Apply to grad school before graduate

  • 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.

Post Reply
mahar
Posts: 28
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 12:37 pm

Apply to grad school before graduate

Post by mahar » Sat Feb 14, 2009 3:08 pm

I'll apply to grad school next fall but I'm going to graduate on May 2010.
Is this usual? Could I have problems with my applications?
Top
User avatar
coreycwgriffin
Posts: 249
Joined: Fri Nov 07, 2008 1:28 am

Re: Apply to grad school before graduate

Post by coreycwgriffin » Sat Feb 14, 2009 3:15 pm

mahar wrote:I'll apply to grad school next fall but I'm going to graduate on May 2010.
Is this usual? Could I have problems with my applications?
If you mean you're applying for admission to grad school in the fall of the year you graduate from an undergraduate school it's not unusual at all. Prepare applications in the fall of 2009, graduate in May of 2010, go to grad school in the fall of 2010.

Actually, I can't help but ask, is this a serious question?
Top
User avatar
Helio
Posts: 809
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2007 7:11 pm

Re: Apply to grad school before graduate

Post by Helio » Sat Feb 14, 2009 3:59 pm

coreycwgriffin wrote:
mahar wrote:I'll apply to grad school next fall but I'm going to graduate on May 2010.
Is this usual? Could I have problems with my applications?
If you mean you're applying for admission to grad school in the fall of the year you graduate from an undergraduate school it's not unusual at all. Prepare applications in the fall of 2009, graduate in May of 2010, go to grad school in the fall of 2010.

Actually, I can't help but ask, is this a serious question?

you forgot the spiritual journey that every physics incoming graduate student has to take.. called... buying the jackson
Top
tmc
Posts: 112
Joined: Sun Nov 02, 2008 1:40 pm

Re: Apply to grad school before graduate

Post by tmc » Sat Feb 14, 2009 4:59 pm

Actually I've known many (probably most of those I've met) graduate students who never took Jackson, simply because it didn't relate to their research.

Then again, I'm not in the states.
Top
User avatar
coreycwgriffin
Posts: 249
Joined: Fri Nov 07, 2008 1:28 am

Re: Apply to grad school before graduate

Post by coreycwgriffin » Sat Feb 14, 2009 8:51 pm

tmc wrote:Actually I've known many (probably most of those I've met) graduate students who never took Jackson, simply because it didn't relate to their research.

Then again, I'm not in the states.
Wow...I know most US grad schools require a course in E&M that almost always uses Jackson. Well, I guess if you pass the placement exam in E&M you wouldn't have to take it.
Top
confused_p
Posts: 22
Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2009 2:50 am

Re: Apply to grad school before graduate

Post by confused_p » Mon Feb 16, 2009 2:12 am

I (rather my school) used Griffiths. He is funny :P
Top
cato88
Posts: 420
Joined: Wed Sep 03, 2008 12:46 am

Re: Apply to grad school before graduate

Post by cato88 » Mon Feb 16, 2009 2:24 am

For graduate school?
Top
User avatar
coreycwgriffin
Posts: 249
Joined: Fri Nov 07, 2008 1:28 am

Re: Apply to grad school before graduate

Post by coreycwgriffin » Mon Feb 16, 2009 2:30 am

confused_p wrote:I (rather my school) used Griffiths. He is funny :P
The three Griffiths texts are indeed amazing. I used him for E&M last year, and for Quantum now.
Top
User avatar
grae313
Posts: 2296
Joined: Tue May 29, 2007 8:46 pm

Re: Apply to grad school before graduate

Post by grae313 » Mon Feb 16, 2009 12:28 pm

confused_p wrote:I (rather my school) used Griffiths. He is funny :P
I agree with cato88, griffiths is an undergrad text.
Top
evilclaw2321
Posts: 118
Joined: Mon Dec 08, 2008 5:51 pm

Re: Apply to grad school before graduate

Post by evilclaw2321 » Mon Feb 16, 2009 12:30 pm

They are good undergraduate texts though. My teacher for upper level E&M spoke horrible english, never would of passed the course if it wasn't for griffiths having written a really decent book, same for my advanced quantum class.
Top
User avatar
grae313
Posts: 2296
Joined: Tue May 29, 2007 8:46 pm

Re: Apply to grad school before graduate

Post by grae313 » Mon Feb 16, 2009 12:34 pm

evilclaw2321 wrote:They are good undergraduate texts though. My teacher for upper level E&M spoke horrible english, never would of passed the course if it wasn't for griffiths having written a really decent book, same for my advanced quantum class.
Yeah I agree, I like griffiths. I know a lot of people that think he is too informal and wordy, but I like a textbook that will sit me down and explain things in good ol' fashioned english.
Top
User avatar
coreycwgriffin
Posts: 249
Joined: Fri Nov 07, 2008 1:28 am

Re: Apply to grad school before graduate

Post by coreycwgriffin » Mon Feb 16, 2009 2:56 pm

grae313 wrote:
evilclaw2321 wrote:They are good undergraduate texts though. My teacher for upper level E&M spoke horrible english, never would of passed the course if it wasn't for griffiths having written a really decent book, same for my advanced quantum class.
Yeah I agree, I like griffiths. I know a lot of people that think he is too informal and wordy, but I like a textbook that will sit me down and explain things in good ol' fashioned english.
It's not just that his writing explains things well, but it's actually entertaining. That's hard to come by in a math or physics text.
Top


Post Reply

Return to “Prospective Physics Graduate Student Topics”