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Do you think I can get into Grad School?

Posted: Sat May 23, 2015 9:44 am
by kdhmath
I will be a 3rd year student this coming Fall semester, attending a no named school in South Carolina. I plan to go ahead and take both the Math Subject GRE and the General GRE in the Fall to make sure I have enough time to get the highest possible score by next year. In my first two years I managed to take Calculus I (AP), Calculus II (B), Calculus III (A), Discrete Mathematics (A), Linear Algebra (B+), Multivariate Calculus (B+), Transitions to Higher Maths (A), Combinatorics and Graph Theory (A), Probability and Statistics for Engineering and Math Majors (A), Abstract Algebra (A), and Real Analysis (A). My overall GPA is 3.37 and my major GPA is 3.80. I plan to do a REU next summer (if I can get accepted into one).

I want to get my Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics or Mathematics in general. The university I really want to get into is UNC-Charlotte, but I am also going to apply for University of South Carolina, Clemson, UNC, Duke, NC State, Florida State, George Washing University, and most top 20 schools.

Do anybody think I can get into a Math Graduate Program? Also, can anybody give me pointers on how to become a stronger candidate?

Re: Do you think I can get into Grad School?

Posted: Sat May 23, 2015 10:52 am
by p-adic
Don't apply to 20+ schools. Do better in your non-major classes.

Re: Do you think I can get into Grad School?

Posted: Sat May 23, 2015 11:09 am
by kdhmath
p-adic wrote:Don't apply to 20+ schools. Do better in your non-major classes.
I plan to retake a couple courses that brought my overall GPA down this coming Fall, and when I get an A in those courses my overall GPA will be 3.7+. What is a good overall GPA and major GPA?

Re: Do you think I can get into Grad School?

Posted: Sat May 23, 2015 2:34 pm
by koala
To answer your question: Yes. I think you can get into grad school.

Attending a no name school isn't a problem as long as you try and get on the map with research. Doing an REU is an excellent plan (apply to as many as possible), and even research at your home university is fine. No research experience might be harder, so you will have to make your GRE scores and GPA stand out.

I agree with the above comment, don't apply to too many schools. You will go broke. Limit your choices down to the schools you want to attend, not just schools that are highly ranked. Also have one or two safety schools in mind.

I think your GPA is fine. Most schools only care about your major GPA rather than your overall GPA, but I could be wrong. I wouldn't waste your time retaking classes (unless you want to). You could consider taking classes that your top choice schools are looking for (maybe they want complex analysis, physics courses, numerical analysis, etc).

Another suggestion would be to take the GRE exams early. The earlier the better. You will have more time to retake the exams if necessary. A good GRE score will also help you stand out since you are from a lesser known school.

You may also want to start developing relationships with your professors now so they can write strong letters of recommendation when you apply to REUs, grad school, etc.

Re: Do you think I can get into Grad School?

Posted: Sat May 23, 2015 2:38 pm
by MathCat
I don't think you should retake classes. I think you should take as many upper year classes as possible instead (and of course, try to do well in them). I think that will look much better to an admissions committee - they don't just care about grades, but also what you took.

Re: Do you think I can get into Grad School?

Posted: Sun May 24, 2015 7:59 am
by mathsgre
Hi,

Can anyone help me to understand this...

if N=2^64
N^N= 2^K ............... Find K=....?

Thanks

Re: Do you think I can get into Grad School?

Posted: Sun May 24, 2015 11:59 am
by arima
N^N = (2^64)^(2^64) = 2^(64*2^64) = 2^([2^8]*[2^64])=2^(2^72)

2^(2^72) = 2^K

K = 2^72

Re: Do you think I can get into Grad School?

Posted: Mon May 25, 2015 9:02 pm
by lz32017
arima wrote:N^N = (2^64)^(2^64) = 2^(64*2^64) = 2^([2^8]*[2^64])=2^(2^72)

2^(2^72) = 2^K

K = 2^72
The calculations in the previous post state that 64=2^8. However, this is incorrect. 64=2^6. Therefore, the final answer should be K=2^70.

Re: Do you think I can get into Grad School?

Posted: Tue May 26, 2015 1:52 pm
by arima
Duh...Thanks for the correction. Good example of careless mistakes. I seem to do that a lot and it is stupid stuff like that unnecessarily kills one on tests.