[Unofficial admission]

Congrats! Good things come to those who wait. ?

[Do you think that schools will be fully open by Fall 2021?]

A lot of this is going to depended on what state your school(s) are in too. From what I understand, universities in the states of California, Oregon, Washington, and New York are most restricted, but much of the rest of the country is attempting to at least remain open in a hybrid setup. In the US, a lot of those rules have been set at the state level, so it will really depend on that. Further, different univeristy systems will have their own rules. I know the UC system schools have opted to remain at distance for Fall 2020 and Spring 2021. There's a good chance they will continue to do so unless something drastically changes.

If I'm mistaken on any part of this, please correct me, but this seems to be the case from what I've seen so far. I live in the US, for what it's worth.

[Any other math groups want to start a study group before we get destroyed in grad school?]

Hey guys,

I'm thinking about trying to form a couple of small study groups in preparation for the math PhD/Masters programs many of us will be starting in Fall (2021). Personally, I'm choosing to focus on Algebra and Geometry/Topology. I'm hoping to get a group of 4-5 individuals together, pick a book we all want to read/review, and work together on the exercises. Below are some suggestions I'm considering:

Topology (Munkres)
Algebraic Topology (Hatcher)
Intro to Algebra (Gallian)
Commutative Algebra (Atiyah/MacDonnald)
Homological Algebra (Rotman)

I'm open to others as well. If anyone is interested, hit me up, or let me know what you think in the thread.

Good luck out there. -UD

[Submitting to multiple journals at once?]

For pure/applied math, definitely not acceptable. This was instilled in us as undegraduates doing research. Wait to be accepted/rejected, than try elsewhere.

[Arizona State University Fall 2021]

Reporting in for Mathematics PhD. I'm waiting on a couple of other offers/rejections, but I've got a feeling this is my school. So... Roll call!

[Mercer University (Atlanta) - Fall 2020]

Welcome to Atlanta (I live here, for now)! My former Supervisor as a math tutor is now a MD student at Mercer. Congrats on your acceptance!

I'm not an expert on the school, but if there's anything I can tell you about the area, let me know!

[Tips and Timeline Suggestions for Fall 2022 Applications]

All good suggestions above. I'll only add a few recommendations.

1) Start applying for 3rd-party fellowships/grants EARLY. The deadlines for a lot of these are ahead of the application deadlines for some schools (no, I don't know why). You're in a STEM field, so definitely go after the DoD/DoE grants like the GRFP. Better yet, start compiling a list of grants you want to apply for. UCLA has a database called GRAPES that keeps tabs on fellowships for grad students. Link here: https://grad.ucla.edu/funding/#/

2) The SoP is a SOB. It's also likely the single most important aspect of your apps, excepting you LoRs. If you have a high GPA, good courses under your belt, research, etc. that's fantastic. A lot of other people do to, but you can really set yourself apart in you Statement. Start writing that early. Do many revisions. Get other people to read it and make edits. Take your drafts to a writing/career center. Cal Berkeley has a really good guide for writing a rock-solid Statement of Purpose, link here: https://grad.berkeley.edu/admissions/apply/statement-purpose/

Speaking of Berkeley, the UC schools have an additonal essay you're supposed to write. It's called a "Personal History Statement" (or similar), and it's different from the SoP. This was easily the hardest essay I've had to write, so if you're looking west, plan on spending some time on this one too.

3) Lastly, application costs are expensive. If you've done an REU with a particular school, or if you're in a recognized national program/fellowship like Fullbright or TRiO, chances are you might be able to wave the fee. Definitely look into that, because otherwise it's pretty steep.

Hope this helps. -UD

[Unofficial admission]

YMMV, but in the case of at least one school on my list, I got accepted and had to wait about three more weeks before a funding offer came through. I'm not sure how common that is, but it's not out of the question.

Depending on when the deadline is, it might be worth while to simply ask (politely, of course). If it's a recent acceptance, I would wait, but if it's been more than a month, I would email your adviser and ask if funding offers have been dissemenated already.

Good luck. I hope you get it.

[Commit Deadline- Won't hear in time. ADVICE NEEDED]

So, I'm learning this all myself for the first time too. Regarding the April 15th rule, this is a standard agreed upon by an orginization called "The Council of Graduate Schools" (ominous) in a resolution entitled "Resolution Regarding Graduate Scholars, Fellows, Trainees and Assistants". Basically, any university within the agreement promises to set the deadline no earlier than April 15th, for the very reasons that you're describing. A comprehensive list (at time of writing) of said schools is below.

Regarding your specific predicament, I would consider e-mailing the March 15th school and informing them of your situation. If they aren't giving you any mercy, consider reaching out to the other schools on your list and asking if you are accepted, explaining that you are running up against a deadline with a standing offer. If that doesn't yield anything, ask yourself if there is any other school you would rather go to other than the one you in question.

List of CGS member schools (all April 15th deadlines or later):

Abilene Christian University
Air Force Institute of Technology
Alcorn State University
Alfred University
American University
Andrews University
Angelo State University
Appalachian State University
Arizona State University
Arkansas State University
Auburn University
Austin Peay State University
Ball State University
Baylor College of Medicine
Baylor University
Bloomsburg University of Penn.
Boise State University
Boston College
Boston University
Bowling Green State University
Bradley University
Brandeis University
Brown University
Bryn Mawr College
Caldwell College
California Institute of Technology
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona
California State University, Bakersfield
California State University, Fresno
California State University, Fullerton
California State University, Hayward
California State University, Long Beach
California State University, Los Angeles
California State University, Northridge
California State University, Sacramento
California State University, Stanislaus
California University of Pennsylvania
Case Western Reserve University
Catholic University of America
Central Michigan University
Central Missouri State University
Central Washington University
City University of New York Graduate Center
Claremont Graduate University
Clark Atlanta University
Clark University
Clemson University
Cleveland State University
College of Charleston
College of New Jersey
College of Saint Rose
College of William and Mary
Colorado School of Mines
Columbia University
Concordia University, River Forest
Coppin State College
Cornell University
Creighton University
Dartmouth College
Drew University
Drexel University
Duke University
Duquesne University
East Carolina University
East Central University
East Tennessee State University
Eastern Illinois University
Eastern Kentucky University
Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Washington University
Emerson College
Emory University
Emporia State University
Fayetteville State University
Fairmont State University
Fielding Graduate Institute
Fitchburg State College
Florida A & M University
Florida Atlantic University
Florida International University
Florida State University
Fordham University
Fort Hays State University
Gallaudet University
George Mason University
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Southern University
Georgia State University
Hampton University
Harvard University
Hebrew Union College - Jewish
Institute of Religion
High Point University
Hofstra University
Hood College
Howard University
Idaho State University
Illinois Institute of Technology
Illinois State University
Indiana State University
Indiana University
Indiana University - Purdue University Fort Wayne
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Iowa State University
Jackson State University
James Madison University
John Carroll University
Johns Hopkins University
Kansas State University
Kent State University
Lamar University
Langston University
Lehigh University
Lipscomb University
Loma Linda University
Louisiana State University and A & M College
Louisiana State University
Health Sciences Center
Loyola Marymount University
Loyola University of Chicago
Marquette University
Marshall University
Marywood University
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Medical College of Georgia
Medical College of Ohio
Medical College of Wisconsin
Medical University of South Carolina
Miami University
Michigan State University
Michigan Technological University
Middle Tennessee State University
Minnesota State University - Mankato
Mississippi State University
Missouri State University
Montana State University - Bozeman
Montclair State University
Mount Mary College
Murray State University
National University
Naval Postgraduate School
New Jersey Institute of Technology
New Mexico State University
New York Medical College
New York University
North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University
North Carolina State University at Raleigh
North Dakota State University
Northeastern Illinois University
Northern Arizona University
Northern Illinois University
Northern Michigan University
Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Northwestern University
Nova Southeastern University
Oakland University
Ohio University
Ohio State University
Oklahoma State University
Old Dominion University
Oregon State University
Park University
Pennsylvania State University
Pepperdine University
Pittsburg State University
Polytechnic University
Princeton University
Purdue University
Queens College of the City
University of New York
Radford University
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Rice University
Rockefeller University
Rockhurst University
Rosalind Franklin University of
Medicine and Science
Rowan University
Rutgers - New Brunswick
Rutgers - Newark
St. Bonaventure University
St. Cloud State University
St. John's University
Saint Louis University
San Diego State University
San Francisco State University
San Jose State University
Santa Clara University
Shippensburg University
South Carolina State University
South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
South Dakota State University
Southeast Missouri State University
Southern Illinois University at Carbondale
Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville
Southern Methodist University
Southern University A&M College
Spalding University
Stanford University
State University of New York at Binghamton
State University of New York – Upstate Medical University
State University of New York at Stony Brook
Syracuse University
Temple University
Tennessee State University
Tennessee Technological University
Texas A & M International University
Texas A & M University
Texas A & M University - Corpus Christi
Texas Christian University
Texas Southern University
Texas State University, San Marcos
Texas Tech University
Texas Woman's University
Towson University
Trinity University
Truman State University
Tufts University
Tulane University
University at Buffalo, State University of New York
University of Akron
University of Alabama
University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of Alabama in Huntsville
University of Alaska, Fairbanks
University of Albany, State University of New York
University of Arizona
University of Arkansas
University of Bridgeport
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Davis
University of California, Irvine
University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Riverside
University of California, San Diego
University of California, San Francisco
University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California, Santa Cruz
University of Central Arkansas
University of Central Florida
University of Chicago
University of Cincinnati
University of Colorado at Boulder
University of Colorado at Denver
University of Connecticut
University of Dayton
University of Delaware
University of Denver
University of the District of Columbia
University of Florida
University of Georgia
University of Hartford
University of Hawaii at Manoa
University of Houston
University of Idaho
University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Illinois at Springfield
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Iowa
University of Kansas
University of Kentucky
University of Louisiana at Lafayette
University of Louisville
University of Maine
University of Maryland, Baltimore County
University of Maryland, College Park
University of Massachusetts Amherst
University of Massachusetts Boston
University of Massachusetts Lowell
The University of Memphis
University of Miami
University of Michigan
University of Minnesota
University of Mississippi
University of Missouri, Columbia
University of Missouri, Kansas City
University of Missouri, St. Louis
University of Montana
University of Nebraska-Kearney
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
University of Nebraska-Omaha
University of Nevada-Las Vegas
University of Nevada-Reno
University of New Hampshire
University of New Haven
University of New Mexico
University of New Orleans
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
University of North Dakota
University of North Texas
University of North Texas Health Science Center - Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
University of Northern Colorado
University of Northern Iowa
University of Notre Dame
University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center
University of Oregon
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
University of Puerto Rico - Rio Piedras Campus
University of Rhode Island
University of Rochester
University of San Diego
University of Scranton
University of South Alabama
University of South Carolina
University of South Florida
University of Southern California
University of Southern Mississippi
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
University of Tennessee at Knoxville
University of Texas at Arlington
University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Brownsville
University of Texas at Dallas
University of Texas at San Antonio
University of Texas Graduate School of Biomedical Science at Galveston
University of Texas Grad School of Biomedical Science at Houston
University of Texas Grad School of Biomedical Science at San Antonio
University of the Pacific
University of Toledo
University of Tulsa
University of Utah
University of Vermont
University of Virginia
University of Washington
University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire
University of Wisconsin – La Crosse
University of Wisconsin – Madison
University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee
University of Wyoming
Utah State University
Valdosta State University
Vanderbilt University
Villanova University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Wake Forest University
Walden University
Washington State University
Washington University in St. Louis
Wayne State College
Wayne State University
Wesleyan University
West Chester University
West Virginia University
West Virginia Wesleyan College
Western Carolina University
Western Illinois University
Western Kentucky University
Western Michigan University
Western Washington University
Wichita State University
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Wright State University
Xavier University of Louisiana
Yale University

[Any word from UC Riverside? 2+ weeks after interview, still no word]

Mathematics department sent me a decision today for the PhD program. Totally different department, but for what it's worth. Good luck to you.

[ASU or UCR for Pure Math?]

I'm lucky enough to have two have two standing offers for Arizona State University and the University of California, Riverside. Both of these are for a PhD in Pure Math, and both of these funding offers are roughly equivalent. The UCR offer is a bit more generous, but with the elevated cost of living in Riverside compared to Tempe, I'm calling it a draw. There are professors at both schools that I like in similar areas. I'm basically trying to get into Quantum Computing theory by way of low-dimensional Topology and/or Quantum Algebras. UCR has a few notable knot theorists, and ASU has some strong mathematicians in Graph/Tessalation/Lattice theory. Basically, I'm at a draw with these two, and I feel like the rest really comes down to culture fit.

To anyone who has experience with one or both of these schools, what are your opinions? Specifically, what is life like in Tempe/Riverside, what are the math communities like, etc. Any feedback would be helpful.

[Delaying A Decision?]

May somebody correct me on this, but I think the general rule is that schools give you until April 15th. I know that most of the major schools have agreeded on that. It seems to me that if a school is pressuring you to make a decision way before any of the other schools are in (and it's still very early), that might be a "redflag" for you. But that may just be my thinking.

[Distinguished Chancellor's Fellowship UCR]

On 3/16/2016 at 2:11 PM, mobilehobo said:

Ok, so as a math student, your financial package is different than someone like me in a research focused department.

First, you have two years of fellowship (that is called "stipend" on here). You will receive 15,000 each year, paid directly to you, without having to do any work for it. The next column is that 'guaranteed GSR/TA'. So while you will receive 15K each year, you will also work as part time as a TA and get paid ~12K. So you will make 27K total each year. The next column says that they will pay your tuition. Sweet. Going to the next column, they will pay your non-resident tuition (NRT, that's out of state tuition) your first year. After your second year, you will be considered a California resident as long as you follow the steps to residency.

 

So now you have 6K of misc fees. Ouch. $1,000 of that is the misc fees students pay (gym, programming, etc.) The other 5K looks like health insurance. That stinks that they don't cover that your first two years. However, you are making an extra 7K on other grad students so I'm guessing that the extra money actually covers these fees, but for whatever reason they can't list it as such. 20K/year is plenty to live on if you get roommates.

 

Your last three years, you won't have a fellowship. However, you are guaranteed a TA or GSR appointment each year at a value of 19K. They also pick up the tab for your health insurance once you're off fellowship, so that's nice.

You can ask about finances any time. Just tell them you're trying to compare to other offers you have.

A word of advice: Your total payments will get paid to you ONLY FROM SEPT TO JUNE. So during July and August, you won't receive payments. You're getting enough money for the entire year, but they're going to give it to you only during the academic year so you'll need to budget correctly!

Dude, you're a lifesaver. I got a similar offer from UCR (pure math) and I was trying to break down what the actual offer was. Thanks for the clarity!

[University Confusion]

A little outside my area of expertise, but I know UIUC has both a really strong math department and physics department, which is often a good sign for their engineering school (though there are exceptions). I don't know anything about MichiganTech, so won't speak to that. Clemson University has a pretty solid chemistry department at the grad level (undergrad appears to be different). I've also heard really positive things about their engineering school in general. They're competing with Georgia Tech, if that's any indicator.

I do know in general that ME graduates are having a lot of trouble finding work across the board compared to EE and SE folks. Again, my area is more in the theory, but I would recommend finding something to compliment your ME degree to help your job prospects. Perhaps a second language, or some other additional skill.

-UD

[Do grad schools care about how many credits you take in a semester?]

Yes, but 12 seems to be (from what I've seen) the upper bound of what grad schools expect students to take. Honestly, 4 grad classes in a term seems like academic suicide. It seems to be closer to 3 (9 Semester Credits). Some are even less for full-time status if you have a TA position, eg. ASU only requires it's TA's to take 6 credits to stay full-time.

Disclaimer: All my experience is STEM based. Your milage may vary.

-UD

[How do you "get a pulse" on a school/departments culture?]

So, clearly it's important to gauge what a graduate department is like before you sign on. The typical advise is "Talk to grad students in the department", which is reasonable advice. So then, what are your favorite questions to ask grad students? What are the best questions that you have been asked? Are there any other things you wished you had said/done/researched prior to going to your now-home institution? Curious what y'alls take on this are.

[Arizona State vs. Stony Broon ( Materials Science )]

I'm sorry that you didn't receive any feedback on this. I'd be curious, though, what you ended up going with. Would you be willing to update?

[Should I submit GRE where its optional?]

Doubt this is still relavent for OP anymore, but for posterity, if you're scoring over the 60 percentile, I would send the scores.

[GRE Scores and MS/PhD Admission Hindrance]

I think you're scores are fine. For what it's worth, I got into a pure math program with a 156 Q, albiet I had research and grades to make up for it. The jury is out on this, but it seems to me like the GRE scores are becoming less and less of a consideration for many quantitative disciplines. A lot of high-profile schools dropped the GRE requirements all together this year (probably mostly due to COVID-19, but still...), and many mid-tier deparments don't require it now. For the one's that do, I have a hunch it matters only if the scores are very high or very low. But that's just my take.

[How to thank your letter writers virtually]

Probably different from school to school, but at at my Alma Mater I know the professors still have access to their offices/inboxes, so you might be okay sending post.

[Opinion on working simultaneously in multiple research groups as an undergrad]

Given the conditions above, namely that the PI's aren't competetors and they both consent, I don't think it presents an ethical issue.

That said, from personal experience, it is my opinion that working on one project at 100% is more productive than working on two projects at 50%/50%. It takes a stupid amount of work to bring a project to publication, and I think that splitting your efforts only makes it more likely that neither will make it to press. This is something that I tried in my junior year, but ended up shelving one project to focus on the other, because I couldn't realistically keep up with both. Luckly, my professors understood, but that could have ended badly in hindsight. It's better to take on enough and succeed than too much and burn bridges.

If you want to jump from one project to another, that's totally fine, and I don't think your PI would hold that against you. I would recommend doing that after a major milestone, like submitting a manuscript for review, or something.

You can PM me if you'd like to discuss further.

-UD

[A couple of questions for undergrad]

On 12/9/2020 at 11:31 AM, bayessays said:

I don't think anyone is going to to care about a pass fail grade in a non-essential course, especially this year. 

I'm going to agree with bayessays on this one. I can't speak directly to Statistics, but as someone from the "pure math" side, I think it's only really a red flag if you do poorly in a core course, in our case Algebra or Real Analysis. Even then, I know of professors in areas like Knot Theory that made it through with "C" grades in Real Analysis, so it's not an "all or nothing" situation for most schools. You can also provide an explination for any underperformance in your Statement of Purpose (SoP) when the time comes. TL;DR Don't sweat the P/F grade on this too much.

On 12/9/2020 at 3:44 PM, BL4CKxP3NGU1N said:

At the beginning of the year, I wanted to start doing research but didn't really know how to go about finding a professor who I could work with. I ended up just talking to all of my professors a lot during office hours about research projects and other things related to statistics. Whenever I asked them how I could get involved in research, I generally got the same answer: "Do really well in class, go to office hours, show you're interested, and you'll have opportunities". That's basically what I did, and by the end of that semester I had a professor who offered to bring me on to a project he was working on. So, I've been working with him for the past 6-7 months or so.

At least at my department, there are always professors that have funding for students who are interested in doing research. It's mostly a matter of talking to them, making a connection, and showing you're interested and capable, even if you don't have a lot of experience or coursework related to the specific projects they're working on. If a professor you make a connection with doesn't have any funding or room for you on current projects, I'm sure many of them would gladly recommend you to other professors in the department who you could possibly work on different projects with.

This is all from my limited experience, but I would imagine that it applies to most departments.

So, I came from a much smaller university, and I started on research just by walking up to my favorite prof and asking if I could work with her. In a larger university, I can see how making those connections might be harder. My personal opinion (and others differ, which is okay) is that it's better to work on *something*, even if it's not directly related to your main area of interest. With that in mind, I would recommend talking to whichever professors you have the strongest relationship with, ie. those you've taken a lot of class with, or know on a more personal level. Those people, who know more about you too, will probably be more eager to bring you onboard to a project.

Another approach is to simply pick a problem you find interesting, and start working on that, seeking out guidance along the way. In Pure Math, this is pretty hard because open problems that are identifiable at an undergraduate level are not plentyful, but as a Stats major, you have a lot more opportunity to do something like this.

Finally, I don't know how far along you are in your degree, but if you have at least one more summer before graduation, I would 100% look into applying for a Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program. Basically, it's a program that sends you to another university to do research with their graduate faculty. You get paid for your time, and it usually results in some sort of publication, or a poster defense at the very least. There's a pretty comprehensive list of programs on the web. What's even cooler about this is that if you do an REU with a university, and apply to their PhD program, very often it puts you at the top of their list. It also gives you a chance to secure another Letter of Recommendation (LoR), and you generally need 3 of those for any app, bare minimum.

I hope this helps. Feel free to ping me if you'd like to talk more.

-UD

[Arizona State University (ASU) School of Mathematical & Statistical Sciences (SoMSS) - TA and RA Offer Anxiety Thread]

Update 26/Jan:

I just received an offer for full funding in the form of a TA position at 20 Hr/Wk. Holy !@# I can't believe it!

[Still No Decision From Some Schools?]

I wouldn't freak out just yet. Currently waiting for 5/6 applications currently, and the one acceptance I have hasn't announced funding offers yet. From what I know, many universities don't start sending out acceptance letters until early Feb at the very earliest. I've seen letters come in as late as March. I'm speaking from a mathematics perspective, but I have a friend who got into the PhD program for Chemistry in a school here in the Southeast (United States, for clarity). He got his letter in early-mid Februrary. I think there's still time. Don't let go of hope just yet.

[NSF GRFP 2020-2021]

On 10/18/2020 at 5:20 PM, jameshgrn said:

Anyone else not really do proper time management and is now swamped with everything? I'm stressed out ?

Dude, that has been the theme of my applications this year. Still catching up. You're not alone, my friend.