Which PhD programs have the highest acceptance rates?

[InquilineKea]

I'm inclined to think that they're programs in fields where there aren't a lot of people who go into them due to parental pressure, where the content often forces students to be somewhat masochistic, and where there isn't an obvious route to a job (thus, there isn't as much of a competition). And also, a field that advisers generally don't recommend people to go into.

E.g. http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/1063820139-post19.html is a post I found most intriguing. It says that physics isn't a particularly popular field for people, so it isn't that competitive.

My impression is that astrophysics, physics, computational biology, and the computational/theoretical parts of many other sciences have the least competitive programs. It is *incredibly* easy to get an undergrad research position if you want to do mathematical biology for example, or the more theoretical parts of any other science. For some reason, all the "hardcore theory" guys all want to do pure math (or computer science or applied math), so this frees up the more theoretical parts of the sciences for the rest of us. Furthermore, they are *cheap* (because you don't need huge $$$ for labs) and in relatively high demand.

I'm particularly interested in the theoretical parts of astrophysics. But I also love theoretical biology and atmospheric sciences.

[InquilineKea]

*shrug* okay I'll add something.

Getting *into* undergrad research labs is FAR easier for theoretical biology+astrophysics+atmospheric sciences+geology than it is to get into undergrad research for other fields, simply because there are VERY few undergrads who are into theoretical biology/theoretical astrophysics/theoretical [other science fields - as long as it's a field that isn't physics/math/CS where all the geniuses go for their ego boosts]. I know this because emailing the professor is actually enough to almost guarantee you a research position in many cases (whereas for other parts of the biosciences, admissions to a lab is often competitive).

BUT, once you get in and STAY in, then it's probably easier to get in a bioscience grad school.

But if you don't get several years of that type of research, then it seems easier to get in astrophysics, computational biology, and the computational/theoretical parts of many other sciences. Lots of students wait to get more background before doing research in these fields (many strong math undergrads hardly do any math research at all, and many physics undergrads wait until their last couple years). Biology students, on the other hand, pretty much have to get in a research position by sophomore year in order to really be competitive.