seeking help for the application of pure math phD

[Yiyu Liu]

Dear all,

I'm a student majoring in psychology and I ask this for my boyfriend. We really need your help.

As I just know, applying to a pure math  phD seems like quite different from other majors(like psychology, haha), I mean, for most majors, research experience is quite essential for students to be accepted. However, for math, especially pure math things seems like different. Pure math is all about theories, no experiments, no models, no data. Professors do not really need RAs. Students are not academically equivalent as their professors so they even cannot fully understand the professors' research. In this situation,  there seems like no way for students to get involved in any research. So is GPA and GRE subject the only two important standard for a student to get accepted? 

 

Here is our situation:

My boyfriend graduated from a University that is famous for math. His GPA is not that good. But many people in our university who has similar GPA still get accepted to quite good phD programs. However, he was rejected by all the phD programs he applied to and ended up getting into a master program. We have no idea if it is his GRE verbal score that pulled him back( he got an 148 for V and 170 for Q).

Now he is a master student and considering to apply for phD again the next year. Is there anything he can do other than improving his GRE score and getting As for his courses? Is it possible for him to get any research opportunities in his field(geometry)? How can he strive to stand out from a pool of applicants?

 

We really appreciate your help! 

[StatHopeful]

Hello Yiyu,

I'm glad that you found this site and were able to post here. However, this site tends to have a strong bias towards statistics/biostatistics, with the occasional applied math thread. As such, I will direct you to this site: http://www.mathematicsgre.com/ which has a lot of information regarding mathematics programs. I think someone there would be better suited to answer your question.

 

Best of luck!