Physics Admission GPA

  • This has become our largest and most active forum because the physics GRE is just one aspect of getting accepted into a graduate physics program.
  • There are applications, personal statements, letters of recommendation, visiting schools, anxiety of waiting for acceptances, deciding between schools, finding out where others are going, etc.

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kitaewolf
Posts: 6
Joined: Sun May 01, 2011 8:18 am

Physics Admission GPA

Post by kitaewolf » Sun May 01, 2011 8:26 am

Hi, I'm currently a sophomore in UC Berkeley, interested in majoring in physics. I am considering to go to grad school afterwards, and I have few questions.
First, even if I don't go to grad school, would I have good job opportunity with physics Bachelors?
Second, what is the GPA requirement for top tier school? (When I mean GPA requirement, I'm not talking about minimum! I mean GPA for competitive admission that I can safely say that the graduate school will admit me if I have the rest of the package pretty well sorted out). Could you specify in terms of overall and technical GPA, and which one is more important?
Third, what is the competitive, safe admission GPA for upper or medium high schools, and their view and importance on overall and technical GPA?

I understand the questions are a lot. So any feedback in any part of the question will be very helpful. Thank you!

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midwestphysics
Posts: 444
Joined: Thu Dec 16, 2010 12:37 am

Re: Physics Admission GPA

Post by midwestphysics » Sun May 01, 2011 8:38 am

The most important link of them all...
http://www.physicsgre.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2561

The answers to your question....
http://www.physicsgre.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=3421
http://www.physicsgre.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=2824
http://www.physicsgre.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1847
http://www.physicsgre.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=975

There's more depth to your question but every part has been asked a 1000 times so search the forum.

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grae313
Posts: 2296
Joined: Tue May 29, 2007 8:46 pm

Re: Physics Admission GPA

Post by grae313 » Sun May 01, 2011 12:01 pm

There is no GPA that can guarantee your admission anywhere. You should browse the profile threads to see what sorts of GPAs get into which sorts of programs and you'll find there is quite a range. Other aspects of one's application and the rigor of the undergraduate institution come into play. Graduate schools will care most about your grades in upper division physics classes. For job prospects with a bacherlors, you should talk to your professors and career counselors at your school to see where people from your department who have not gone on to graduate school have gone.

negru
Posts: 307
Joined: Wed Oct 13, 2010 3:49 pm

Re: Physics Admission GPA

Post by negru » Sun May 01, 2011 10:05 pm

I would worry more about your upcoming general GRE scores

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YodaT
Posts: 102
Joined: Mon May 10, 2010 2:01 am

Re: Physics Admission GPA

Post by YodaT » Wed May 04, 2011 5:43 am

negru wrote:I would worry more about your upcoming general GRE scores
I would worry more about the distant PGRE than the upcoming general. I'm just gonna buy a general GRE prep-book a week before the exam, read through it, and run through several on-line practice exams... then take the general GRE.

But seriously, don't waste your time on it. I had dinner with some professors from Berkeley this past weekend and they offered to review my grad school applications (before submission to offer some pointers) and they stressed the PGRE... and are really pushing for me to get my publications out more than anything. They basically said more than half of the schools I'd apply to will only look at the general to make sure I didn't completely fail it and will read through the SOP to make sure I'm sane, have an interest in physics (research), and check for any mitigating circumstances in my app (which I have).



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