I’ll cut to the chase. I posted this earlier with no replies so I’m going to give it another gander.
Here are my credentials:
Intended major: Environmental Engineering, Materials Science, or Physics
GPA: Obviously, a 3.16
Work experience: I’ve got about 8 months experience with a major food and beverage company
Undergraduate research: I’m published, I have about a year’s worth of experience working in an lab under the wing of a PhD student and a professor. I helped with their research and did my own as well.
I’m not looking to get into a top tier university. I’m considering average institutions under no illusions that I had wonderful grades. I just want to here what your opinion is on getting into a program at what is probably a large public school.
Thanks for your time.
362, sorry for not including that!
362? Thought it was out of 340?
I’m sure you could get into a Phd program, but would you want to go anywhere which would admit you. The competition for TT positions is brutal, even graduating from a top school.
I also thought it was out of 340…
Don’t do it. The abject poverty. The utter lack of job prospects at the end. A PhD program is hardly worth it for anyone, and a low-ranked one with bad placement stats is definitely not worth it for you.
Sorry guys, I meant 162/324 GRE
Number one, OP, be aware that the top tier programs in your area may actually be “large public schools”. Some of the top programs in environmental engineering are at Georgia Tech, Penn State, Berkeley, UT-Austin, and Michigan; some of the top programs in physics and/or materials science are at Berkeley, UIUC, UCSB, Maryland, Oklahoma, Penn State, UF, UMass-Amherst, Minnesota, Arizona State, CU-Boulder and SUNY Stony Brook. So getting into even a public university may be challenging in general.
Now, individual metrics may be outweighed by an otherwise outstanding portfolio - so your job is to make yourself otherwise outstanding. With a 3.16, you may not be competitive for the most top tier universities, but you WOULD be competitive for some good master’s programs that would give you a leg up in PhD admissions. If I were you, I would apply to a few (no more than 5) of your favorite, pie-in-the-sky PhD programs on the off-chance that you are admitted to one of them, and focus your efforts really on some good solid MS programs in those fields.
You don’t want to get your PhD at a lower-ranked program, particularly if academia is your goal. Ranking matters more at the graduate level (for better or worse).
is 162 your Quantitative, Verbal or Total score? If it is the total score, you will have a hard time getting into a MS program. If it is the Quantitative score and your verbal is decent then you can certainly get into a Ph.D. program but it won’t be one of the most selective programs (see some of my other posts as to why i reject the notion of “top” programs). Your chances for an MS are quite a bit better but you might have to self fund.
You state that you want Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering or Physics. Your degree is in Chemical Engineering so that is the program you have the best chances to enter, of course. You are probably lacking in some physics prerequisites and you won’t get into the most selective physics programs. Our experience at Illinois Tech physics with engineering students is pretty good but they usually start with a self-funded MS and have to take some remedial coursework (for Chemical Engineers this would likely be Classical Mechanics, E&M and Quantum Mechanics). I suspect that it would be very much the same in Environmental Engineering. This is certainly doable but you have to have your eyes open when starting out.
I think that a more productive strategy for you is to figure out the general area that you wish to specialize in and then look for Chemical Engineering programs that have strengths in the kind of research that you are interested in. Look beyond the specific areas in Chemical Engineering because you can sometimes, work with faculty in other departments too. For example, I am in the physics department but 2 of my Ph.D. students are in Chemistry and I have also worked with Materials Engineering and Chemical Engineering students.
Realistically, you can probably get into the Ph.D. program at a less selective program. This is not to say it is not worth doing. Just because you are in a less well-known program does not mean you won’t be able to get the job you want afterward. Your research advisor is a big factor in this too. 5 of my Ph.D. students have chosen to take the academic route and have does well for themselves and the others have excellent positions in national labs or industry. My colleagues in Engineering have had similar success in placing their students. I don’t think that Illinois Tech is considered a “top” school by most people you would talk to, however, there are some excellent faculty here and that is perhaps more important.
My advice (given that the GRE score you quote is only the Quantitative) is to apply to 2-3 of the schools you would really like to go to even if they are highly selective. Your publication and letters of reference might be notable enough to keep you in the mix. Then apply to 2-3 three moderately selective programs where the smaller number of applications ensures that your will be fully read and not triaged because of GPA or GRE scores. Choose these programs carefully because they might be smaller and you want to be sure that your area of research is well-represented. Applying to a couple of MS programs might also be advisable as a way of building your academic record for a future Ph.D. application.
Good luck!
I think getting into a physics PhD program is quite competitive. My son applied to 15 schools and only received 3 offers and his GPA was higher than yours. He was told you need at least a 3.5 overall to be competitive.
@RelicAndType sorry, I disagree with your sentiments. My S cannot wait to be able to learn more upper level physics and be able to do research. He isn’t looking to become a millionaire, but wanting to do something he loves.
@surfcity best of luck to your son. I hope he has a good back up plan.
Didn’t you post this last week, and most people told you a 3.1 is too low?
If not:
What was your major? GPA in that major? University where you got it?
Anyway… Can you take more science classes and get A’s in those?
Different guy with different circumstances. If you click on the user name you can check posts. It’s right down the page from here.
@RelicAndType - in my 34 years as a physics professor, I have seen a lot of our Ph.D. graduate get good jobs. Academics is not the only path, many go into industry and do very well for themselves. No need for a backup plan, just flexibility in finding employment.