2016 Applicant Profiles and Admissions Results

[GeoInsane]

Undergrad Institution: The best university in Indonesia (generally and geology)
Major(s): Geology
Minor(s):
GPA in Major: 3.52
Overall GPA:3.36
Position in Class: near top (i guess)
Type of Student: International, asian

Undergrad Institution: The best university in Middle east (generally and geology)
Major(s): Geology
Minor(s):
GPA in Major: 3.88
Overall GPA:3.88
Position in Class: top 5%

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q:160
V:152
W:3.0


TOEFL Total: IELTS 7.0

Research Experience: involved in different projects (local and international), 5 ISI journals (3-first author), several international conferences

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Dean list, best grad student, Stoneley medal Imperial barrel award 2015

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: TAing for the whole period of my master

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help:

Special Bonus Points: strong LOR, have good communications with potential POI's through email and skype

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:

Applying to Where

UT Austin

TAMU

U Kansas

 

What do you think guys?

[GeoMex]

16 hours ago, sjoh197 said:

My knowledge of large scale economics is pretty sad, so I don't really know, but I mean, oil is notorious for cycling and I now live somewhere where the city's foundations are all oil, and the job market is all oil. 

 

I'm only applying to UH this year, as I now live in Houston. 

I meant that why is your confidence in that state?

UH is pretty tough, I got accepted to UT last year but not UH, I don't know why.

Texas A&M is near, Rice is in Houston but it's private. SMU, UT Dallas, and Baylor are good choices too.

[sjoh197]

I didnt apply to Rice because I knew that my gpa wasn't good enough. Also my research interests were so-so there. Dallas is too far away, I'd never make it. I thought about A&M but thats an hour and a half drive. Moving is not an option for me now,

After last years let down... I just don't feel very confident anymore.

[GeoMex]

On 1/1/2016 at 11:32 AM, sjoh197 said:

I didnt apply to Rice because I knew that my gpa wasn't good enough. Also my research interests were so-so there. Dallas is too far away, I'd never make it. I thought about A&M but thats an hour and a half drive. Moving is not an option for me now,

After last years let down... I just don't feel very confident anymore.

I guess not being able to move makes it really difficult. Hopefully this time will be better. Hang in there

[1WheeledGeo]

Can't believe I'm going back for more...

Undergrad Institution: Tiny midwest lib arts
Major(s):Geology
Minor(s):N/A
GPA in Major: 3.7ish
Overall GPA: 3.63
Position in Class: in the middle- there weren't too many of us
Type of Student: domestic, F

Grad Institution: State school, small dept.
Major(s):Geology 
Minor(s):
GPA in Major: 4.00
Overall GPA: 4.00
Position in Class: meh
 

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q:158
V:159
W:5.0


Research Experience: competitive REU as an undergrad, USGS internship following graduation, internship at research university, current field-based research for my M.Sc.

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Undergrad: TA award, geo scholarship, Award for thesis. Grad: four different grants for conference funding

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Mud logged (glad I got out of that!), TA (1 semester as an undergrad. 3 so far for my M.Sc., two of which have been for field geology)

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help:  Generally not a heel, I think.

Special Bonus Points: recommenders have some influence

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter:

Applying to Where:

All for structure/tectonics, hopefully some geochron too:
UW-Madison, Boulder, UT, UMN-Twin Cities

[gelologist]

Back again for more! Gotta say, thread seems much more dead than in past years. Anyway, since apps are in...

Undergrad Institution: SLAC
Major(s): Geology
Minor(s): Env. Analysis
GPA in Major: ?
Overall GPA: 3.14
Position in Class: Very much middle

Grad Institution: Not-so-great large public
Major(s): Geology
GPA in Major: ?
Overall GPA: 3.9
Position in Class: ?

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 162/83%
V: 163/93%
W: 5.0/93%

Research Experience: 2 REUs, 1 field camp abroad, 1 senior thesis (Bachelor's); 1 master's thesis. 5 abstracts, 2 first author papers in prep.

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Couple merit scholarships, Sigma Xi, GSA grant

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: TA in UG, Adjunct Lecturer in grad, tutor on the side, spent time in industry between ug/grad.

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Admissions officer for UG school, organized grad field trip, couple workshops

Special Bonus Points: idk, the master's?

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: idk

Applying to Where: PhD - I guess basically all are for petrology stuff

URI GSO

CUNY Grad Center

Harvard

Columbia

Rice

UC Davis

Wisconsin

[gelologist]

On January 1, 2016 at 0:32 PM, sjoh197 said:

I didnt apply to Rice because I knew that my gpa wasn't good enough. Also my research interests were so-so there. Dallas is too far away, I'd never make it. I thought about A&M but thats an hour and a half drive. Moving is not an option for me now,

After last years let down... I just don't feel very confident anymore.

Also @sjoh I meant to ask what makes you think your GPA is too low for rice? Do they have a well established cutoff (in practice if not theory)?

 

That said, keep your head up! I applied to programs once before, only got wait lists and rejects. A year wiser - Lordy me, I read my old essay and *I* wouldn't accept me! - and things turned around! (Now on my 3rd app cycle, ugh. Has anyone added up app fee costs? I did. It's terrifying!)

Do you have connections at UH? I think that helps a lot; I've come to realize that that can mean a lot in academia: people trust the recs of those they know first and foremost. I saw a great post on Quora the other day about this, from a CS prof at Brown who has a page regarding tips for graduate school rec letter *writers*, basically saying things like "listen, be honest in your assessments, a big part is whether we TRUST your rec." A POI and a connection who are friendly...well, that'll count that much more.

we all have faith in you!

Edited January 9, 2016 by gelologist

[sjoh197]

I got really lucky in that one of my recommenders this time round... that I know quite well, both academically and casually is well known at UH and has many connections there.

 

In fact, when I visited my poi and he found out where I got my undergrad, his first question was "Do you know Dr. So and so?" And I said as a matter of fact I do. (And he always likes my cat pictures on facebook lol. Not that I'd ever mention that )

Edited January 9, 2016 by sjoh197
add info

[Yunix]

Undergrad Institution: University of Southern California
Major(s): Geological Sciences
Minor(s): Computer Science
GPA in Major: 3.94
Overall GPA: 3.82
Position in Class: N/A
Type of Student: international male

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 170
V: 169
W: 4.5

Research Experience: Two publications in climate dynamics (none 1st author), SSF at WHOI in paleoceanography, one conference abstract (accepted), two departmental seminar talks

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Small merit scholarships within school

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: N/A

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: N/A

Special Bonus Points: Met with potential advisors in MIT and Princeton

Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: N/A

Applying to Where:
Columbia - DEES

Princeton - Geoscience

Harvard - EPS

WHOI-MIT - G & G

Caltech - GPS

Oregon State - CEOAS

All in paleoceanography/paleoclimatology

[gelologist]

On January 1, 2016 at 0:32 PM, sjoh197 said:

 

[gelologist]

Sorry, on mobile, not sure why a quote block published. 

 

Anyway, seems like some results are starting to come out....!! :nail biting:

[zerozircon]

Undergrad Institution: Top 10 geology public university
Major(s): earth sciences, environmental sciences/ studies
Minor(s): geology, history
GPA in Major: 3.75
Overall GPA: 3.54
Position in Class: near top
Type of Student: domestic, female

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 163 (86%)
V: 163 (92%)
W: 4.5 (80%)


Research Experience: year of 7 months of full time geo research, 6 months of undergraduate geo research, 1.5 years of environmental and energy policy research

Field Experience: 1 month- field assistant, 1 month- field camp, 2 week long department field trips, several class trips

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: a few geo scholarships, publication in undergraduate history journal, academic honors, geo honor society

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: tutored bio for 2 years, course assistant for 1 semester

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: ?

Special Bonus Points: contacted all of my professors, went to a top tier university, recommenders well know in field, female (does that help?)

Disadvantages: lack some basic courses (only math through calc 2, no intro physics sequence, lack advanced non-geo chemistry), one of my recommendations was really late (does that change anything?)

Applying to Where:

UT Austin

University of Arizona

UC Davis

UCLA

University of Washington

Princeton

University of Illinois- Urbana-Champaign

Edited January 18, 2016 by zerozircon

[sjoh197]

The forum is quite slow this year... There were twice as many people, if not more by this time last year. Hopefully that is a minor reflection of fewer people applying this year? Unlikely... But one can always hope.

Edited January 18, 2016 by sjoh197

[gelologist]

4 hours ago, zerozircon said:

Undergrad Institution: Top 10 geology public university
Major(s): earth sciences, environmental sciences/ studies
Minor(s): geology, history
GPA in Major: 3.75
Overall GPA: 3.54
Position in Class: near top
Type of Student: domestic, female

GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 163 (86%)
V: 163 (92%)
W: 4.5 (80%)


Research Experience: year of 7 months of full time geo research, 6 months of undergraduate geo research, 1.5 years of environmental and energy policy research

Field Experience: 1 month- field assistant, 1 month- field camp, 2 week long department field trips, several class trips

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: a few geo scholarships, publication in undergraduate history journal, academic honors, geo honor society

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: tutored bio for 2 years, course assistant for 1 semester

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: ?

Special Bonus Points: contacted all of my professors, went to a top tier university, recommenders well know in field, female (does that help?)

Disadvantages: lack some basic courses (only math through calc 2, no intro physics sequence, lack advanced non-geo chemistry), one of my recommendations was really late (does that change anything?)

Applying to Where:

UT Austin

University of Arizona

UC Davis

UCLA

University of Washington

Princeton

University of Illinois- Urbana-Champaign

I find some profs want you to have the quant background, others just want someone who can learn. 

Recs: well, timeliness probably helps a bit but the ones I had that were 1-2 days late are the same schools that have been in contact since the deadline (including a visit offer) so its probably not awful. Again school dependent though. 

[gelologist]

3 hours ago, sjoh197 said:

The forum is quite slow this year... There were twice as many people, if not more by this time last year. Hopefully that is a minor reflection of fewer people applying this year? Unlikely... But one can always hope.

Haha this. Seriously, very slow. Makes it hard to gauge when to start stressing full-time, since I don't think I'm quite at the point yet

[Arch-art-trowel]

12 hours ago, gelologist said:

Haha this. Seriously, very slow. Makes it hard to gauge when to start stressing full-time, since I don't think I'm quite at the point yet

Not sure if it makes any difference whatsoever based on one school, but Notre Dame's anthropology department sent out an email awhile ago saying they got about 70-ish applicants. Struck me as a bit low for a fully-funded program, though, the less the merrier I suppose!. 

Edited January 18, 2016 by BadgerJ

[gelologist]

1 hour ago, BadgerJ said:

Not sure if it makes any difference whatsoever based on one school, but Notre Dame's anthropology department sent out an email awhile ago saying they got about 70-ish applicants. Struck me as a bit low for a fully-funded program, though, the less the merrier I suppose!. 

Yeah, sounds maybe a bit low. But who knows, other factors like geography and all that certainly play a role.

Certainly the economy helps a little, I think: with employment still improving, people are choosing jobs instead of school, which is very different than, for example, my first app cycle in 2013 when the federal sequester had just hit. 

[sjoh197]

The glut in oil and subsequent price drop has left houston a barren wasteland for new (and even experienced) geologists looking for employment. I came at a really bad time... lol. If I don't get into UH, I'll probably be forced to leave the geology field permanently. 

[GeoDUDE!]

In the natural sciences application numbers tend to be low outside of 20-30 schools.  That doesn't make competition any easier, though, as people tend to apply to the less popular schools because they have a good reason too, while the more popular schools get applications regardless of fit and location. 

[CornUltimatum]

Undergrad Institution: Texas Tech University - it has a decent Geology program
Interests: Structural geology, geomorphology, tectonics, GIS
Major: B.S. in Geosciences with a concentration in Geology
Minor: Minors are "mandatory," in my department at Tech, but I chose a mixed minor so I could be more flexible in what courses I took.
Geology GPA: 3.50
Total GPA: 3.47
GRE Scores: Verbal 155 (67%), Quantitative 152 (48%), and Writing 4.5 (80%)
Position in Class: I am not sure... Certain courses I know I ranked fairly well though. In Field Methods I ranked 5 out of 21 students, and 4 out of 19 (there was a course in the Spring, and then in the Summer). 
Research Experience: I have been a student assistant to a professor (structural geologist) since Spring of 2013. I began my undergraduate research Spring 2015. Those results should be published this Spring 2016. I did field camp in Big Bend National Park. I also have been able to go on many field trips, all included with my major. 
Rewards: I've earned some academic scholarships through college. 
Recommendation Letters: They should be pretty strong. I have three letters from professors who I got to know very well and are doing work all pertinent to my field. 
Type of Student: Hispanic (Central American) female - from the U.S.
Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: I took a few seminars (Boresite), and have participated in the AAPG and Geoscience Society since my Freshman year. I also know how to use saws and such - this is just tidbit info on my resume. I opted to take Physics III and Calculus III, which may be beneficial, hopefully it demonstrates I have some competency in mathematics. Wish I took more high end math courses!
Special Bonus Points: I have contacted professors I want to work with at every University - since research is of utmost importance to me. They all seem like potentially good fits! 

Applying for a Master of Science degree in Geology or Geosciences, with a concentration in Structure and Tectonics

I applied to:
Texas Tech University
Oklahoma State University
Arizona State University
University of Nevada at Reno
Idaho State University
New Mexico Tech

I suppose we'll see some results rolling in sometime February! Good luck. Just thought I'd add my stuff to this thread too.

Edited January 19, 2016 by CornUltimatum

[gelologist]

For the curious, I know UNR, Rice, Harvard, and Columbia are currently reviewing apps. Apparently, given the board activity, so are Penn State, CalTech, Stanford, and UT Austin; I bet more are as well. Best of luck to everyone; would love to hear people chime here in as they get news!

[zerozircon]

UCLA is also reviewing apps

[magnetite]

I applied to Caltech just before the deadline on a whim. My application status still shows that they're awaiting my GRE scores, though I sent them just before Christmas. I called them earlier today and I got the impression that they are needing to manually update the statuses for applicants who sent in the scores before they created an application.

I wonder how much this is going to affect my application. If they're reviewing fully completed and updated applications now, I suppose it's possible they could accept how ever many they are able to before they even look at my application.

[Yunix]

@magnetite I'm sure they won't ignore your application simply because they failed to update your score. It's their fault, not yours.

[gelologist]

@magnetite I'm with @Yunix here, I can't imagine that'd be counted against you. It's not exactly the same, but I actually just had a Skype interview with a POI despite one LoR being 24 hours late!

Forgot to add, I saw a UCSD - Scripps Inst. Oceanography (geophysics) result on the boards as well!