'results' section of this site

  • 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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twistor
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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by twistor » Sun Mar 16, 2008 9:15 pm

400nm wrote:
twistor wrote:
Hopefully, grae will too, and the forum will be a nicer place.
Quit bitching about every *** thing anyone says.
Why are you so hateful? I'm not defending myself against this.
Why are you so antagonistic?

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al-Haytham
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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by al-Haytham » Sun Mar 16, 2008 9:24 pm

400nm wrote:
Not everyone has the same perspective you do or the same sense of humor, but that doesn't mean were intentionally lying to make your life difficult. Maybe there is actually some truth to the other points-of-view in the world.

I never said anyone was intentionally lying, sometime people misconstrue comments, like you are doing with mine; everyone is entitled to their own opinions.

400nm wrote:
Also, al-Haytham, according to the stats you posted from UT Austin (a top ten school), the average PGRE score for international students was ~860, so if there are many with 990s, there must also be some in the 800s and maybe even 700s. It's true we don't know what country they are from, but do you really feel like you know what the breakdown would be, or do you just assume something because of your personal bias? The point is that whatever the average is, it's definitely possible for int'l students to get in with <900.


Dude I am an international student from a non-english speaking country who got into UIUC for cmp experiment on a 770, so don't assume anything about my personal biases...an int. friend of mine got into ut austin last year with a score in the 600s...but our applications had other strong points....

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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by 400nm » Sun Mar 16, 2008 9:25 pm

twistor wrote:Why are you so antagonistic?
twistor, I'm not any more antagonistic than some other people on this site, including you. I don't know why you've decided to pick on me, but you're getting out of hand. The last few comments you made were really inappropriate. I don't expect you to like me or agree with me, but I do expect to get treated with respect.

You're wrong, and you made a blatantly incorrect statement that wasn't fair to foreign students.

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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by 400nm » Sun Mar 16, 2008 9:27 pm

al-Haytham wrote:Dude I am an international student from a non-english speaking country who got into UIUC for cmp experiment on a 770, so don't assume anything about my personal biases...an int. friend of mine got into ut austin last year with a score in the 600s...but our applications had other strong points....
Funny, now you're misinterpreting my comments. The entire point I've been trying to make is exactly what you just said. Foreign students need to know that they can get in with 700s, but they need other advice on how to make their applications look good.

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twistor
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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by twistor » Sun Mar 16, 2008 9:30 pm

400nm,

Looks to me like foreigners have higher PGRE scores.

And let's be clear. I don't hate you. I'm just sick of hearing you blow the whistle everytime somebody says something controversial. To prepare you for the rest of your life (believe me, I'm doing you a huge favor) I've prepared a list of politically incorrect statements you will likely encounter. Read them over until you are unphased by them, then get on with your life.

1. <Ethnic minority of choice> are criminals/lazy/drug addicts/not invited to the Christmas party.

2. If you dressed a little sexier you'd probably get a promotion.

3. All <members of your favority Islamic nation-state> are terrorists.

4. Global warming is a hoax.

5. Homosexual intercourse is okay/not okay (depending which you are more offended by)

6. I only buy products that were tested on animals.

7. The Chinese invented Chinese New Year just so they could play with fireworks in the middle of February.

8. Baby seal clubber is an acceptable choice of occupation.

9. Women/Men/Jews/Unitarians/Other are somehow genetically inferior to Women/Men/Jews/Unitarians/Other.

10. I've been reading 120 Days of Sodom as a bedtime story to my young children.

400nm
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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by 400nm » Sun Mar 16, 2008 9:36 pm

twistor wrote:To prepare you for the rest of your life (believe me, I'm doing you a huge favor) I've prepared a list of politically incorrect statements you will likely encounter. Read them over until you are unphased by them, then get on with your life.
twistor, I've made a conscious decision to speak my mind when I think something is wrong and/or unfair. You are not doing anybody a favor by saying inappropriate things to "prepare" me for the future. What you say matters and it has consequences. If you don't think it's right, then don't say it and spread untrue or hurtful ideas. If you do think you're right, and you're not, then I'm going to call you out on it.

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twistor
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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by twistor » Sun Mar 16, 2008 9:40 pm

400nm wrote:
twistor wrote:To prepare you for the rest of your life (believe me, I'm doing you a huge favor) I've prepared a list of politically incorrect statements you will likely encounter. Read them over until you are unphased by them, then get on with your life.
twistor, I've made a conscious decision to speak my mind when I think something is wrong and/or unfair. You are not doing anybody a favor by saying inappropriate things to "prepare" me for the future. What you say matters and it has consequences. If you don't think it's right, then don't say it and spread untrue or hurtful ideas. If you do think you're right, and you're not, then I'm going to call you out on it.
I'm going to ignore that as I take my anger out on these cute little seals. They said it was wrong for me to make fun of Chinese New Year... well I'll show them....

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twistor
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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by twistor » Sun Mar 16, 2008 9:43 pm

al-Haytham wrote:400nm wrote:
Not everyone has the same perspective you do or the same sense of humor, but that doesn't mean were intentionally lying to make your life difficult. Maybe there is actually some truth to the other points-of-view in the world.

I never said anyone was intentionally lying, sometime people misconstrue comments, like you are doing with mine; everyone is entitled to their own opinions.

400nm wrote:
Also, al-Haytham, according to the stats you posted from UT Austin (a top ten school), the average PGRE score for international students was ~860, so if there are many with 990s, there must also be some in the 800s and maybe even 700s. It's true we don't know what country they are from, but do you really feel like you know what the breakdown would be, or do you just assume something because of your personal bias? The point is that whatever the average is, it's definitely possible for int'l students to get in with <900.



Dude I am an international student from a non-english speaking country who got into UIUC for cmp experiment on a 770, so don't assume anything about my personal biases...an int. friend of mine got into ut austin last year with a score in the 600s...but our applications had other strong points....
al-Haytham,

Don't bother arguing with 400nm. She only sees what she wants to see.

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twistor
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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by twistor » Sun Mar 16, 2008 9:45 pm

DIE BABY SEALS, DIE DIE DIE DIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIE!!!!!!

*** seals. DIE!

400nm
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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by 400nm » Sun Mar 16, 2008 9:50 pm

twistor wrote:
al-Haytham wrote:400nm wrote:
Not everyone has the same perspective you do or the same sense of humor, but that doesn't mean were intentionally lying to make your life difficult. Maybe there is actually some truth to the other points-of-view in the world.

I never said anyone was intentionally lying, sometime people misconstrue comments, like you are doing with mine; everyone is entitled to their own opinions.

400nm wrote:
Also, al-Haytham, according to the stats you posted from UT Austin (a top ten school), the average PGRE score for international students was ~860, so if there are many with 990s, there must also be some in the 800s and maybe even 700s. It's true we don't know what country they are from, but do you really feel like you know what the breakdown would be, or do you just assume something because of your personal bias? The point is that whatever the average is, it's definitely possible for int'l students to get in with <900.



Dude I am an international student from a non-english speaking country who got into UIUC for cmp experiment on a 770, so don't assume anything about my personal biases...an int. friend of mine got into ut austin last year with a score in the 600s...but our applications had other strong points....
al-Haytham,

Don't bother arguing with 400nm. She only sees what she wants to see.
Look who's talking twistor. The quote you just took from me was based on the data he posted, which you directly contradicted by saying
Foreigners with 700s and 800s have no shot at top schools.
If the average score was 860 for int'l, obviously some got in with <900. You're wrong, and you can't respond to what I wrote, so you're just saying ridiculous things to derail the discussion.

excel
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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by excel » Sun Mar 16, 2008 9:52 pm

butsurigakusha wrote:@excel
I didn't interpret her statement to mean that there is a relationship between pgre score and English ability. I interpreted it to mean simply that applicants from non-English speaking countries are expected to have higher pgre scores to be competitive. Assuming that is what she meant, then such statistics would validate her comment. I can see how someone might interpret her comment differently.

There seems to be a fundamental miscommunication here. Let me see if I can word this in a way that is very clear.

Statistics seem to indicate that international applicants need to have higher pgre scores than domestic applicants to be competitive for admission. There is also reason to believe that among international applicants, this is more of an issue for those who are from non-English-speaking countries than it is for those from English-speaking countries.

I think that is essentially what grae313 was trying to say. I think this is a personally reasonable statement, but I do not know if it is true or not. It would be interesting to find some real statistical evidence of this, as opposed to anecdotal evidence. And even if this were shown to be true, it could be true for reasons unrelated to English speaking ability. I have heard plenty of possible explanations for this hypothetical discrepancy: prevalence of cheating among foreign students, foreign students spend more time preparing for the test, foreign students have more rigorous physics education, they don't have to take liberal arts classes, and so on.

Regardless of the explanation, if there is a higher expectation placed on foreign students from non-English speaking countries, then I think it is helpful for them to know that. And saying that an international applicant can't get in to a top school without a >900 is not much different than saying that a domestic student won't get in to MIT without a first-author publication. That is something that I would have appreciated knowing in advance, even if it is not technically true.
Thanks for the explanation. "I interpreted it to mean simply that applicants from non-English speaking countries are expected to have higher pgre scores to be competitive." Have you ever encountered any evidence to support this claim (based on your interpretation)? I am not asking you to defend this claim or anything, just curious if you have encountered such evidence...

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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by excel » Sun Mar 16, 2008 9:53 pm

400nm wrote:
twistor wrote:To prepare you for the rest of your life (believe me, I'm doing you a huge favor) I've prepared a list of politically incorrect statements you will likely encounter. Read them over until you are unphased by them, then get on with your life.
twistor, I've made a conscious decision to speak my mind when I think something is wrong and/or unfair. You are not doing anybody a favor by saying inappropriate things to "prepare" me for the future. What you say matters and it has consequences. If you don't think it's right, then don't say it and spread untrue or hurtful ideas. If you do think you're right, and you're not, then I'm going to call you out on it.
I personally agree with 400nm on this approach.

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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by butsurigakusha » Sun Mar 16, 2008 10:48 pm

Here is a blog that gives some statistics from admissions at his own school:

http://incoherently-scattered.blogspot. ... ysics.html

Here is an article that is somewhat relevant:

http://www.physicstoday.org/pt/vol-54/iss-5/p24.html

But, no, I haven't seen any hard evidence. It just seems to be something that is taken for granted among those around me. Perhaps it is a myth. I don't know.

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twistor
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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by twistor » Sun Mar 16, 2008 10:59 pm

If the average score was 860 for int'l, obviously some got in with <900
I disagree. 860 was calculated using weighted averages. Durrrr.

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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by 400nm » Sun Mar 16, 2008 11:44 pm

twistor wrote:
If the average score was 860 for int'l, obviously some got in with <900
I disagree. 860 was calculated using weighted averages. Durrrr.
Is that your way of admitting you were wrong?

Seriously twistor, I don't like being treated like a child. I've said several times that I don't want you to talk to me this way. It's disrespectful, and it's keeping me from being able to participate in the real discussion.

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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by cancelled20080417 » Sun Mar 16, 2008 11:49 pm

Grae, if you are reading this post, please do not come out to defend your post! There is NO need to do that. You have not said anything wrong, and bunch of crazy **** people out here interprete in what ever way they like and make a fuss out of it.

Just like Quiz once mentioned, if you speak of TWO words Muslim and ..... terorrists at the same time during your speech, then regardless of the overall content and context of your speech, you are bound to hear caustic comments, stupid interpretation from buch of genious a-holes out there.

It is actually good that you decided to quit this forum. It is time to get back to your studies and focus on choosing between those bunch of schools you are accepted in. good luck!

Twistor, keep posting and sometime say this: 1+1 = 2. I am sure one person out there will DISAGREE with you. You know who I am talking about. :lol:

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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by zxcv » Mon Mar 17, 2008 6:44 am

I've been reading this discussion but feel I have little to add. Maybe I can just leave this with a call to civility: let's presume the good faith of others, everyone. Also, twistor, you're not funny, you're obnoxious.

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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by 400nm » Mon Mar 17, 2008 8:00 am

Thanks zxcv. I have been thinking about this this discussion. I think the original intention of this thread is important, and I'm sorry that the discussion has moved away from it. I'm sorry if I hammered in an obvious point, but I honestly thought I was misunderstood for whatever reason.

To me the real question is what kind of advice we should be giving to international students. If there needs to be more data before we can say than that's fine. In general, I think it's good to encourage people to apply to a few "reach" schools and a few safety schools if they can.

I have class now, but I wanted to at least say that much.

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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by excel » Mon Mar 17, 2008 8:38 am

To me the real question is what kind of advice we should be giving to international students.
I strongly agree with this.
If there needs to be more data before we can say then that's fine.
I think this is very important if one is making a discriminatory claim. Stating discriminatory claims as facts without concrete supporting evidence is unacceptable. In the real world, the person (if important) doing so gets hammered much worse than in here. I do not think grae can currently present actual evidence to support any interpretation of the originial comment. And, I personally would not let a discriminatory claim stated as a fact without evidence pass by.

400nm, regarding those abusive comments towards you, I doubt that too many people except some of the writer's longtime buddies will see any substance or merit in those comments. :)

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twistor
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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by twistor » Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:04 am

I've been reading this discussion but feel I have little to add. Maybe I can just leave this with a call to civility: let's presume the good faith of others, everyone. Also, twistor, you're not funny, you're obnoxious.
Obnoxiously funny.

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twistor
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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by twistor » Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:12 am

400nm wrote:
twistor wrote:
If the average score was 860 for int'l, obviously some got in with <900
I disagree. 860 was calculated using weighted averages. Durrrr.
Is that your way of admitting you were wrong?

Seriously twistor, I don't like being treated like a child. I've said several times that I don't want you to talk to me this way. It's disrespectful, and it's keeping me from being able to participate in the real discussion.
What exactly is your problem with this particular post? All I said I was I disagree. People who speak their minds too much often eat lunch alone.

Do you even know what a weighted average is?

(990*0.869 + 990*0.869 + 990*0.869+990*0.869+990*0.869)/5 = 860

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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by excel » Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:24 am

twistor wrote: What exactly is your problem with this particular post? All I said I was I disagree. People who speak their minds too much often eat lunch alone.

Do you even know what a weighted average is?

(990*0.869 + 990*0.869 + 990*0.869+990*0.869+990*0.869)/5 = 860
haha hahahahahaha :lol: :lol: :lol:
Man, this is too good to be true. I am replying to this post just so that I can save it in the present form for future use, in case you decide to edit it. :lol: :lol: :lol:
:D

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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by hpharty » Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:49 am

When did this turn into the angriest forum on the internets? Good Lord.

Grant
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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by Grant » Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:50 am

hypothetical quote wrote:Statistics seem to indicate that international applicants need to have higher pgre scores than domestic applicants to be competitive for admission. There is also reason to believe that among international applicants, this is more of an issue for those who are from non-English-speaking countries than it is for those from English-speaking countries.
It will be interesting to see if the results back this hypothetical hypothesis up. I have my hunches but I am currently afraid to share them :)
I have heard plenty of possible explanations for this hypothetical discrepancy:
A possible avenue to explore might be to analyze the revenue sources of the various Universities. For example, the UC system gets a lot of state funding and as such I hypothesize that with the UC system you will most likely see a bias towards in-state applicants. Similarly, the federal government also funds schools in various ways either directly via things like research grants or indirectly via things like federally subsidized student loans. Because of this, it isn't unreasonable to hypothesize that the US universities show a bias towards domestic students and perhaps even show biases within the various countries because of political pressures. A sizable portion of revenue also comes from undergraduate tuition and since these students are taught in English, it may be possible that the native language of the country of origin might play a role as well.

I guess the main point I am trying to make is that universities are not simple altruistic entities that strive to find the most qualified candidates to admit into their programs for the sole purpose of maximizing scientific research and education. US Universities have to pay attention to things like funding, budgets, and politics. I imagine universities in other countries have similar pressures.

I am not sure how this all works in practice as I have never been on an admissions committee. I'll admit that there are more factors in play besides revenue sources. Regardless, in some way or another I imagine the admissions committees tend to arrive at some form of percentage guidelines to strive for. For example, I am just making up a hypothetical scenario to illustrate my point, maybe one admissions committee shoots for 70% domestic students with 50% of those domestic students being in-state and they must have at least one of each gender in the incoming class and they must not have the majority of international students be from just one or two countries etc. If this percentage based system is the way some admissions committees do operate then you will naturally see differences in qualifications of those admitted.
To me the real question is what kind of advice we should be giving to international students.
Hopefully the results section and the raw data all people will have access to will provide valuable information to both domestic and international students. I believe everybody, even those who seem to be at odds with each other, want both Domestic and International students to have expectations based on the real picture.

Is this a good list of countries to add the results section?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries

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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by trupti » Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:52 am

this thread should be renamed as "a series of miscommunications/misinterpretations"
@ grae
If you still visit this site and read this thread ...
If you feel you miscommunicated just say sorry...plz don't give any explanations for actions "like you are politically liberal". Just clarify your initial statement, which you did . Ppl who are really angry with you will pick on your explanations also, which will totally derail the purpose of the thread. Saying sorry and then giving reasons to justify your actions just kills the purpose of saying sorry. Considering the fact that students from all over the world visit this site such comments will always face attack.

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twistor
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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by twistor » Mon Mar 17, 2008 9:54 am

OOps.

I was so worried about getting 860 as a final result that I forgot to distribute the 1/5 to all the terms in the weight. I should have said:

990*0.174 + 990*0.174 + 990*0.174 + 990*0.174 + 990*0.174 = 860

Whatever.

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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by excel » Mon Mar 17, 2008 10:54 am

Hey twistor, I will give you a clue: according to your method of averaging, the average PGRE score of admitted UT Austin intl students could end up as 860 even with every such student scoring more than 860.
twistor wrote:OOps.

I was so worried about getting 860 as a final result that I forgot to distribute the 1/5 to all the terms in the weight. I should have said:

990*0.174 + 990*0.174 + 990*0.174 + 990*0.174 + 990*0.174 = 860
:lol: :lol: Isnt that just rewriting your previous post that you were trying to correct:
twistor wrote:

(990*0.869 + 990*0.869 + 990*0.869+990*0.869+990*0.869)/5 = 860
Why do you think that you have said anything different in the two calculations ? :lol:

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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by Grant » Mon Mar 17, 2008 6:53 pm

I just added the list of countries to the residency drop down menu. Also, just beneath that I created another drop down menu for the undergraduate institution location.

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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by twistor » Mon Mar 17, 2008 7:36 pm

excel wrote:Hey twistor, I will give you a clue: according to your method of averaging, the average PGRE score of admitted UT Austin intl students could end up as 860 even with every such student scoring more than 860.
twistor wrote:OOps.

I was so worried about getting 860 as a final result that I forgot to distribute the 1/5 to all the terms in the weight. I should have said:

990*0.174 + 990*0.174 + 990*0.174 + 990*0.174 + 990*0.174 = 860
:lol: :lol: Isnt that just rewriting your previous post that you were trying to correct:
twistor wrote:

(990*0.869 + 990*0.869 + 990*0.869+990*0.869+990*0.869)/5 = 860
Why do you think that you have said anything different in the two calculations ? :lol:
One is the correct method of calculating a weighted average, the other is not. Both are funny. Get a clue.

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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by excel » Mon Mar 17, 2008 10:36 pm

Twistor, for now, I will leave your friends or 400nm to deal with your explanation of how the av. PGRE score of UT Austin admitted intl students could be 860 ! Both are funny, no doubt about that.

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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by excel » Mon Mar 17, 2008 11:08 pm

butsurigakusha wrote:Here is an article that is somewhat relevant:

http://www.physicstoday.org/pt/vol-54/iss-5/p24.html
Thanks for sharing. Interestingly, a Chinese math prof in my dept. complained abt some Chinese students joining the dept. with stated interest in numerical methods, discrete math etc. and then switching to the CS department! If some Chinese students indeed do this, then it is most shameful because it makes profs view even the Chinese students having genuine interest with suspicion, as indicated by the article.

Similarly, when an American, for example, states discriminatory claims as facts even without any concrete evidence, then such comments can lead people from other countries to reflect unfavorably on Americans in general. Given this site's intl audience, I think that is undesirable. Therefore, I think we should be a little careful when stating something sensitive as though it is an absolute fact.

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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by rooibos » Mon Mar 17, 2008 11:16 pm

excel wrote:
butsurigakusha wrote:Here is an article that is somewhat relevant:

http://www.physicstoday.org/pt/vol-54/iss-5/p24.html
Thanks for sharing. Interestingly, a Chinese math prof in my dept. complained abt some Chinese students joining the dept. with stated interest in numerical methods, discrete math etc. and then switching to the CS department! If some Chinese students indeed do this, then it is most shameful because it makes profs view even the Chinese students having genuine interest with suspicion, as indicated by the article.

Similarly, when an American, for example, states discriminatory claims as facts even without any concrete evidence, then such comments can lead people from other countries to reflect unfavorably on Americans in general. Given this site's intl audience, I think that is undesirable. Therefore, I think we should be a little careful when stating something sensitive as though it is an absolute fact.
Is that possible? I thought if you wanted to switch programs you had to apply to that department and be accepted as if you were just another student.

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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by excel » Mon Mar 17, 2008 11:33 pm

Surprising that this would be possible, isnt it? but here's what the article says on this...
"Tu-nan Chang, chair of USC's physics department, had noticed that each semester some of the Chinese and eastern European graduate students would drop physics courses for engineering ones. After a couple of years, they'd accumulate enough credits to switch fields and leave with a master's degree in engineering."

Also, if a prof in another dept. is agreeable to advise the student, I suppose switching would not be a problem.

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will
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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by will » Sat Mar 22, 2008 12:18 pm

excel wrote:Also, if a prof in another dept. is agreeable to advise the student, I suppose switching would not be a problem.
... But where does the funding come from?

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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by excel » Sat Mar 22, 2008 12:30 pm

...from the prof's grant maybe.

I too personally find it strange that such major-changing can happen in grad school though. I am not sure how correct this claim is either--only that a prof in my univ has made a similar claim as Dr. Moses Chan in that article.

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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by VT » Sat Mar 22, 2008 2:44 pm

Hey excel,
I remember you talking about how taxes were different for different states . Also you mentioned that Rhode Island has very low tax rate. Do you have any information about Wisconsin-Madison or where did you get that infoabout RI?



Also, a differnt question:
Does any body know if it is possible for international students to apply to gradaute schools while they are in a Grad school? For example, I am planning to attend grad school next fall, and if I change my mind and decide to apply to other places for 2009, will I be able to do so while I am in grad school? Does any body here know if there are funding restrictions for international applicants switching grad school? I'd appreciate if anybody could share how the admission process works for such an applicant.

EDIT: I cannot take year off now becoz I did not apply for an OPT(opt practical training)and without an OPT it is illegal to stay in the US for international students. I know, the better idea would be to go home which is not what I want for personal reasons.

excel
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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by excel » Sat Mar 22, 2008 3:19 pm

For state taxes,
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/itax/edit/s ... p?caret=1e
Not sure how accurate the information is though.
Also, a differnt question:
Does any body know if it is possible for international students to apply to gradaute schools while they are in a Grad school? For example, I am planning to attend grad school next fall, and if I change my mind and decide to apply to other places for 2009, will I be able to do so while I am in grad school? Does any body here know if there are funding restrictions for international applicants switching grad school? I'd appreciate if anybody could share how the admission process works for such an applicant.

EDIT: I cannot take year off now becoz I did not apply for an OPT(opt practical training)and without an OPT it is illegal to stay in the US for international students. I know, the better idea would be to go home which is not what I want for personal reasons.
Ok, I have two experiences that you may find useful:

First, during my recent interview visit to an university, I met this Chinese international student who was in his first year of study at another U.S. university. Also, this particular program gives full funding to all accepted students.

Second, I completed my undergrad in 3.5years and was thinking of moving to our BS/MS program for a semester before going on to a Ph.D. program in fall without completing my MS degree. Both the admission director and the International Students director told me that this would not present any problem.

So, I think what you suggest is possible. The Sevis person at Wisconsin would simply have to transfer your I-20 to this new graduate school that you wil attend.

admissionprof
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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by admissionprof » Sat Mar 22, 2008 3:54 pm

excel wrote:For state taxes,
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/itax/edit/s ... p?caret=1e
Not sure how accurate the information is though.

Ok, I have two experiences that you may find useful:

First, during my recent interview visit to an university, I met this Chinese international student who was in his first year of study at another U.S. university. Also, this particular program gives full funding to all accepted students.

Second, I completed my undergrad in 3.5years and was thinking of moving to our BS/MS program for a semester before going on to a Ph.D. program in fall without completing my MS degree. Both the admission director and the International Students director told me that this would not present any problem.

So, I think what you suggest is possible. The Sevis person at Wisconsin would simply have to transfer your I-20 to this new graduate school that you wil attend.

What excel says is correct. However, you should know that the graduate school that you begin at will be pissed (although there is nothing they can do about it). It means they will have spent somewhere between 30 and 40K on a student who applies to leave within a few months of arriving. It makes them feel used -- as a conduit for a foreign student to get into the country. While there often are legitimate reasons for such a transfer, in many cases it is simply that the student wanted to get into the country, and had no intention of staying. If that is the case, it is unethical, although not illegal. One institution I know of was burned by this two years in a row by students from the same institution in China, and so they simply didn't accept anyone from there for a while.

VT
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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by VT » Sat Mar 22, 2008 3:56 pm

Thanks a lot excel. It made me feel better.
How closely is the program that you applied to related to Physics? May be it is possible in other depts and Not in physics.
My main question is about funding and admission. In udergrad, if you want to transfer from one College to the other, then they consider us as transfer applciant not as a first time applicant! Is it the same in grad school? ( I guess, I am repeating myself)
If we get funding, then transfering would not be a problem, I guess.
Thanks anyways.



EDIT : admissionprof:
Firstly, I am already in the States, and secondly, we are talking about a hypothetical situation here, I AM NOT TRANSFERRING ANYWHERE and if I do, there'll be a good reason behind that.

excel
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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by excel » Sat Mar 22, 2008 4:54 pm

VT, I have PM-ed you about my program.

Basically, I am not sure whether you would be formally called a transfer or not, but I think: You would have to send them your Wisconsin transcript at the time of application, and maybe you can also transfer credit for some of the courses. However, you would enter the new graduate school as a "first-year" student, and would not be expected to take your qualifiers early. I am not very sure about this, but admissionprof may know better about this. I do not think funding would present a special problem though.

From admissionprof's last post, I think my previously stated experiences apply to physics PhD as well.

admissionprof
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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by admissionprof » Sat Mar 22, 2008 5:04 pm

excel wrote:VT, I have PM-ed you about my program.

Basically, I am not sure whether you would be formally called a transfer or not, but I think: You would have to send them your Wisconsin transcript at the time of application, and maybe you can also transfer credit for some of the courses. However, you would enter the new graduate school as a "first-year" student, and would not be expected to take your qualifiers early. I am not very sure about this, but admissionprof may know better about this. I do not think funding would present a special problem though.

From admissionprof's last post, I think my previous experiences apply to physics PhD as well.
If a student transfers in after taking the full complement of first year courses, AND if the institution gives the qualifier before the second year starts, then it is quite possible that they will ask you to take the qualifier when you arrive. It depends very much on the place--you should make no assumptions without asking. Funding is usually not an issue. VT--My remarks were directed to students at foreign institutions, many of whom read this, not to you....

VT
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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by VT » Sat Mar 22, 2008 5:09 pm

excel and admissionprof,
Thanks for helpful info. I am not worried abot the qual and prelim, cuz they are under my control and it is just the matter of amount of time I put in for preparing those tests. Also, I was planning to take qual at the begining of the fall semester and get that out of my way anyways.
Anyways, I was not sure about fundings which is now cleared up from the posts above.
You would have to send them your Wisconsin transcript at the time of application..
@ excel, I have not decided yetto go to Wisconsin. I may go to Brown. Or to UIUC, if I am accepted there. :)

excel
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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by excel » Sat Mar 22, 2008 5:27 pm

@VT, Then there is a chance of us both ending up at Brown. :)

VT
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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by VT » Sat Mar 22, 2008 5:44 pm

hehehe,
yeah I visited Brown, last week, and I did not like the area where Brown Univ was located. It was so pathetic. I felt like my poor liberal arts was much richer than Brown.
Well, I am not trying to sway you on your decision or anything, but I felt like Providence was not for me. I did not get a chance to see downtown, coz I did not have the time to do that. Actually, I did not plan my visit very well. I only saw, old buildings, dirty streets at Brown. Are all Ivies like this?(well, certainly not, jus curious how other Ivy Uni would look like)

excel
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Re: 'results' section of this site

Post by excel » Sat Mar 22, 2008 6:24 pm

:lol: Well, I am planning to visit Brown in early April, let's see!



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