Go now or wait a year to bolster my application.

  • This has become our largest and most active forum because the physics GRE is just one aspect of getting accepted into a graduate physics program.
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matonski
Posts: 121
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2008 5:03 pm

Go now or wait a year to bolster my application.

Post by matonski » Mon Jan 12, 2009 11:38 pm

I'm currently a master's student and have been getting straight A's so far. My plan was to apply for the Fall of 2010. However, I was speaking to one of my professors today and told him I was interested in getting a Ph.D. He said that via recommendations, he's sure I could get into UC Davis for this coming fall instead, even though the deadline is this Thursday. I do have an old GRE score from 4 years ago that is still applicable (I am currently registered to retake it this April).

Anyway, so the choice is to go to UC Davis this fall, or wait a whole year more to see if I can get into a better school. I'm not really in any hurry, but perhaps it would be better to just get started. In that year, I would have completed my master's degree with probably a 4.0, probably have some published research, and have a much improved GRE score (I scored a 700 before without really studying and without my more polished knowledge of physics due to my last year of classes).

Is it worth waiting a whole year for the possibility of getting into a better school?

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Andromeda
Posts: 127
Joined: Wed Dec 10, 2008 3:17 pm

Re: Go now or wait a year to bolster my application.

Post by Andromeda » Tue Jan 13, 2009 5:14 pm

Well are you really interested in working with someone at UC-Davis in particular? Because for a PhD your research and your adviser is what really matters, so if you'd kill to work with someone there I'd say go ahead. If you're hesitant for any reason you should probably wait, particularly as you say you're in no hurry and sounds like you have great credentials shaping up.

My two cents anyway.

matonski
Posts: 121
Joined: Thu Dec 04, 2008 5:03 pm

Re: Go now or wait a year to bolster my application.

Post by matonski » Tue Jan 13, 2009 5:22 pm

Thank you for your response. That's pretty much exactly what an old professor of mine said this morning when I contacted him about this.



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