As a sophomore math major at UMD College Park, I am doing suspiciously well. My concern is that professors reviewing applications will expect my statistics to be higher compared to undegraduates from stronger math colleges. But there’s no way for me to make my academics look better as I already have a GPA of 4 and am trying to take the most advanced courses possible. This semester, I’m taking a graduate course after getting an exemption just because the statistics requirement involved too much review. How do I compete for spots in top PhD programs with the hundreds of students in more esteemed universities who also challenge themselves with courses and have high GPAs, yet come from higher ranked universities?
One suggestion I heard is working with professors in your college and joining summer REUs. I’m planning on doing both. I’ve already started working on the former by entering a directed reading program, and I’ll join a summer REU in 2021. I didn’t get into any REUs this year, but my applications can only be better next year and I’ll make sure to apply to more than 6. Another suggestion is getting something published that reflects your own efforts, which I’ve already done in a school journal and on arXiv.
Besides your transcript, grades and outside activities, there’s letters of recommendation and an essay. I know where to find advice about recommendations and how to tell if a professor knows you enough to write a good letter. As for essays, I’ll construct that bridge when I get there; if they’re not bad for any reason, they’re good enough seems to be the general consensus.
So it seems all I have to do now is sit back and continue living my life the same way, at least when it comes to math. Yet this seems like a foolish conclusion. Surely I must be missing something large, and the typical applicant admitted to a top PhD program must’ve done more than what I’m on the road to accomplishing, whether this in terms of either quality or quantity. Is there anything I might’ve overlooked, especially when it comes to competing with students from MIT, Harvard, Stanford, etc., who have more resources and a better student network?
First of all, while where you went to undergrad does matter, it doesn’t matter as much as I think most undergrads believe it does. The fact that you have a 4.0 GPA and are taking the most advanced classes possible goes a much longer way than where you went to school.
Secondly…Maryland is a very highly regarded school! The list of schools that professors consider good is more expansive than the list of elite schools that a lot of undergrads circle around. Maryland is known for being strong in math, too, so I don’t think you have anything to worry about.
The way you compete is by doing exactly what you are doing - get good grades, take rigorous courses, and do research. I know in math things are a bit different; in other fields, I would tell you to also try to do research with the professors at your university during the academic year in addition to trying for summer REUs. Keep applying for summer REUs (it’s very difficult for rising sophomores to get into them, as most of the spots tend to be reserved for rising juniors and seniors; you’ll likely have much better luck this year). Publishing on arXiv is pretty good, too, as is the school journal.
So yeah, actually you can just continue living your life the way you are now. Stay curious. Talk to your professors and try to learn all you can about math.
@boneh3ad may have some other good advice for you as well. (ETA: For some reason I always forget boneh3ad is in engineering and not math, but he still may have some great advice for you nonetheless )
It sounds to me like you are doing very well. UMD is also a very good university.
“Besides your transcript, grades and outside activities, there’s letters of recommendation and an essay.”
I think that one thing that got me accepted to a top graduate school (I was a math major) was research that I was involved in after I graduated with my bachelor’s degree. There were many other students in graduate school who had some work experience after getting their bachelor’s.
Thus while you are doing very well now, you will have more opportunities to shine in the future.
You are doing great at a great university. I think that you should just keep doing very well, and do not stress out.
@Lobachevski what makes you think that MIT, Harvard, Stanford etc. students have more resources and a better student network than you do? What is etc. in the math major world? You seem to view academia as a competition to be won. This makes me sad for math. Your post comes off a little as a humble brag. My experience is that at the grad school level, committees choose candidates that are qualified, of course, but also delightful people to work with. Your post displays a love of your GPA and your perceived intelligence but not a love for math. That’s what I would work on. This may sound harsh and I, by no means, am trying to offend you. Just ruffle your feathers a little. Good luck OP!
I don’t think that there is any question that top private schools have more resources than most state public flagships. On a per capita basis, they have more $$ for undergrad research, for example. That being said, as noted above, Maryland-CP has a solid math program so a good rec from their Profs will viewed favorably.
Prestige matters in academia. Note, just bcos the OP did not share his/her reasons for applying for a math PhD, doesn’t mean she does not have an excellent rationale.
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