bfollinprm wrote:Am I missing something? What about your application makes you think Tufts is a reach?
Catria wrote:And... how could you explain that Tufts rejects people with 2 or 3 summers' worth of research experience (reject #1 and reject #2), yet, somehow, Tufts could be reachable for one without? Tufts isn't exactly among the best or the most popular place for graduate physics students, though.
There has to be... some sort of explanation; the entire process is extremely confusing.![]()
I contacted a professor at Tufts with my entire situation and a PDF copy of my latest transcript. Even if it turned out not to be a reach after all, I know it isn't a safety by any means.
Catria wrote:And... how could you explain that Tufts rejects people with 2 or 3 summers' worth of research experience (reject #1 and reject #2), yet, somehow, Tufts could be reachable for one without? Tufts isn't exactly among the best or the most popular place for graduate physics students, though.
There has to be... some sort of explanation; the entire process is extremely confusing.![]()
I contacted a professor at Tufts with my entire situation and a PDF copy of my latest transcript. Even if it turned out not to be a reach after all, I know it isn't a safety by any means.
Minovsky wrote:Yes, the whole process is very confusing and I'm not even sure if professors know how it works.
For #1, I'm guessing there was something weird with their application since they got into Berkeley (which I imagine is a much harder task than getting in to Tufts). Maybe that year Tufts decided they didn't want any String Cosmologists? With #2, their GPA wasn't too good (lower than yours) and given that they said their grades showed an upward climb, it's safe to say that their earlier grades must have been pretty bad. Their PGRE was also not good. They were pretty vague on their research experience, so it's hard to tell how much 'science' they did. I know I've worked in labs where essentially no science happened.
Did you get a response from the Tufts professor? What did they have to say?
Catria wrote:Minovsky wrote:Yes, the whole process is very confusing and I'm not even sure if professors know how it works.
For #1, I'm guessing there was something weird with their application since they got into Berkeley (which I imagine is a much harder task than getting in to Tufts). Maybe that year Tufts decided they didn't want any String Cosmologists? With #2, their GPA wasn't too good (lower than yours) and given that they said their grades showed an upward climb, it's safe to say that their earlier grades must have been pretty bad. Their PGRE was also not good. They were pretty vague on their research experience, so it's hard to tell how much 'science' they did. I know I've worked in labs where essentially no science happened.
Did you get a response from the Tufts professor? What did they have to say?
Now I know that there were flaws in #2 that renders it about the same as me...
I only contacted that Tufts professor (Beauchemin) about two nights ago and I haven't received an answer just yet. If/when I get an answer, I will post back on that status. At least I demonstrated interest, which could help me.
On second thought, perhaps I would be better off applying at Tufts after I get a M.Sc. from a Canadian university (since Canadian M.Sc. programs are like mini-PhDs) because I will have much better research experience by then, and publications.
blighter wrote:Unless you are hell bent on working with a certain professor at Tufts, I don't understand why you are narrowing your choices to one university. Many Canadian universities are better than Tufts.
Is my undergraduate school better than Tufts (for graduate school, I mean, but University of Montreal's undergraduate program is miles ahead of Tufts')?
TakeruK wrote:I have to echo the advice of the above and say that there's no reason for you to go to Tufts if you can get into a Canadian University that's equal to or better. To be honest, if you want to do exoplanets, I think there are better places to go in both Canada and USA. I think your reach schools should be UBC or Toronto -- they are much better than Tufts! In addition, there's a good exoplanets guy at U de Montreal, right? David Lafrienere (forgive my spelling)?
For astronomy and astrophysics though, the top 3 Canadian schools -- UBC, Toronto, McGill are the best choices probably. Outside of that, there are other Canadian schools that are probably about level with Tufts -- U Victoria, McMaster University, etc. It will be much easier and cheaper to stay in Canada than to go to the US, in my opinion! Hence, I always recommend to other Canadians that they only go to a US school if it's better than any school in Canada (according to best fit etc).
Also, I think you are not representing yourself correctly if you mention that your BSc is only 3 years, especially if you are talking to people outside of Canada/Quebec system. You basically have the same experience as a 4 year undergraduate anywhere else in North America right? In Quebec, "high school"/"secondary school" goes to Grade 11, then you have two years at CEGEP then 3 years at a University for a Bachelors. Elsewhere, it's 12 years to finish secondary school, then 4 years to finish a BS. So, you have the same schooling as anyone else, just divided differently! So, you might be giving yourself a disadvantage if you introduce your experience as a 3 year BS right off the bat.
kangaroo wrote:Trying to infer a trend from 2 data points is... not good. Anyway, specimen #1 had such good credentials he/she probably didn't bother about the Tufts application that much. And specimen #2 has a pathetic PGRE.
TakeruK wrote:In addition, US schools will pay us a salary and expect us to work as long as it takes to TA etc. (or even worse, say that TA-ing is "part of degree requirements" and don't even pay us -- I agree that TAing is an important part of grad school but it's labour/work, and we should be paid!). Unfortunately, it's not like international students, used to different systems, can really change the US system -- we're "guests", after all, but it also doesn't seem like the domestic students think this is a bad thing at all. And even if everyone didn't like it, the sad truth is that the balance of power is all on the school's side, not ours!
bfollinprm wrote:Not true; the majority of schools have rules in place preventing more than 20 hrs/week of TA work, and the salary/hours worked at the stipend level is very often above the hourly wage given in other countries. It also comes with fee remissions, which means they don't have to list the tuition cost--students with stipends (and almost every physics PhD student has a stipend) don't pay tuition in the US. I much prefer my salaried position to an hourly one.
EDIT: Particularly for Tufts: http://www.physicsgrad.com/university-profiles/tufts-university
Catria wrote:$22,660 in a school in Boston just isn't the same as $22,660 would be from a school in Montreal or Toronto, given the costs of living at each city.
And... after seeing the data on that page, Tufts is a reach for me once again. It will still be a pretty long shot, and perhaps a poorly chosen, out-of-town reach.
Minovsky wrote:$22,660 is more than you're likely to get at Toronto (they list their stipend as $19,500). Also, Tufts is outside of the city, so cost of living is a little lower than it is inside the city (like at BU or MIT).
What about that page makes it look like Tufts is a reach for you? The 28% acceptance rate? That's actually pretty high as far as acceptance rates for physics graduate programs are concerned.
bfollinprm wrote:Not true; the majority of schools have rules in place preventing more than 20 hrs/week of TA work, and the salary/hours worked at the stipend level is very often above the hourly wage given in other countries. It also comes with fee remissions, which means they don't have to list the tuition cost--students with stipends (and almost every physics PhD student has a stipend) don't pay tuition in the US. I much prefer my salaried position to an hourly one.
Catria wrote:Now I can kiss Tufts goodbye...
kangaroo wrote:Catria wrote:Now I can kiss Tufts goodbye...
I don't understand why you're being such a drama queen over a school that is at the bottom of the barrel. FFS at least choose a top 20 school if you want to be overly dramatic.
halley00 wrote:Hey dude, perphaps you could help me to clarify a doubt. I am an international students and my dream university is Mcgill, however I did not take the GRE and PGRE. Do you know, since you talked to a professor from there, if there are real chances to be accepted without them? I mean, they say on the website that these exams are not required but recommended, so for me it is not clear how relevant these exams are in the end.
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