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<p>Where are the statistics? Where can I find acceptance rates for biology grad-level programs? Maybe the guys with 3.3s had PHENOMENAL research.</p>
<p>And yes, people with 3.3s DO get into physics grad programs, and it’s actually not uncommon. The key to that: a high PGRE score paired up with research. Sure, lots of people complain about the PGRE, but it’s incredible how little they study for it. They just convince themselves that their coursework is sufficient enough and put off studying.</p>
<p>Physics might be more “difficult” in terms of the % of students smart enough to do the thing. But again, if you’re <em>smart</em> enough, physics actually isn’t any more difficult than other courses. Some of us learn faster when we actually do things analytically, rather than when we memorize things. Some of us are smart and lazy (well, lazy if we had to do the work in other departments, which often contain more busywork+memorization+class participation), and we might actually find physics programs to be MUCH easier to get into. I don’t consider myself a genius either - genius isn’t even required to succeed at upper-level physics coursework. It’s just that maybe the intelligence required for physics is at the 98th percentile rather than the 90th percentile. Maybe biology programs are easier to get in for people at the 90th percentile of intelligence. But for those at the 98th percentile (who still aren’t geniuses) of intelligence, it may be different. It’s the same thing with college admissions too. If you’re smart enough (you don’t have to be a genius), Caltech is actually the easiest top school to get into, simply because its admissions process is more straightforward (in terms of what it expects out of students) than others.</p>
<p>Anyways, this does get into subjective territory. I’m really only concerned about relative acceptance rates.</p>