Suggestions plz. Thanks (For Math Major)

Graduate School
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<p>Hi everyone, </p>

<p>I just finished my jr year in an engineering school. My major is math. I spent my first 2 years at my home school. When I had basic math courses ( 2 semesters analysis, 2 semester advanced linear algebra, 1 semester problem solving and proofs, 1 semester differential equations, and multi and single variables calculus), I went to Penn State for the MASS program. Then, last semester, I was studying in BSM (budapest semester math) program. </p>

<p>I had done REU once last summer. The project we worked on was "cellular automata". My group wrote a paper which would be published this year. This summer, I'm doing REU at cornell. The project is about julia set and some dynamics. Hopefully, I will get something done this summer. Moreover, when I was in the MASS program, I worked on a research project about origami (hyperbolic paraboloid), and I got some results. I would go to MASS program again this Fall to finish this project. Also, when I was in BSM program, I took the quantum physics class. I typed the lecture notes for the professor. Well, the notes are not finished yet. However, my prof. and I are still working on it. He plans to finish it before spring semester, so he can use it as a textbook. I do not know if he ever plans to publish it or not. I just think that is good idea to practice writing math proofs when I type each lecture notes in LaTeX. It will be helpful for people who will take that class in the future, since that course does not have textbooks or reference for now. </p>

<p>I'm interested in fractal geometry, geometry related to origami, dynamical system, and mathematical physics (quantum physics and PDE ). I will apply for grad schools this Fall, so I do not know what schools have strong programs in those fields. Does anyone here know about any programs? </p>

<p>I have 3.87 as my GPA now. I do not know my MATH GPA, but it must be higher than 3.87. I really want to go to graduate school and be a professor in the future. I have not taken GRE general and subject tests yet, but I will take them soon. I hope that I can do well on them. I did make a list of school that I want to go to, but I'm not sure if I can get into them or not. Can anyone here give me some suggestions. Thanks. </p>

<p>List of school:
1. NYU
2. Columbia
3. MIT
4. Stony Brook
5. CUNY Graduate Center
6. Rutgers
7. Penn State
8. Brown
9. Northwestern
10. Yale
11. Cornell</p>

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<p>It depends on your GRE, and the fit of your research with professors in those school’s departments. You’ll have to do a little exploring around the websites. </p>

<p>On a side note: why/how are you a math major in an engineering school?</p>

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<p>I see. Thanks ThePhilosopher. I will try my best to do well on GRE. How well do I have to do on GRE General and Subjects? </p>

<p>Well, I chose that school because of money. I got full scholarship from this school. I was in the honors college and had chance to get BS and MS in 4 years. So, all the benefits made me decide to go to that school. In fact, it was not that bad, since I went to MASS program and BSM program this year. </p>

<p>I am probably the top one or two in the math dept on my school. However, when I studied in another schools, I met a lot of people who are better and took more advanced math courses. I know that I am not good, and I am really scared that I won’t get into any schools that I listed above…</p>

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<p>Oh no, what I meant was that I am surprised that there is a math major at an engineering school. Usually math is a “liberal arts” type subject. </p>

<p>As for the subject tests, check the individual schools. You can also call any of them anonymously to ask. I’m sure others on this board have a better subject-specific idea for those things, though.</p>

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<p>yet,</p>

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<p>Okay. This is not like undergrad. You can’t just apply to a school because you feel like going there. You say you like X. Find schools (it’s called research!) that do X; find people you could potentially work with. Some on your list (MIT, Columbia, Yale) are quite competitive…even for the best of the best. </p>

<p>If you are hoping to study X in grad school, and no one at Y does research in that area, you’ve probably found the quickest way to the rejection pile.</p>

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<p>thanks. Well, I initially plan to be double math and mechanical engineering. Then, later on, i realized that I love math a lot.</p>

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<p>Well, I actually did check most schools I listed above. Some of them do study stuffs that I’m interested in. However, I still kinda feel that I will be rejected by the program. Also, is that a good idea to mention the professors who I want to work with?</p>

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<p>Hi happypie,</p>

<p>You might have got more answers targeted to you if you had titled your post ‘suggestions for math grad’ or other more specific post. I rarely open this generic type post, as it is usually something I have no idea about. I was surprised at finding someone who did BSM.</p>

<p>I suggest you wait a little bit, then make another post that has MATH in the title, so the the few, but persistent math grads here will give you a little of what you ask for. The Math grad applicants will know more specifics about that field, you can do a SEARCH of this forum to see past discussions.</p>

<p>Good for you for doing BSM, my daughter did it last fall, her senior year. Well worth it, and it is well thought of. Most are math majors, but she is a CS major. She has now been awarded a Sc.B in Mathematics and Computer Science from Brown, and she is going to UW-Madison for a PhD program in the fall. She was given good feedback from grad schools about having attended the BSM program.</p>

<p>I don’t know what the MASS program is.</p>

<p>Try to do best at GRE, but don’t spend more time than you need. My D got much better percentile at Verbal, as she is a natural test taker. She should have done a little better at the math, but she hasn’t done that low level math for ages, and she elected to only do a practice test or two the week before, not ‘study’. You decide. I don’t think it is so important to get perfect score. She did not do a subject level test, because she is kinda between math majors and CS majors so it did not seem relevant to her target area. Her target area is CS Theory. (Which seems almost all math. to me)</p>

<p>The better the school you apply to, the less the test scores matter, I have read.</p>

<p>So, my advice is to stick to getting a very good score on the math part. Unless you are ESL, then be sure you can get a decent score in verbal.</p>

<p>You only have overlap with 2 or 3 schools that my daughter applied to. So no comment, especially since you have not specified an area of interest. I think you need to look at that first. Area of interest matched with professors that share that research interest. That was almost entirely making the list of schools dd applied to, excepting a couple uber reaches. She didn’t do any ‘safeties’ at all, for grad school. She would have gone to any of the schools.</p>

<p>Good Luck. It is very competitive, so act accordingly. Sounds to me like you’ve got what it takes, but what do I know?</p>

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<p>I can change the title, and I will, slightly.</p>

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<p>Hey, I’m a math major as well [we do exist here!], and I’m thinking about doing MASS next fall semester. Do you believe it was worth it, or would it be more worthwhile for me to stay at my current institution that semester and take graduate courses?</p>

<p>What was the first REU you went to if you don’t mind saying? I’m also wanting to go to an REU and am just curious which one you went to early on in your college career because it looks like our first two years will mostly coincide in terms of math classes.</p>

<p>I’m sorry I can’t give you more specific advice on what schools are good for the topics you listed. I know Curtis McMullen at Harvard does research in complex dynamics and Julia sets. He was a Fields medalist. That’s sort of related to what you listed.</p>

<p>I’d suggest looking through recent (good) publications on the topics you’re interested in, finding out who wrote them, and then looking at the schools they’re at. If they appear to take graduate students, you should email them directly.</p>

<p>You definitely appear to be on the right track. If you do well on the GRE and get a paper or two published, I’d say you’d be competitive mostly anywhere.</p>

<p>You may try asking this question at PhysicsForums.com. I can’t guarantee someone there will know of schools that are strong on your areas, but there’s probably a better chance someone there will know than someone here. Check out the “academic guidance” subforum.</p>

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<p>Hello BrownParent, </p>

<p>Thank you for the suggestions. Congratulations to your daughter!!! </p>

<p>Yes, I agree with you. BSM is a really good program. I learned and enjoyed a lot when I was there. I took some courses that my home school does not offer in regular semesters, and I had some graduate level courses there. I might be able to skip some courses when I went to graduate school since I had had them. </p>

<p>For GRE, I do not think that I will get prefect score. I do not have that much time to study. Well, I’m working in REU this summer. I’m really interested in the project, and I want to solve the problems. I am worried about verbal part a lot, because I am not good at memorizing things. Well, I just started studying GRE vocabulary and doing some GRE math problems. </p>

<p>You said that “the better school you apply to, the less the test scores matter, you have read.” However, I heard that top schools care about your GRE general and subject a lot. I even heard that if your GRE scores were not good enough, then your applications would not even be sent to the departments you applied to. I do not know if it is true now, but it sounds scary to me. </p>

<p>When I have time, I’m checking some math programs I list above. I look for some professors who have the same interests. I try to read some of their recent paper. So, if I want to work with that person, shall I write an email to him/her and ask him/her if I can work with him/her? Can I mention that person’s name in my personal statement?</p>

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<p>Hi nilkn, </p>

<p>Well, I think that MASS program is worth it. To me, it helped me a lot. I do not know what school you are in now. My home school will not offer the classes MASS program has. Two of 3 MASS courses (dynamics and symplectic geometry) are courses that I really wanted to learn. I also love dynamical system and want to study that in the future. MASS program offers different classes every year, so you should check it and see if you want to or need to take those courses. If your school offers the same classes as MASS program does, then you should stay in your home school. Nevertheless, if you want have a “busy” semester with all math classes, then you may consider MASS. In the MASS program, you only take math courses. You need to do a project for each class after midterm, and you will have oral exams for each class at the end of the semester. It is challenging, I think, since most Americans undergraduate schools do not have oral exams. </p>

<p>In fact, I only know that one of the research fields in Harvard is geometry. I never looked up that program, because I think that I will not chance to get into at all. Thank you for the information. I will look it up now. =)</p>

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<p>
[QUOTE=jd124]

Some on your list (MIT, Columbia, Yale) are quite competitive…even for the best of the best.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Well, by the time he goes to graduate school he’ll have done two REUs, the MASS program, and the Budapest program in addition to having a high GPA and potentially published results.</p>

<p>I mean, he’s definitely not guaranteed admission to those schools–practically nobody is except maybe the four time Putnam Fellows :D–but I’d say it’s worth his effort applying if he knows faculty there he’d like to work with.</p>

<p>I’m definitely not disagreeing with you. Those schools are insanely competitive. I just think he has as good a chance as anyone at getting into those schools, and he definitely ought to try if he knows that those schools do research in areas that interest him.</p>

<p>On the other hand, I also agree that there’s no way one would get admitted to such a school (no matter one’s academic qualifications) unless the school was very confident that one could build a great working relationship with a faculty member there. Those schools are quite serious about research.</p>

<p>Thanks for the info on MASS, happypie.</p>