Best Phd Programs/Schools for Applied Mathematics

[carlmathent]

Hi everyone! 
I am new here so serious help will be greatly appreciated. 

I am graduating next year with my Bachelor's degree in Applied Mathematics and I was wondering what is the next best step for me to do. I am determined to get into grad school but I've heard that, for applied math, you have the option to either take a master's or go directly to getting a PhD. My ultimate goal is to get a PhD but getting a master's was what I was expecting to get first. 

Either way, I just wanted to know what most of you suggest I take: master's or directly get into PhD program?

Also, what is the best school that offers a great graduate programs on Applied Math? As of right now, I don't have a specific concentration so a general best school will be fine.
 

Thank you in advance, everyone!!! Have a great day!

 

[GoPackGo89]

If your ultimate goal is to get a PhD then you should apply to PhD programs. The majority of good schools will have applications due in December. You'll need three letters of recommendation, general GRE scores, transcripts and a personal statement. If you are starting to gather information about applied math graduate school then I would meet with a mentor, trusted professor, Post doc or PhD candidate in your department and pick their brains.

A good starting point for 'best' applied math programs would be the USnews rankings. To get a sense of where you stack up against other applicants checkout mathematicsgre.com as this forum is 95% statistics focused