admission to a US math PhD programme

Graduate School
1

<p>Hello everybody.</p>

<p>I am applying to math PhD programmes in the US. Here is some information about me.</p>

<p>I am a foreign student completing an undergraduate math degree, "licenciado degree". Yes, my native language is Spanish. I am from Bolivia, South America. I have a good GPA, 93 in a 100 scale which is equivalent to a 3.72 in a 4 scale. I also took the TOEFL IBT and scored 96 over 120, but my GRE test scores are not very good. </p>

<p>GRE 148 Verbal 36%
157 Queantiative 69%
3.0 Analytical Writing 16%
660 Math Subject 52%</p>

<p>I know I do not have good GRE scores. I did all I could to prepare myself to take those test. What was shocking for me was the Math Subject test. I am used to read and write proofs. I know how to make calulations, but I can not perform them as fast as that test requires. I also was surprised with the vocabulary in the GRE general test. I have learnd like a thounsand new words, but most of the words I have seen on the test were new to me. I can not retake those test. They are really expensive, specialy in my country.</p>

<p>I have strong letters of recommendation from my teachers. They are encouraging and supporting my applications. Unforunately, they are not very well known. They obtainded their PhD from Latin American Institutions. Mexico and Brazil.</p>

<p>I have applied to 5 US math PhD programmes. Among them are Harvard and Cornell because I got an application fee waiver, so I just had to filled out application forms . The others are what could I say not top ranked school. Do I have a good chance in those other schools? Or did I just waste my time and money?</p>

<p>I have also applied to 2 programmes in Germany. They are taught in English. They did not asked the GREs, just the TOEFL. Do I have a better chance there?</p>

2

<p>What kind of research experience do you have? That is probably the most significant factor in a PhD application. GRE scores are not the biggest part of an application, but because yours are fairly low, especially in applying for math, other parts of your application will have to compensate for it.
As for Germany, since they do use GRE, your chances are probably somewhat better, but again - the rest of your application has to pull the weight.</p>