<p>YOU ARE READING MY 2% FIGURE WRONG!</p>
<p>That was the chance to get a 3.7 GPA or above (particularly in engineering since that is where i spent most of my time)! That does NOT translate into top graduate school admission!</p>
<p>ARGH. Attention to detail: FAIL!</p>
<p>@rocketDA: =.= I wasnt referring to you, my friend. Chill. It was to the figure by blackroses who translated ur “2% for getting a 3.7” to “2% of getting to grad school”.</p>
<p>@indianmonster</p>
<p>I think such interpretation came from the fact that:</p>
<p>someone said u’ll need at least 3.7 -> u need research and other stuff along with that -> getting both 3.7 + research is 2% = 2% chance for grad school.</p>
<p>Yeah, it’s not exactly the same, but I think she got the idea.</p>
<p>Indian Monster, yeah, like maruhan said, I wasn’t saying that only 2% of mudders get into top grad schools.</p>
<p>tiyusufaly, I think US rankings are a joke. Their criteria for ranking is laughable. I by no means think a top grad school equates to the prestige that school holds. Otherwise, like maruhan said, why would I be at HMC in the first place? </p>
<p>The reason I focus so much on MIT and Berkeley is simply because those two schools have very good Nuclear Engineering graduate programs. There are also only around 30 PhD programs in Nuclear Engineering in the Country. Berkeley I believe is the only one that is in California; so not only does it have a great program, but it will probably have a great network since I don’t plan to leave California (given, I’m sure the other schools would have a good network too.) There is also Cornell, Purdue, and other big name top grad schools that offer these programs that I’d definitely want to apply to.</p>
<p>Currently, I obviously don’t know much about the different Nuclear Engineering grad school programs, nor do I intend to look into them until say my Junior year. All I really know of right now is the name, and the credibility that comes with that. But that is not to say that I won’t end up being really impressed with a school like UIUC, which also has a Nuclear Engineering program, and what I know from my dad, has an amazing CS program. This is definitely not one of those big name schools like MIT, but it very well may have an excellent graduate program in Nuclear Engineering. The research I do in learning about the different programs would weigh my decision on where I want to go much more than the garbage rankings posted by US News. As for now, all I wanted to know is what GPA I should be aiming for to have a good shot at these top graduate programs, and I appreciate having already gotten some good answers to that question.</p>
<p>Qoute "Rocket DA, so basically we have a 2% chance of getting into top grad schools at mudd lol? I know research and personal initiative is also something Graduate schools look at like you mentioned, but I’m pretty sure they don’t override GPA… Grad schools are still looking for a GPA in a certain range, regardless of where they went to school and other things they did, at least that’s the impression I got.</p>
<p>Also, can you please answer as to whether or not the fellowships awarded were institutional or not, and if not how many received institutional fellowships (or assistantships)? "</p>
<p>Nvm, just go on with the information. No more arguments. Just stating my point.</p>
<p>Today I learned that Michigan State University has the best nuclear physics program in the nation. I live in Ann Arbor, home to the University of Michigan - which I have spent my entire life being told (and happily believing) is better than MSU in every way.</p>
<p>Grad school, as was stated, is VERY different from undergrad. How many of you have heard of Warwick University? It just so happens to take the #1 spot in the world for math, and trades with Cambridge for the honor in Computer Science. And has done so for essentially the entire existence of the institution (46 years) and the entire existence of the field (~25 years, depending on how you count and whom you ask), respectively.</p>
<p>Almost any institution offering graduate degrees has at least one field in which it is absolutely outstanding. If that field happens to coincide with your life interests, you should absolutely pick that one, personal taste factors aside, however “obscure” it may be/seem.</p>
<p>I say this as a Mudd prefrosh intending to continue to grad school in physics with two mathematicians for parents who happen to be rather worldly.</p>
<p>Foret Michigan State and go to MIT/Harvard/Princeton for graduat study.</p>