GRE_primer_2011_public.pdf

Planning for Graduate School and the Physics GRE April 2011 Peter Persans Grad school or employment? • Assess your interests, strengths, weaknesses this summer. • Identify career fields that interest you. (Talk to friends. Talk to faculty. Go to career fairs. See a career counselor.) • SelectSelect coursescourses andand researchresearch forfor youryour seniorsenior yearyear that help you develop a resume and knowledge in your interest area. • Grad school if you have a compelling reason. • Employment is a good way to start your life after college. Does graduate school make sense for you? • Why do you want to go to graduate school? – Good reasons: • You are enthusiastic about some field or career and graduate school is the path to that career. • You want to understand the world at a deeper level. – Bad reasons: • You are good at academics. • You are scared of going out into the world and this is a way to put it off. Graduate school process - timing • Have a good undergraduate record – academics + research experience or other serious responsibilities • This Summer – investigate schools and prepare for PGRE • Nov-Jan 1 – application deadlines for Sept entry – Letters of recommendation from 3 faculty – Physics GRE (for Physics/Astro) in Oct or Nov – General GRE (important for other fields than Physics) in early autumn • Their offers to you by ~March 15 • Your response to them by April 15 Fields other than Physics • About 1/3 of our majors go to graduate school in fields other than Physics or Astronomy. – Geophysics, Materials, Earth Science, Meteorology,Oceanography, Computer Science