Çats

Hey guys, I have two offers, and though I don't have to respond just yet, I was hoping for some advice, especially from people who know about physics. Anyways, the big contenders on my list right now are the two options: Masters in Physics at Université Paris-Sud, and PHD in Physics at University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Funding-wise, UMass has offered TA and stipend and all that good stuff (18k), while in France I know funding works a little differently (it's a separate procedure). I know that I was selected as one of 5 for a full ride fellowship (10k euro), however as of this moment I don't know if I will be selected for that or the other scholarship I have applied to (10k euro as well). Personally, I lean towards Paris-Sud, partially since I know that after a masters I could feasibly reapply in the US or the UK or wherever else, but I was hoping to get some opinions on this. (Unsure if I should post this in the decisions threads?) Ranking-wise, I know Paris-Sud is far superior in the field. Via ARWU it's 20th, while Amherst is ~40. Additionally Amherst is something like 50-75 at best in other rankings, if it is even on there at all. Paris-Sud is best in France and top 5ish in physics in europe. There are a few other reasons for picking PSUD based on interests and whatnot, but I'm a little hesitant due to financially it not being a totally secure deal. Thoughts? Decent-yet-paid Amherst, or Better-yet-maybe-unpaid PSUD?

Hello guys, I've been considering Université Paris-Sud (Paris XI) for Physics. This is located in Orsay (départment: Essonne, Région: île-de-France), I was wondering if anyone here has been there or knows anybody who went to this university? Many thanks, Çats

Thus far I got into GWU, UMass, and U Paris-Sud.

I'd shoot for some ~70 rank in US World news, but that's just me.

Hey guys, I'm wondering what on my list is reach, safety, match given my profile as shown below: A little difficult for me to find out since my education is slightly different from the average physics student. What do you guys think of my university selection? ----------------------------- Undergrad Institution: Top 40 US World News (2014) - Big State School Major(s): Physics, Mathematics, French Minor(s): N/A GPA in Major: 3.3 Physics, 3.5 Math, 4.0 French Overall GPA: 3.6 Length of Degree: 4 years Position in Class: Slightly above average Type of Student: Domestic white male GRE Scores : Q: 164 (89%) V: 159 (81%) W: 4.5 (80%) P: 640 (38%) Research Experience: Studied CLS limit setting for a semester, then moved on to FIR filtering programming for the current semester. No publications, but total research time is around a year. Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Deans list in a few semesters. Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Software Engineering Intern for a summer learning Javascript, Node.js, and general large networking problems. Not super relevant to physics, but it adds credibility to my programming skills. Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: N/A Special Bonus Points: 3 majors in 4 years. Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: I've working fluency in french. Of my three letters, one comes from my experimental methods professor, whom I worked a lot with on an independent research topic, will be doing research with him the next semester. The other is from my Nuclear/Particle Physics course and the ~semester research, got along well with him. The last one comes from a french professor whom I've had for 3 courses, we get along very well. At least 2 of them will be very strong. Also I have 2 anomalous C's, one in Proof Writing, and the other in Electromagnetism 2, the only sub-B grades I've gotten. I also have a W in independent research for this semester due to time constraints. Applying to Where: Will be considering PHD -> Nuclear Theory/Experiment in all areas United States: Michigan State U Massachusetts Amherst Notre Dame Northeastern U Connecticut U Delaware U William and Mary Virginia Tech George Washington U Temple U SUNY Buffalo UC Riverside Canada: McGill U British Columbia France: U Pierre-Marie Curie U Joseph Fourier École Polytechnique/ETH Zurich (Joint Masters)