Anyone applying to Applied Physics?

  • 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.
  • There are applications, personal statements, letters of recommendation, visiting schools, anxiety of waiting for acceptances, deciding between schools, finding out where others are going, etc.

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physicsgraduate
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Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2010 3:00 pm

Anyone applying to Applied Physics?

Post by physicsgraduate » Sun Nov 28, 2010 12:39 am

Anyone applying to Applied Physics? Has anyone visited any school and was particularly impressed?

crazy_physics
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Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2010 5:49 pm

Re: Anyone applying to Applied Physics?

Post by crazy_physics » Tue Nov 30, 2010 6:00 pm

I am applying to Harvard, Caltech, Stanford, Yale, and Cornell. Aiming Harvard, highest ranked and has the best facilities and faculties. They are really rich. But, I think it's probably not easy to get in because they admit qualified engineering backgrounds as well so the number of applicants is enormous. I think Stanford and Caltech typically consider mostly physics major undergraduates. I think Stanford's admission rate for Applied Physics is like 15-20 percent on their website. The Harvard admission office emailed me back and told me their admission percentage is below 10 percent, something like 8%. I have already visited some schools already.

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WhoaNonstop
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Re: Anyone applying to Applied Physics?

Post by WhoaNonstop » Wed Dec 01, 2010 2:28 am

crazy_physics wrote:I am applying to Harvard, Caltech, Stanford, Yale, and Cornell. Aiming Harvard, highest ranked and has the best facilities and faculties. They are really rich. But, I think it's probably not easy to get in because they admit qualified engineering backgrounds as well so the number of applicants is enormous. I think Stanford and Caltech typically consider mostly physics major undergraduates. I think Stanford's admission rate for Applied Physics is like 15-20 percent on their website. The Harvard admission office emailed me back and told me their admission percentage is below 10 percent, something like 8%. I have already visited some schools already.
I'm applying to all the schools with the biggest egos as well.

-Riley

crazy_physics
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Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2010 5:49 pm

Re: Anyone applying to Applied Physics?

Post by crazy_physics » Wed Dec 01, 2010 4:37 am

Great, good luck.

physicsgraduate
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Joined: Sat Nov 27, 2010 3:00 pm

Re: Anyone applying to Applied Physics?

Post by physicsgraduate » Wed Dec 01, 2010 4:40 am

For me personally, Harvard (first) Stanford (second) are the goal. I am also applying to some ball-park places. These two top ones are just really unpredictable.

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WhoaNonstop
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Re: Anyone applying to Applied Physics?

Post by WhoaNonstop » Wed Dec 01, 2010 12:46 pm

physicsgraduate wrote:For me personally, Harvard (first) Stanford (second) are the goal. I am also applying to some ball-park places. These two top ones are just really unpredictable.
With your mindset you obviously need to attend one of these schools. Glad I'm getting some eye-openers about the type of people who attend these places...

-Riley

drb
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Joined: Tue Nov 30, 2010 11:55 pm

Re: Anyone applying to Applied Physics?

Post by drb » Thu Dec 02, 2010 3:51 pm

you mean "apply"

ramathorn
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Joined: Tue Oct 19, 2010 12:23 am

Re: Anyone applying to Applied Physics?

Post by ramathorn » Fri Jan 28, 2011 7:56 pm

At first I was considering Harvard, Caltech, Stanford, and Cornell AP of relatively similar value and interest to me. That was before I attended a big conference in my subfield and met all the researchers I wanted to work with, and all their students.

Now I would give my left hand to be admitted at Harvard. And if I make it in with both hands I will laugh and laugh and laugh as I dance across all the mangled corpses of the electrical engineers that stood in my way.

signminus
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Joined: Wed Jan 27, 2010 12:15 pm

Re: Anyone applying to Applied Physics?

Post by signminus » Fri Jan 28, 2011 8:27 pm

crazy_physics wrote:
WhoaNonstop wrote: I'm applying to all the schools with the biggest egos as well.
Great, good luck.
Hahahaha, man, this is great.

ali8
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Joined: Sat Aug 29, 2009 8:20 am

Re: Anyone applying to Applied Physics?

Post by ali8 » Tue May 24, 2011 10:47 am

ramathorn wrote: And if I make it in with both hands I will laugh and laugh and laugh as I dance across all the mangled corpses of the electrical engineers that stood in my way.
What are you pointing to with these words ?

ITAphys88
Posts: 10
Joined: Fri Feb 22, 2008 9:30 am

Re: Anyone applying to Applied Physics?

Post by ITAphys88 » Tue May 24, 2011 4:28 pm

hey i'm interested in applied physics programs, as well as materials science,
but i would like to ask you if you know which of the two is more suitable for getting a job in the industry after the phd.
thanks!

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HappyQuark
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Joined: Thu Apr 16, 2009 2:08 am

Re: Anyone applying to Applied Physics?

Post by HappyQuark » Tue May 24, 2011 8:50 pm

ITAphys88 wrote:hey i'm interested in applied physics programs, as well as materials science,
but i would like to ask you if you know which of the two is more suitable for getting a job in the industry after the phd.
thanks!
Materials Science, now go away.

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WhoaNonstop
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Re: Anyone applying to Applied Physics?

Post by WhoaNonstop » Sun Jun 05, 2011 7:05 pm

ITAphys88 wrote:hey i'm interested in applied physics programs, as well as materials science,
but i would like to ask you if you know which of the two is more suitable for getting a job in the industry after the phd.
thanks!
Whichever program will give you more social skills to interact with the people who could possibly hire you.

-Riley

bfollinprm
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Joined: Sat Nov 07, 2009 11:44 am

Re: Anyone applying to Applied Physics?

Post by bfollinprm » Mon Jun 06, 2011 11:06 am

ITAphys88 wrote:hey i'm interested in applied physics programs, as well as materials science,
but i would like to ask you if you know which of the two is more suitable for getting a job in the industry after the phd.
thanks!
Going on what riley said, engineering schools probably have more career guidance in place, which is not insignificant. It's nice to have recruiters come to you, rather than you constantly having to convince people you'd be a good hire.



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