CauchyFan

Whoa. This is where I go to school (and am a TA at now). If you want to go to UAH you only need your scores to add up to 1500 (Q, V, and Analytic*100+200) and you don't need the Math GRE. That said, UAH is an Applied Math school. We do have a couple of great analysts around (Functional Analysis), a couple of great combinatorics guys, and one of our new professors is an up-and-comer in the field of Random Matrix Theory, but in the grand scheme of things we don't have a pure mathematics program (only a PhD in Applied Math). Our main areas of expertise are Differential Equations (specifically dynamical systems), Numerical Analysis, and Probability/Statistics/Stochastic Processes. If your passion is in topology, algebraic geometry, group theory, complex analysis, or something like that, we don't really have anything for you. However, if you want to work in industry, Huntsville is an incredible place to be and UAH is a very good school to go to. But if you want to go on to be a professor at some big school with a pure math program, you should probably go somewhere else.

Got my rejection letter on Monday. Sucks for them. Now I'm just going to get my Masters from my current institution, and once I have that 4.0 glow-in-the-dark transcript I can put my slow start as an undergrad behind me and aim higher than them. Because seriously, I just dominated a class full of grad students with cushy funding and what not on our first Metric Spaces exam (a course I am the only undergrad in, and I made a 98 on that exam). And I did that while taking 19 hours and working 40+ hours a week between two jobs. So there's no limit to the possibilities for me with some sort of support/funding.

I will immediately begin daydreaming about the day I prove Riemann's Hypothesis and how, when they ask me to come by their program to give a talk on my proof, how I will word my refusal the exact same way my rejection letter was once worded.

I've pretty much come to grips with not going to my dream school. In fact, now I'm anticipating returning to my current institution to get my Masters. I get to get a real (government) job in 2 years or so and I'll make more money than I would have as a professor anyways! Though I have no idea how I would react if I wind up getting accepted at the last minute or something.

Well, I'm turning to that as my backup because I have some connections that can get me a job there. Without that I might not be so confident in that career path. But to answer your question, from what I understand the fileds that are important for work in cryptography are Number Theory, Combinatorics, Probability/Statistics, Algebra/Group Theory, and Linear Algebra. My plan of approaching it is to continue on with grad school at my current institution (where I pretty much do what TAs do as an undergrad) and get a Masters focusing on Probability and Combinatorics (since we have very good applied programs in both). In so far as CS, I plan on taking courses in algorithm design. A good book that I read on it is "Introduction to Modern Cryptography" by Jonathan Katz. It made for some great summer reading! It also does a very good job of portraying what you would be doing in the field if you were to work there. Of course, there are many different fields of cryptography that could involve different specializations, like Quantum Cryptography and Elliptical Curve Cryptography. But I think the courses I listed above would build a solid foundation for it. As far as I can tell not many schools actually have a program in it (except maybe Brown). I know with the NSA if you sign on as a mathematician they put you through three more years of schooling to get you up-to-date on it.

Yes, it was only a paragraph. I also mentioned one of his articles in another paragraph that was about why that school would be a good fit for me in general.

Well... I see in the results someone got an email from them today... guess that means I'm probably out. I guess doing cryptography won't be such a bad job... I will certainly make more money than I would have as a professor...

What I hope: "Well, he bombed the subject GRE and his transcript up until the past 2 years or so is a nightmare, but his SOP and letters of recommendation are spectacular, and we really think he would be a good fit for our program." What I fear: "He made WHAT on the subject GRE? And he's only been a good student for two years!? I don't care how many classic books he's "read" or will read, or how badly he wants to study under so-and-so here. This doofus wouldn't get in here in a million years. GOOD DAY SIR!"

I would feel better if I had scored anywhere near that percentile. Unfortunately, it would appear that spending all of your time reading Rudin's books does not prepare you for the Math GRE. What a backward ass world academics is...

*Note: This forum is really great for passing time while waiting to hear back from schools. * *2nd note: I say Professor Y because I don't want anyone thinking I'm trying to join the X-Men. * So for me, the reason I want to go to my dream school is because there is a professor there whose work I am a big fan of, and obviously I would like to study with him. I actually emailed him back in the Fall and inquired about attending his institution, and he said he would be happy to have me as a student, but I'm not so sure how much that will really help in the application process. Anyways, in my SOP I made a fair amount of references to the professor in general, and really drove home the point that I'm a big fan of his books and that I was actually inspired to pursue a PhD through them, and I even referenced an article he wrote later on in the SOP. But now I'm wondering if maybe I went a bit overboard. I'm kind of afraid it may have seemed like I was sucking up to get into his program, What do you guys think?

I think not getting in to where you want to go would be worse. If a relationship doesn't work out, then it just wasn't meant to be. If you don't get into the school you know you belong at, then... the adcom sucks and just ate your dreams.

It is my understanding that, in general, they have made their decision long before your final semester ends (assuming you apply during or right before your final semester).

I will study like there is no tomorrow. Well, I guess I do have to finish my bachelor's between Feb-May. But after that, I will just study and study and study.

I haven't. And I haven't seen anything in the results section. Their deadline was January 15th though... so I guess that gives me some hope... ... though I didn't do so hot on the ole' Math GRE so maybe not.

If you want to do data mining then I would say computer science would be your best bet. A handful of CS courses are just watered down math classes that tell you what you need to know mathwise for CS, so you'll still get the math you need for data mining I would imagine.