Pure Math PhD Program Applicant - Where should I apply?

[sk2468]

Hi!

 

I'm a domestic, female, minority (well, I'm not white) applying for Pure Math PhD Programs this fall. 

 

I did my undergrad at a top 30 Liberal Arts school with a graduate program (ranked top 20 private by the AMS), overall gpa 3.75. I double majored in Math (with Honors) and Economics. I graduated Magna Cum Laude and with a school-wide undergraduate research fellowship for my research in Experimental Economics, which I got published this past year. I also did a lot of extracurriculars. 

 

I am now doing a Masters as the same school in pure math. I will be finishing my degree at the end of this year, and will be doing a research project. I am interested in studying Topology in graduate school (geometric topology, low dimensional topology, and geometric group theory). I've also gone to a bunch of workshops and conferences while in my Masters program.

 

I will have one REALLY good letter from a well known mathematician, one strong letter, and I'm still figuring out the third (it'll probably be a good letter whoever it comes from). 

 

I kindof messed up my first semester of my Masters program last year (I did pretty not well in one of my classes), but I've rebounded since. 

 

But I got my GRE score back and it was a lot lower than what I expected, coming in around 30th percentile. =( I took the second exam in October too, and I expect that one to be higher since I answered more questions, but I won't know my score for a while. 

 

I'm now really worried about where I should apply to graduate schools. This is where I was thinking about applying:

 

Definitely Applying:

UC Santa Barbara

UC Davis

Boston College

Illinois at Urbana Champaign

Tufts University

Rice University

 

Probably Applying:

Georgia Tech

UT Austin

Indiana Bloomington

McGill

McMaster

Wisconsin

Ohio State

 

Does anyone have any suggestions about schools to apply to? Are there any schools I should automatically take off this list, or that I should add to it?

 

Any advice would be sincerely appreciated!

 

[ALeafOnTheWind]

Eww, don't apply to OSU. Columbus smells*

 

I was applying to PhDs in Topology last year... I wasn't completely sure on exactly what I wanted to do, so I wasn't too sure about where the ideal places to go would be. If it were a few years ago, I might even say my school (Ohio University) is a good choice. Alexander Arhangelskii was here, but he retired in 2011. Though I'm not sure if he did anything with Algebraic Geometry... Anyway, I don't otherwise have much to say about your list, since I don't know much about any of the schools (Except OSU). I seem to remember UT Austin looked like a nice program, but that was about it.

 

As for your GRE score... Try not to sweat it too much. I got 47th percentile when I took it last year... Unless you're applying to really top end programs, it doesn't matter that much, especially since it is a really hard test (WAY too much calculus on that thing >.>). I, of course, was arrogant/dumb and only applied to top end programs, which is part of why I didn't get into any of them... Oh well

 

* I don't actually think Columbus smells. I just dislike OSU because everyone in this state is obsessed with the school, and people out of state always manage to think OU is OSU

[lyh]

Eww, don't apply to OSU. Columbus smells*

 

I was applying to PhDs in Topology last year... I wasn't completely sure on exactly what I wanted to do, so I wasn't too sure about where the ideal places to go would be. If it were a few years ago, I might even say my school (Ohio University) is a good choice. Alexander Arhangelskii was here, but he retired in 2011. Though I'm not sure if he did anything with Algebraic Geometry... Anyway, I don't otherwise have much to say about your list, since I don't know much about any of the schools (Except OSU). I seem to remember UT Austin looked like a nice program, but that was about it.

 

As for your GRE score... Try not to sweat it too much. I got 47th percentile when I took it last year... Unless you're applying to really top end programs, it doesn't matter that much, especially since it is a really hard test (WAY too much calculus on that thing >.>). I, of course, was arrogant/dumb and only applied to top end programs, which is part of why I didn't get into any of them... Oh well

 

* I don't actually think Columbus smells. I just dislike OSU because everyone in this state is obsessed with the school, and people out of state always manage to think OU is OSU

 

Well recently I have got an offer from OSU (Math Ph.D) , so I want to know  your comments on  research power in OSU (especially in differential geometry), rather than people's general impression.

 

In fact I will withdraw OSU if I get a better offer later...

 

Thank you.:-D

[ihatepencils]

lyh -- first off, congratulations on your offer to OSU! that's super exciting and they have a pretty solid math grad program. 

 

if you dont mind me asking, did you apply for UIUC's math phd program as well and when did you hear back?

[StatPhD2014]

Hi!

 

I'm a domestic, female, minority (well, I'm not white) applying for Pure Math PhD Programs this fall. 

 

I did my undergrad at a top 30 Liberal Arts school with a graduate program (ranked top 20 private by the AMS), overall gpa 3.75. I double majored in Math (with Honors) and Economics. I graduated Magna Cum Laude and with a school-wide undergraduate research fellowship for my research in Experimental Economics, which I got published this past year. I also did a lot of extracurriculars. 

 

I am now doing a Masters as the same school in pure math. I will be finishing my degree at the end of this year, and will be doing a research project. I am interested in studying Topology in graduate school (geometric topology, low dimensional topology, and geometric group theory). I've also gone to a bunch of workshops and conferences while in my Masters program.

 

I will have one REALLY good letter from a well known mathematician, one strong letter, and I'm still figuring out the third (it'll probably be a good letter whoever it comes from). 

 

I kindof messed up my first semester of my Masters program last year (I did pretty not well in one of my classes), but I've rebounded since. 

 

But I got my GRE score back and it was a lot lower than what I expected, coming in around 30th percentile. =( I took the second exam in October too, and I expect that one to be higher since I answered more questions, but I won't know my score for a while. 

 

I'm now really worried about where I should apply to graduate schools. This is where I was thinking about applying:

 

Definitely Applying:

UC Santa Barbara

UC Davis

Boston College

Illinois at Urbana Champaign

Tufts University

Rice University

 

Probably Applying:

Georgia Tech

UT Austin

Indiana Bloomington

McGill

McMaster

Wisconsin

Ohio State

 

Does anyone have any suggestions about schools to apply to? Are there any schools I should automatically take off this list, or that I should add to it?

 

Any advice would be sincerely appreciated!

Your best advice would come from your professors. You should probably ask the one that is going to give you a really good recommendation, a list of schools that he thinks you would get into after you tell him your grades, coursework etc.

[lyh]

lyh -- first off, congratulations on your offer to OSU! that's super exciting and they have a pretty solid math grad program. 

 

if you dont mind me asking, did you apply for UIUC's math phd program as well and when did you hear back?

Thank you. I was rejected by UIUC math for not obtaining a speaking score > 22 in TOEFL.. (I am an international student.)  The rejection was sent by E-mail on Jan 29th.

 

I think you still have chance. UIUC has a large math department and enrolls a lot of students. Good luck. :-D