Do I even have a chance?
Posted: Sun Feb 15, 2009 5:26 pm
Hello all,
I'm currently an EE major at a top public university, but I am considering applying to some physics Ph.D. programs for fall 2010. There are a couple of bad marks on my transcript. I have gotten an 'F' in a engineering course, and retook the course and got an 'A-' in it. However, I also was placed on academic probation because of that class and also not doing so well in my other classes that quarter.
At the moment I am taking two upper division engineering course and a lower division physics class. I am doing very well in my engineering classes, but I am failing the physics class. I honestly don't know what the hell is going on in there. This is a result that I began the quarter off two weeks late due to having a hard time finding housing for winter quarter (I did an internship for fall quarter). Also, I had enrolled in an upper division math class and two labs, which I tried to catch up when I finally got back to school, but it didn't go my way so I dropped them. Now, my physics profressor has recommended I drop the class because of my low midterm grade. However, I am unable to drop it or change the grading to pass/no pass because of the engineering department's requirements.
On the upside I have a 3.5 GPA, two summers of research at a national lab in plasma and accelerator physics, and research at a NASA center. I am also doing work with a plasma physics group at my instituition.
I know it'll be hard enough to get accepted to a physics Ph.D. program without the an undergraduate background, but will all this other stuff really keep me out from most programs? Any advice?
I'm currently an EE major at a top public university, but I am considering applying to some physics Ph.D. programs for fall 2010. There are a couple of bad marks on my transcript. I have gotten an 'F' in a engineering course, and retook the course and got an 'A-' in it. However, I also was placed on academic probation because of that class and also not doing so well in my other classes that quarter.
At the moment I am taking two upper division engineering course and a lower division physics class. I am doing very well in my engineering classes, but I am failing the physics class. I honestly don't know what the hell is going on in there. This is a result that I began the quarter off two weeks late due to having a hard time finding housing for winter quarter (I did an internship for fall quarter). Also, I had enrolled in an upper division math class and two labs, which I tried to catch up when I finally got back to school, but it didn't go my way so I dropped them. Now, my physics profressor has recommended I drop the class because of my low midterm grade. However, I am unable to drop it or change the grading to pass/no pass because of the engineering department's requirements.
On the upside I have a 3.5 GPA, two summers of research at a national lab in plasma and accelerator physics, and research at a NASA center. I am also doing work with a plasma physics group at my instituition.
I know it'll be hard enough to get accepted to a physics Ph.D. program without the an undergraduate background, but will all this other stuff really keep me out from most programs? Any advice?