However, being paranoid, I will refrain from naming it until I get a hard copy of my acceptance

Alice wrote:Got into UW Seattle by postal mail! The envelope was postmarked Jan 18th.

Congrats

Congrats Alice! Always good to get the gorilla off your back. Did they send you an email as well?

axiomofchoice wrote: Congrats

giga17 wrote:Congrats Alice! Always good to get the gorilla off your back. Did they send you an email as well?

Thanks!! I haven't gotten an e-mail yet, but the letter said one should be forthcoming.

Sigh, is the slowness killing anyone? I know I'm whining a lot, but I can't help it.

giga17 wrote:Sigh, is the slowness killing anyone?

I'm still alive.

-Riley

Every time I come to the forum, this thread has new posts and my stomach sinks at the thought that an acceptance had gone out and I, all the while, haven't heard anything from almost all of the schools I applied to. Then I come in to see who got in where and I realize its just a bit of chit chat. Stop playing with my mind you sick tease!

giga17 wrote:Sigh, is the slowness killing anyone? I know I'm whining a lot, but I can't help it.

It sure is. Everyday I find myself going over the application in my mind and everyday I come up with more reasons for being rejected.

kapil_ds wrote:...and everyday I come up with more reasons for being rejected.

I have to agree with you on this one. Not a day goes by that I don't regret sending in a shirtless photo with my application.

-Riley

So... I got accepted into a school and I have been emailing with the professor quite a lot. They also gave me a few grad student contacts.
Do you think it is appropriate for me to talk to all of them a lot before I decide to go there?
I still haven't heard from any of my other schools.
I worry that they will spend all the time answering the questions I have and then I will look and feel bad, if I choose another school. But then again, I want to learn as much as I can about them, before making decisions.

kubikat wrote:So... I got accepted into a school and I have been emailing with the professor quite a lot. They also gave me a few grad student contacts.
Do you think it is appropriate for me to talk to all of them a lot before I decide to go there?
I still haven't heard from any of my other schools.
I worry that they will spend all the time answering the questions I have and then I will look and feel bad, if I choose another school. But then again, I want to learn as much as I can about them, before making decisions.

Don't feel bad if you don't choose them.
Don't leave a question unasked.
You want to make sure you'll feel comfortable where ever you end up.

kubikat wrote:So... I got accepted into a school and I have been emailing with the professor quite a lot. They also gave me a few grad student contacts.
Do you think it is appropriate for me to talk to all of them a lot before I decide to go there?
I still haven't heard from any of my other schools.
I worry that they will spend all the time answering the questions I have and then I will look and feel bad, if I choose another school. But then again, I want to learn as much as I can about them, before making decisions.

If the purpose of the emails is to help you make a more informed decision, then yes you absolutely should email them. If, on the other hand, your emails are to socialize so that when you arrive you have some familiar names/faces then that is probably not a good use of their time and I wouldn't bother them.

badphysicist wrote:If the purpose of the emails is to help you make a more informed decision, then yes you absolutely should email them. If, on the other hand, your emails are to socialize so that when you arrive you have some familiar names/faces then that is probably not a good use of their time and I wouldn't bother them.

Thank you both for the response! No I don't really want to socialize, at least until I make a decision. I just want to find out more about their research, classes etc. But socializing kind of happens by itself.

kubikat wrote:So... I got accepted into a school and I have been emailing with the professor quite a lot. They also gave me a few grad student contacts.
Do you think it is appropriate for me to talk to all of them a lot before I decide to go there?

To survive as a physicist, you will have to make friends and influential people. Now is as good a time to start as any. I think you should go ahead and contact them, and if their interests are similar to yours, you should keep the contact going even if you attend grad school at a different place.

Got a fat letter from U. Washington today! It was postmarked the 19th. Feels good to be in somewhere.

Nice to see some other acceptances coming in. Congrats Duck and kubikat!
I have the green light from a second engineering school! Colorado State made it official today.
Personally, I would prefer Fort Collins over Madison or anywhere else I have applied.

Just to lighten the anxiety level a little, let me share a video to pass the time. grae313 requested I do a cover of her current favorite artist, Kesha.

"Dear Riley: Since she is the emerging political and philosophical voice of our time, please cover a song by the great and wise Ke$ha. Thank you."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMwTxMTJ6co

Enjoy.

-Riley

P.S. - I've been to Fort Collins quite a bit t2k, it's a fairly nice place.

A friend of mine got an email from UCSC Astro for an interview. Anyone here receive emails from santa cruz?

bck2school wrote:A friend of mine got an email from UCSC Astro for an interview. Anyone here receive emails from santa cruz?

I haven't received anything yet but I applied to physics. Not sure if they are different programs.

-Riley