PhD Material Science Admissions

[acornrawr]

Hi, I am very nervous about applying to graduate schools this year. I know the research programs I like, but I don't know what level of programs I will be accepted to, so I don't know where to apply. Do I have a shot at Stanford, Berkeley, MIT, Cornell etc or should I mostly apply to schools with higher admission rates? Also any advice would be great!

I am currently a junior at Caltech applying to Materials Science Programs. My research interests are in thin film photovoltaics and related fields.

-3.8 gpa and have taken several unrequired extra classes in my field

-no publications

-full ride scholarship award

-two summers at Caltech doing research and one summer at an REU. But the first summer was on a project in an unrelated field (astro) and only the REU's research was directly related to my current research interests.

-two terms doing research 9hrs/week during junior year

-will do a senior thesis next year

-recs are probably okay, but I really don't know what the professors I worked with thought of me.

-I haven't taken the GRE yet, but my scores will probably be pretty good (except for the verbal part.)

Sigh. I'm worrying a lot about this and I have to start writing my applications soon. Any comments would be great! Thanks!

[Shiryatsya]

I dunno about Material Science but if this was Chemistry and you worked really hard during your summer things I'd be willing to bet you could go anywhere. That being said I'd apply to at least 2 safeties.