while i'm (we're) waiting, give me your opinion please.

[frankdux]

i went to Indiana University. majored in math. minored in astronomy. gpa 3.66. graduated may '02.

i did one semester of community college AFTER in order to take some inexpensive computer science classes to beef up my resume and because i didnt really take any computer science classes in college. actually i took 1 java class as a requirement, but i couldnt remember a thing from that class. so i took 3 computer classes at this community college, got all A's. also, i'll admit it was because i still wasnt sure what i wanted to do with my life. (perhaps these extra A's boosted my gpa up to a 3.69 i think)

afterwards, i worked full time for a year (as a manager at a Trader Joes) while deciding what career path i wanted to take.

then i decided to go to UIC thinking i really wanted to be a high school math teacher. over the course of 3 years while going to school at the minimum full time level while working part time/full time at a Best Buy, i got an MST degree with a 3.64 gpa. it was a 74 credit program. i really liked going back to school and i took quite a few extra classes too. so i ended up graduating with 102 credits. i also took a few extra independent study math courses the summer before my final semester - the semester i did my student teaching. these extra courses seriously inspired me. i realized after the following semester of student teaching that i couldnt simply JUST teach for the rest of my life. i really liked learning mathematics on my own, as i was doing in my independent study courses over that summer. i realized that what would make me most happy was if i could learn math, do research in math, and teach math for the rest of my life.

at the time i had reached this 'epiphany' it was too late to take the GRE (which i didnt need for my MST) and to apply for grad school. (this was around january of '07). so i decided to put it off for next year. in the meantime i had made plans to teach overseas for a year. which is what i'm currently doing. i am living in japan and participating in the JET program through the japanese ministry of education. i am currently teaching english at 2 high schools. (jetprogramme.org)

in the spring of '07, before i went to japan, i took the GRE. i got 800Q , 480V :cry: , 4.5 A . i moved to japan to teach at the end of july.

so this past fall, while in japan, i applied to just a couple schools back home. i told myself i'd only apply to the schools that had the exact interests in research that i do and those that are within my 'ballpark'. and if i didnt get in, i'd stick around in japan for another year - probably move to tokyo - and perhaps take over the GRE and apply to more schools next year. a part of me is now regretting only applying to just 2 schools, but since i still haven't gotten a response back i shouldnt start kicking myself yet.

as for my letters of recommendation; 2 are from my independent study professors. both got their ph.d.s from ivy league schools, another is from my MST advisor who was also my teacher and my student-teacher advisor. she doesnt have a ph.d. but i've known her for 3 years and she knows me better than anyone else.

in my statement of purpose i emphasized how i took many classes in my MST program and how i really enjoyed taking independent study courses and how those influenced me to want to continue on in my studies towards a ph.d. so that i may do research and teach for the rest of my life. i also mentioned my interests in mathematics with applications towards astronomy and how my interests alligned with the interests of the school's departments.

so now for the input i ask of you: what do you think my chances are of getting into the applied mathematics departments at University of Arizona, and the University of Colorado? i am specifically interested in applied math with a concentration on interdisciplinary applications of mathematics towards astronomy/cosmology/physics.

i'll be 28 years old next month. i already have one masters degree in a related subject. i have pretty good grades. i have some work experience, and some 'wordly' travelling-abroad experience. do i sound like a good ph.d. candidate to you?

[nurye27]

Yes. Go for it!

[rising_star]

Go for it! Good luck!