Page 7 of 10

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2014 2:08 am
by andybenji
gogoup112 wrote:Does univ. of Georgia send the mail of admission to applicant ?
The time in this year is strange ><
Yeah, they snail mailed my acceptance.

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2014 7:49 am
by Gasquet
dasgut wrote:Alright, I need to mitigate my 3.51. What the **** do I need to do? I'm going to get nothing.
To be honest, I don't see why your 3.51 would matter when you have a 3.97 for your MS.

Anyway, for my case, I talked to one of my recommenders about the same. He said that he would mention something like my math GPA was really high and overall GPA does not reflect my math aptitude. (I had a lot of engineering courses that brought my GPA down and my university does not explicitly mention things like major GPA).

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2014 1:30 pm
by veektorreeyah
I grew up near Salt Lake City, so congrats to all of you who are thinking about attending Utah! I have many friends that attend there and they love it! The mountains are gorgeous and there are so many outdoor activities. Plus the cost of living is pretty low.

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2014 2:44 pm
by veektorreeyah
A couple of Duke rejects on gradcafe. Haven't received any emails from them. Still checking their website like a mad woman but no updates :( has anyone on this forum heard from them?

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2014 4:54 pm
by redcar777
veektorreeyah wrote:A couple of Duke rejects on gradcafe. Haven't received any emails from them. Still checking their website like a mad woman but no updates :( has anyone on this forum heard from them?
I was rejected by them today. Its late enough in the process that I think they would tell you your status (accept, reject, somewhere on the wait list) if you ask them.

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2014 5:59 pm
by poorasian
Anyone heard anything from UC Irvine? Seems like they send out stuff around this time every year but nothing yet so far.

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Mon Feb 24, 2014 6:19 pm
by dasgut
redcar777 wrote:
veektorreeyah wrote:A couple of Duke rejects on gradcafe. Haven't received any emails from them. Still checking their website like a mad woman but no updates :( has anyone on this forum heard from them?
I was rejected by them today. Its late enough in the process that I think they would tell you your status (accept, reject, somewhere on the wait list) if you ask them.
I too heard nothing. If you look at past years that's a good thing for us.

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2014 12:43 am
by veektorreeyah
dasgut wrote: I too heard nothing. If you look at past years that's a good thing for us.
I certainly hope so!
poorasian wrote:Anyone heard anything from UC Irvine? Seems like they send out stuff around this time every year but nothing yet so far.
Haven't heard from UC Irvine :( surprised that UCSD didn't send out anything yet either

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2014 12:52 pm
by Gasquet
I can't believe this shit.

Last year: Waitlisted in two of my top choices and one other place. Admitted nowhere.
This year: Admitted in two schools and it seems that most likely both will be unfunded(based on communications with the dgs').

Getting two years of straight rejections would have been much better. Would have hurt, but been easier to get over. I would have got the "US schools don't like me" message. But, this is just cruel. Spent a fortune on application and test fees over two years. They dangled the bone in front of my face, but then pulled it back as soon as I reach out.

Image Image

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2014 2:09 pm
by dasgut
Gasquet wrote:
dasgut wrote:Alright, I need to mitigate my 3.51. What the **** do I need to do? I'm going to get nothing.
To be honest, I don't see why your 3.51 would matter when you have a 3.97 for your MS.

Anyway, for my case, I talked to one of my recommenders about the same. He said that he would mention something like my math GPA was really high and overall GPA does not reflect my math aptitude. (I had a lot of engineering courses that brought my GPA down and my university does not explicitly mention things like major GPA).
I spoke to a school and they said it was problematic. Mainly, b/c that's one of the few metrics that can compare candidates on. I'm likely going to try for another MS, this time in stat, at a higher ranked school to get letters from more well-known profs and to increase the credibility of my first high GPA.

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2014 2:10 pm
by dasgut
Gasquet wrote:I can't believe this shit.

Last year: Waitlisted in two of my top choices and one other place. Admitted nowhere.
This year: Admitted in two schools and it seems that most likely both will be unfunded(based on communications with the dgs').

Getting two years of straight rejections would have been much better. Would have hurt, but been easier to get over. I would have got the "US schools don't like me" message. But, this is just cruel. Spent a fortune on application and test fees over two years. They dangled the bone in front of my face, but then pulled it back as soon as I reach out.

Image Image
If it makes you feel any better this is my third go around. It's not shaping up any better than my first two.

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2014 2:26 pm
by poop
Gasquet wrote:I can't believe this shit.

Last year: Waitlisted in two of my top choices and one other place. Admitted nowhere.
This year: Admitted in two schools and it seems that most likely both will be unfunded(based on communications with the dgs').

Getting two years of straight rejections would have been much better. Would have hurt, but been easier to get over. I would have got the "US schools don't like me" message. But, this is just cruel. Spent a fortune on application and test fees over two years. They dangled the bone in front of my face, but then pulled it back as soon as I reach out.

Image Image
:(

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2014 2:39 pm
by caxton
Gasquet wrote:I can't believe this shit.

Last year: Waitlisted in two of my top choices and one other place. Admitted nowhere.
This year: Admitted in two schools and it seems that most likely both will be unfunded(based on communications with the dgs').

Getting two years of straight rejections would have been much better. Would have hurt, but been easier to get over. I would have got the "US schools don't like me" message. But, this is just cruel. Spent a fortune on application and test fees over two years. They dangled the bone in front of my face, but then pulled it back as soon as I reach out.

Image Image
dasgut wrote: If it makes you feel any better this is my third go around. It's not shaping up any better than my first two.
Not trying to be a one-upper armed with sob stories, but this is my 5th time on this (since 2009), and my GRE expires after this season, so I will have to write another if I don't get admitted with funding this time. :|

Each year I have tried to do something or the other to better my chances. Well, I've gotten admitted without funding sometimes but if you think graduate education in the US is expensive, you really should check out the fees on my third-world-African-country-side of the exchange rate. :(

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2014 3:09 pm
by Gasquet
@caxton: The Indian exchange rate is quite bad too(though not as much as yours). Not trying to be rude, but 5 times is a bit much. Maybe it is time to accept the situation as it is and try something else. I'm ready to do that in 2 tries.
@dasgut: Same goes for you too. I don't know how you guys can keep yourself motivated for this. Why not try and make a career out of your job? Do you find the work that boring? I declined a great job in Sports Analytics(something I have always been interested in) for this pursuit of becoming a mathematician. If something good doesn't work out in this line, the regret is going to come pouring in.
(Not trying to dissuade either of you, just want to know what you're thinking is)

I definitely don't have a third try in me. This process is just terrible. I'm just going to accept the Europe offer and waive my US dreams goodbye. Looking at it in the long term, doing a PhD from outside practically rules out US after it too. And that sucks, especially considering that my entire family lives in the US. Oh, well. Guess it's not meant to be. <Insert deep philosophical statement here>. On the plus side, they are giving me much much better funding than I can expect from any US school(considering both exchange rate and cost of living in the place).

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2014 3:23 pm
by dasgut
Happy to share my thinking! I could make a career out of what I'm doing now. I work a little over 40 hrs/wk, I'm only 27, and I make 6 figures. However, I HATE HATE HATE consulting. We generally push out horrible products and horrible people, especially in my service area. At my current firm, many people are told to lie about key metrics. Granted, my current firm sucks, but I've seen it throughout the industry. Naturally, then your next question is: well, why don't you just change industries?

I could. I could go to Wall St., but I really don't have the quals to get into the places I'd want to go. I'd need a PhD for those too unless, of course, I want to be a code monkey, which I don't. I could do IBD or vanilla S&T on Wall St. and I certainly have the connections for those jobs, but I'd hate them. Now, I could consider other jobs, but I've found my passion. I've been poor. I've been comfortable. I've been wealthy. What I realized living thru all three is that so long as you've got the basics, i.e. food, shelter, and water, then happiness isn't about your resources. Happiness is about being who you want to be.

I'd rather sacrifice my salary and a good part of my youth to keep applying to programs to guarantee I get to practice mathematics or really theoretical statistics professionally. Why? Because getting to work on these problems, while sometimes stressful, is the thing that makes me most happy in life. If it leads to a couple months of stress and heartache every year or two when I apply then fine. For me, it's worth it.

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2014 4:12 pm
by Gasquet
I get where you are coming from. Wish I was as convinced about it as you are though.

***Warning***: A rant about my current situation follows.

The job that I mentioned was a like a short track to the big bucks. I even liked the work. You get to work on sports statistics/analytics. Basically an advanced version of what was shown in the movie 'Moneyball'(advanced because there have been huge developments in the past 10 years). Even involved dealing with betting odds. So, it is a mixture of Statistics, Economics, Mathematics, Sports and Gambling( :wink: ). What's not to like? Would have even ended up doing a PhD(which is quite a big priority for me), even if in a different field(Operations Research/Operations Management). Giving it up was really hard. Second, I'm from a 'big' engineering school in India. As a result, all of my friends are now settled in great jobs. It's hard not to think of the financial difference there will be in our lives ten years down the line. A couple of close friends who also wanted to do a PhD in Math ended up getting jobs in Google/Facebook in US(6 figure jobs at 23!) and gave up their dream of math. All this put together, it was incredibly hard turning down the job when I had just struck out in my first try for getting into a PhD. But, then I started work at the RA position(where I am currently). Getting back to real math** made it easy to forget about all the above things. Everything made sense again(I'm probably romanticizing it a bit here).

But, sometimes the uncertainty and instability still gets to me. My current research is at one of those pull-your-hair-out phases. Add to that this admission nonsense. As a result, I'm about to start a PhD in a country where I don't speak their language. Which leads to problems both academically and socially. At a time like this, it's impossible not to question whether or not I made the right choice.

**My apologies to the pure mathematicians for calling numerics 'real math'.

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2014 4:34 pm
by caxton
Gasquet wrote:@caxton: The Indian exchange rate is quite bad too(though not as much as yours). Not trying to be rude, but 5 times is a bit much. Maybe it is time to accept the situation as it is and try something else. I'm ready to do that in 2 tries.
@dasgut: Same goes for you too. I don't know how you guys can keep yourself motivated for this. Why not try and make a career out of your job? Do you find the work that boring? I declined a great job in Sports Analytics(something I have always been interested in) for this pursuit of becoming a mathematician. If something good doesn't work out in this line, the regret is going to come pouring in.
(Not trying to dissuade either of you, just want to know what you're thinking is)
@Gasquet:
Ignorance was the problem for the first few years because, you see, at first I didn't have enough information to go on, so I applied to various programs that I realized (after searching online) were using computationally math-heavy research. e.g. some programs in Chemical Engineering, Applied Physics, Seismology, Computer Engineering etc. All sorts of random programs that I should have had no clout to apply to! I had absolutely no idea that Scientific Computation / Computational Math / CSEM was a program by itself in some schools. So I kept applying ignorantly with little or no requisite background, so the few times I got admitted I was clearly told that I would not be getting any funding. An obvious question might be: why didn't I get help from my undergraduate professors? Well, that didn't pan out so well because the ones that responded to my enquiries didn't seem to understand what I was looking for. Fast-forward to last year when I stumbled on SIAM's website and found out that what I have been interested in all along is actually a program in some schools. Then I began to find out more, and was eventually advised to take the Math Subject test as well, etc etc. ALL of this last year. So if I may say so, I have really been on the correct path for a little over a year, though I have been applying to schools for about 5 years.

Meanwhile, I have been working as a software developer since 2008, and I'm doing really fine at work. It is not at all terrible or anything :roll:. I actually enjoy it but I am not satisfied. What I really want to do is research that combines my passion for applied Math, with my 6 year work experience in software and my undergraduate background in Engineering. AND I absolutely love to lecture Math. At the very least, I need a Ph.D to participate in such research and lecturing. And this is why I intend to take the GRE exams (both general and subject) again this year and try yet again, if I do not get admitted with funding.

As dasgut said, the months of stress and heartache during applications and waiting seasons? It is totally worth it.

Giving up may sound alright to you, but for me I know I haven't reached convergence yet. :D

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2014 5:27 pm
by Gasquet
caxton wrote:Ignorance was the problem for the first few years because, you see, at first I didn't have enough information to go on, so I applied to various programs that I realized (after searching online) were using computationally math-heavy research. e.g. some programs in Chemical Engineering, Applied Physics, Seismology, Computer Engineering etc. All sorts of random programs that I should have had no clout to apply to! I had absolutely no idea that Scientific Computation / Computational Math / CSEM was a program by itself in some schools. So I kept applying ignorantly with little or no requisite background, so the few times I got admitted I was clearly told that I would not be getting any funding. An obvious question might be: why didn't I get help from my undergraduate professors? Well, that didn't pan out so well because the ones that responded to my enquiries didn't seem to understand what I was looking for. Fast-forward to last year when I stumbled on SIAM's website and found out that what I have been interested in all along is actually a program in some schools. Then I began to find out more, and was eventually advised to take the Math Subject test as well, etc etc. ALL of this last year. So if I may say so, I have really been on the correct path for a little over a year, though I have been applying to schools for about 5 years.
Yeah, many international students face this problem. We generally have no idea where to apply. I made some terrible decisions in selecting schools in my first go. And very often our professors can't give us much help in this regard too. The odds are stacked against international students as it is. This just compounds the issue.
caxton wrote:What I really want to do is research that combines my passion for applied Math, with my 6 year work experience in software and my undergraduate background in Engineering. AND I absolutely love to lecture Math. At the very least, I need a Ph.D to participate in such research and lecturing.
Other than the experience in software development, I fell exactly the same. Engineering undergraduate background, math MS, desire to work in computational applied math related to chemical/mechanical engineering. And a love of Math lecturing. Applying to very similar programs. I too decided my schools from that same SIAM list. Maybe we can collaborate sometime in the future 8)
caxton wrote:Giving up may sound alright to you, but for me I know I haven't reached convergence yet. :D
In my defense, I'm not exactly giving up. One way or another, I will have started a PhD before the end of this calender year. It's just that the frustration is getting the better of me some times, and especially today. Ranting (somewhat) anonymously on an internet forum helps. Especially when some people here, at least slightly, understand how I fell. It's not like my family or friends would understand any of what I am saying in this regard.

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2014 6:09 pm
by johngeller
UNC and UMass are also beginning to send out offers.

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2014 9:16 pm
by avemarya
To the International students here: maybe I'm just asking this out of ignorance, but why do so many want to apply to American schools? It just seems so comparatively hard to get in, and (maybe with you as an exception, Caxton) I wonder if it would be easier to find a school closer to where you live, or are such schools few and far in between? I mean, if seems strange that American schools should have a near monopoly on good schools, or is it that other schools are even harder to enter? I'm just trying to get a gist of what is going on, so forgive me for my ignorance. I've gotten accepted to a few programs now and I know that while I have abilities, I am far from the best candidate out there. Could any of you enlighten me on this? I wish you all the best of luck.

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2014 9:34 pm
by yl2868
johngeller wrote:UNC and UMass are also beginning to send out offers.
I believe applying UNC is a mistake for me. They really don't like admitting international students

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2014 9:40 pm
by Ryker
avemarya wrote:To the International students here: maybe I'm just asking this out of ignorance, but why do so many want to apply to American schools? It just seems so comparatively hard to get in, and (maybe with you as an exception, Caxton) I wonder if it would be easier to find a school closer to where you live, or are such schools few and far in between? I mean, if seems strange that American schools should have a near monopoly on good schools, or is it that other schools are even harder to enter? I'm just trying to get a gist of what is going on, so forgive me for my ignorance. I've gotten accepted to a few programs now and I know that while I have abilities, I am far from the best candidate out there. Could any of you enlighten me on this? I wish you all the best of luck.
A couple of reasons:

- the amount of US schools on the list of top schools (by top, I mean top 50 or even top 100) and especially the very top,
- teaching/research assistantships, i.e. actual funding without needing to be outstanding enough to get that extremely rare scholarship,
- USA, the land of the free and the promised land, i.e. a wish to emigrate there,
- the perceived prestige of a US degree in case one returns home after finishing their PhD studies,
- ...

I'm sure there are more.
yl2868 wrote:I believe applying UNC is a mistake for me. They really don't like admitting international students
What makes you think that? I applied there, as well, and have not gotten an offer, but perhaps they haven't gotten around to looking at international student applications yet. Well, that's what myself, at least.

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2014 10:10 pm
by poorasian
In general, public schools are more willing to admit domestic (especially in-state) than international.

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 12:07 am
by Comrade
avemarya wrote:To the International students here: maybe I'm just asking this out of ignorance, but why do so many want to apply to American schools? It just seems so comparatively hard to get in, and (maybe with you as an exception, Caxton) I wonder if it would be easier to find a school closer to where you live, or are such schools few and far in between? I mean, if seems strange that American schools should have a near monopoly on good schools, or is it that other schools are even harder to enter? I'm just trying to get a gist of what is going on, so forgive me for my ignorance. I've gotten accepted to a few programs now and I know that while I have abilities, I am far from the best candidate out there. Could any of you enlighten me on this? I wish you all the best of luck.
Reiterating what Ryker said, good American colleges are generally considered among the best in the world in terms of quality (with schools like Cambridge and Oxford thrown in too). A lot of this is because American colleges are also more expensive.

The quality of American education is something that most Americans including myself take for granted. People from all over the world are competing to get into American universities simply because of the prestige of the education. For many, the opportunities one can have from obtaining an American education outweigh the fact that they have to leave their family and their country for several years. And these degrees are a big deal. In China for example, going to a prestigious US college is the penultimate goal of many students. Having an American degree is a huge advantage if one returns to their country.

Conversely, in modern times, getting a job in American academia without an American PhD (or a PhD from Cambridge, for example) is nearly impossible. Actually today, it's fairly difficult in general to get a job in academia. If you look at the faculty (the ones who aren't ancient) of any competitive math school, the professors probably attended Princeton, MIT, etc., even if they themselves are international.

I also am in a similar boat with you. I have gotten into a couple great programs even though my stats aren't nearly as high as what I've seen posted on this forum. It is absolutely true that American math grad programs have preferential treatment towards domestic students. In fact, I've been told most American med schools will not accept international students at all.

For math, international students must go through many more hoops to apply to the same school. For American students, college classes and GPA hold much more weight while math GRE scores hold less. American grad programs have a better gauge as to what a good GPA is at xyz American school, and so they can better consider this factor in an application. If an international student comes from some unheard of school with letters from unheard of recommenders, GRE scores will be the most accurate judge of their ability, although as it turns out, this is not always an accurate gauge either.

There's also the language barrier for students from non-English speaking countries. Considering that most grad students will get TAships, it's not unheard of that a very qualified student can get turned down from a school because their English is not sufficient to teach a recitation.

TL;DR: American students have a huge advantage.

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 12:47 am
by dasgut
So what has everyone been listening to to get through admissions season?

I'm not going to lie. I was a the gym tonight and - when I thought about this season - started listening to "Battle in the Mutara Nebula" from the Wrath of Khan. BOOM! There's my nerd flag.

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 10:48 am
by caxton
@gasquet: Lol yes I noticed earlier that we're applying to basically the same programs and schools. Yes indeed, I hope we get to collaborate sometime in future.
avemarya wrote:To the International students here: maybe I'm just asking this out of ignorance, but why do so many want to apply to American schools? It just seems so comparatively hard to get in, and (maybe with you as an exception, Caxton) I wonder if it would be easier to find a school closer to where you live, or are such schools few and far in between? I mean, if seems strange that American schools should have a near monopoly on good schools, or is it that other schools are even harder to enter? I'm just trying to get a gist of what is going on, so forgive me for my ignorance. I've gotten accepted to a few programs now and I know that while I have abilities, I am far from the best candidate out there. Could any of you enlighten me on this? I wish you all the best of luck.
@avemarya: As you already know, International students always seem to get the short end of the stick with graduate studies in the U.S. This seems to be even worse with (no race cards here) African-Americans applying in the STEM disciplines. There are yet other obstacles for someone like me applying from Nigeria; for instance some schools outright rejected my card payments (seeing that my country is notorious for online financial fraud). I tried to get some friends in other countries including the U.K and U.S to assist with the payment and that worked with some schools, while yet others rejected the payment because the billing address did not match with my residential status :roll:. In short, I could not apply to all the schools I wanted to, even though it was expensive but I had the means.

These obstacles however pale in the light of the absence of alternatives. I am interested in Mathematical research and also the academia and I have few or no options with that, here. The places where I actually can pursue this kind of career, require a Ph.D. Other research opportunities here are few to none, and there are/were absolutely no REA positions for undergraduate students. So avemarya you just might be right considering me as an exception in this case.

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 10:52 am
by cti112
caxton wrote:@gasquet: Lol yes I noticed earlier that we're applying to basically the same programs and schools. Yes indeed, I hope we get to collaborate sometime in future.
avemarya wrote:To the International students here: maybe I'm just asking this out of ignorance, but why do so many want to apply to American schools? It just seems so comparatively hard to get in, and (maybe with you as an exception, Caxton) I wonder if it would be easier to find a school closer to where you live, or are such schools few and far in between? I mean, if seems strange that American schools should have a near monopoly on good schools, or is it that other schools are even harder to enter? I'm just trying to get a gist of what is going on, so forgive me for my ignorance. I've gotten accepted to a few programs now and I know that while I have abilities, I am far from the best candidate out there. Could any of you enlighten me on this? I wish you all the best of luck.
@avemarya: As you already know, International students always seem to get the short end of the stick with graduate studies in the U.S. This seems to be even worse with (no race cards here) African-Americans applying in the STEM disciplines. There are yet other obstacles for someone like me applying from Nigeria; for instance some schools outright rejected my card payments (seeing that my country is notorious for online financial fraud). I tried to get some friends in other countries including the U.K and U.S to assist with the payment and that worked with some schools, while yet others rejected the payment because the billing address did not match with my residential status :roll:. In short, I could not apply to all the schools I wanted to, even though it was expensive but I had the means.

These obstacles however pale in the light of the absence of alternatives. I am interested in Mathematical research and also the academia and I have few or no options with that, here. The places where I actually can pursue this kind of career, require a Ph.D. Other research opportunities here are few to none, and there are/were absolutely no REA positions for undergraduate students. So avemarya you just might be right considering me as an exception in this case.
i think there are fewer american students who want to do STEM in grad school, so in general it is easier for them to get accepted.
i do, however, thought that african americans, being minorities in STEM, would get some sort of advantages when applying to grad school, is it not the case?

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 11:15 am
by caxton
@ct112:

I sincerely hope so. However, I have been told otherwise by some of the few that did get accepted (with funding) for graduate research in STEM disciplines.

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 12:08 pm
by dasgut
Some new info: AMSC should be sending out letters this week. Doesn't sound like they're interviewing this year.

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 12:22 pm
by Gasquet
avemarya wrote:To the International students here: maybe I'm just asking this out of ignorance, but why do so many want to apply to American schools? It just seems so comparatively hard to get in, and (maybe with you as an exception, Caxton) I wonder if it would be easier to find a school closer to where you live, or are such schools few and far in between? I mean, if seems strange that American schools should have a near monopoly on good schools, or is it that other schools are even harder to enter? I'm just trying to get a gist of what is going on, so forgive me for my ignorance. I've gotten accepted to a few programs now and I know that while I have abilities, I am far from the best candidate out there. Could any of you enlighten me on this? I wish you all the best of luck.
What Ryker said is spot on. To add to that:

1. Respect. In India, it is commonly believed that people who get into academia weren't good enough to get a "real job". People who pursue sciences(PCB, M) are believed to do so because they weren't good enough for engineering/medicine. Most importantly, unless you are in the absolute elite places in India, students have no respect for professors. As a result, the whole environment is very bitter.

2. Money. As faculty, unless you are in the top 30 universities in India, it is impossible to make a good living. Outside the absolute elite, graduate stipends are beyond a joke.

3. Somebody mentioned quality of education. To put that into perspective, outside than the top ~25 in India, the quality of education would be lower than community college for you.

4. Now, the best foreign places for Math are in US, UK, Germany and France. UK is much much more reluctant to accept foreign students than US. Germany and France have huge language barriers. So, only US remains.

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 12:42 pm
by applied12
Does anyone know if Maryland's AMSC program has started sending offers?

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 12:46 pm
by dasgut
applied12 wrote:Does anyone know if Maryland's AMSC program has started sending offers?
They haven't. See my previous post.

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 12:52 pm
by applied12
dasgut wrote:
applied12 wrote:Does anyone know if Maryland's AMSC program has started sending offers?
They haven't. See my previous post.
ah cool, thanks!

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 5:22 pm
by dasgut
Wow, I got to use the green font color for once. That's a weird feeling.

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 5:49 pm
by Gasquet
dasgut wrote:Wow, I got to use the green font color for once. That's a weird feeling.
That's great news. Congratulations. :D

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 6:47 pm
by poorasian
Rate of acceptances seems to be dying down real fast.

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 8:19 pm
by dasgut
Gasquet wrote:
dasgut wrote:Wow, I got to use the green font color for once. That's a weird feeling.
That's great news. Congratulations. :D
Thanks! :D There are some stars that would need to align for me to take it but I'm definitely interested.

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 8:52 pm
by dasgut
Anybody here receive one of those UMD admits? They say math but I wonder if they're actually AMSC.

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2014 11:36 pm
by Ryker
caxton wrote:@avemarya: As you already know, International students always seem to get the short end of the stick with graduate studies in the U.S. This seems to be even worse with (no race cards here) African-Americans applying in the STEM disciplines. There are yet other obstacles for someone like me applying from Nigeria; for instance some schools outright rejected my card payments (seeing that my country is notorious for online financial fraud). I tried to get some friends in other countries including the U.K and U.S to assist with the payment and that worked with some schools, while yet others rejected the payment because the billing address did not match with my residential status :roll:. In short, I could not apply to all the schools I wanted to, even though it was expensive but I had the means.
Wait, do you mean Africans or African-Americans? Because if the former, you're not being considered as a minority member. And in that case, it would also make sense that not a lot of people make it just due to the poorer educational standards.

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2014 12:28 am
by cti112
dasgut wrote:Anybody here receive one of those UMD admits? They say math but I wonder if they're actually AMSC.
it's math, i have a friend who got accepted :(

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2014 12:35 am
by dasgut
cti112 wrote:
dasgut wrote:Anybody here receive one of those UMD admits? They say math but I wonder if they're actually AMSC.
it's math, i have a friend who got accepted :(
Well, I must say I'm happy to hear it's math since I was scared it was AMSC. Nonetheless, I'm sorry you didn't a math acceptance. I'll buy ya a round!

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2014 4:53 am
by caxton
Ryker wrote:Wait, do you mean Africans or African-Americans? Because if the former, you're not being considered as a minority member. And in that case, it would also make sense that not a lot of people make it just due to the poorer educational standards.
BOTH Africans and African-Americans I believe, and I'm unsure if it applies more to one than the other. But yes, I agree that African-Americans will be considered a minority for the sake of grad admission whereas Africans probably might not be considered a minority. Did you know, for instance, that as recently as 2013, UT Austin had their very first African-American to earn a PhD in CSEM? I do not have the statistics but I doubt she was the only African-American who ever applied to the program and pulled enough academic weight to be admitted and work her way towards her degree.

When I mentioned my assumption about lower rates of acceptance in the STEM disciplines for blacks, I assumed a level (or at least an approximately level) playing ground, and not an obvious reason like "lower educational standards" :) . Of course we should not expect a graduate program to accept them just for diversity's sake, if they have nothing to bring to the table!

This is why I personally disagree with your blanket statement on poorer educational standards. While this may be the case for the majority of African students, there have really been some gems among the same, especially in disciplines like Math, where there is no disadvantage due to a lack of "infrastructure" or "equipment" (as it happens in Engineering where the students often have to "imagine" equipment and machinery and visualize the machines' practical operation. I know this because my undergrad days as an Engineering student were filled with imagineering. For Engineering and some pure sciences then you might have a rather strong point).

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2014 5:03 am
by caxton
P.S. Apologies for somewhat derailing the thread. :oops:

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2014 10:20 am
by the_sheath
UCSD admits have started coming in on gradcafé... :/

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2014 11:57 am
by Gasquet
On GC:
Arizona State University(ASU) Applied Mathematics, PhD (F14) Accepted via E-mail on 5 Feb 2014 A 27 Feb 2014

My only admit. No word on funding yet. If you have got a funded position and are not going to attend, PLEASE decline the offer soon. My future lies in your hands.
I agree with this person. To those who have got funding for ASU: If you don't plan on going there, please decline soon.

Of course, this holds for other schools too. If you know for sure that you aren't going to a place you have been accepted at, decline it at the earliest, so that someone else may get a chance.

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2014 12:15 pm
by safetybelts
Just got an email from Indiana University stating I was on an unranked waiting list and would hear back on April 15. There are no rejections on gradcafe so I assume everyone who wasn't already admitted got an email like this.

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2014 12:20 pm
by seven
If I applied to lots of masters programs am I correct in assuming that ill hear back later than the people for phd? So far I've only heard back from 2 of my 10 schools I applied to and they were both for phd. The gc results are freaking me out.

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2014 1:41 pm
by gogoup112
Gasquet wrote:On GC:
Arizona State University(ASU) Applied Mathematics, PhD (F14) Accepted via E-mail on 5 Feb 2014 A 27 Feb 2014

My only admit. No word on funding yet. If you have got a funded position and are not going to attend, PLEASE decline the offer soon. My future lies in your hands.
I agree with this person. To those who have got funding for ASU: If you don't plan on going there, please decline soon.

Of course, this holds for other schools too. If you know for sure that you aren't going to a place you have been accepted at, decline it at the earliest, so that someone else may get a chance.
I highly approve of this thought. Moreover, the more chances you give, the more mathematicians can share the beauty of mathematics!! Good luck to everyone!!

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2014 3:22 pm
by aherring
I see that on Grad Cafe someone has posted an acceptance to the GC at CUNY. Is anyone here able to confirm or reject the validity of this post? When I check my online status everything appears the same way it has for weeks-a list of the dates my materials were received...

Re: Fall 2014 Application Sweat Thread

Posted: Thu Feb 27, 2014 3:39 pm
by yl2868
safetybelts wrote:Just got an email from Indiana University stating I was on an unranked waiting list and would hear back on April 15. There are no rejections on gradcafe so I assume everyone who wasn't already admitted got an email like this.
Got the same email too