GRADUATE SCHOOL INFORMATIONAL MEETING Jonathan Feng Undergraduate Advising Committee Department of Physics and Astronomy UC Irvine Monday, 27 April 2009, 11:00 am – 12:30 pm Natural Sciences II 1201 Handouts: these slides, NSF Graduate Fellowship advice, Physics GREs from ‘86, ‘92, ‘96, ‘01

PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING Juniors –~10-15 UCI students apply to graduate school in physics and astronomy –Would like detailed information and advice: the grad school application process, timeline, GREs, etc. Sophomores, 1 st years –Many considering grad school –Would like general information and advice: research opportunities, etc. Complements individual advising sessions –Many students have the same questions –Gathers experts from various viewpoints –Not all will agree! This is one of many resources

Who is Here Professor Jonathan Feng – professional track advisor Professor David Kirkby – former chair, UCI Graduate Admissions Committee Professor Virginia Trimble – NSF Graduate Fellowships selection committee, physics GRE exam writer Other faculty members involved in undergrad advising Seniors, grad students: Chris Trinh, Justin Feng, Max Radin, … Kirsten Lodgard, Eileen Powell – physics student affairs officers

The Plan Timeline Components of the Application GRE Recommendation Letters Essays Research NSF Graduate Fellowships Where to Apply Questions, advice, comments welcome at all times

Timeline Research –Sophomore, junior, senior years Professional track advising: May 09 GRE –General: any time –Physics subject: April, October, November (reg: 1 mo earlier) NSF Graduate Fellowship deadline: Nov 09 Application deadlines: Dec 09 – Jan 10 Acceptances: Feb 10 – Apr 10 Prospective visits: Mar 10 – Apr 10 Decision deadline: 15 Apr 10 Enter grad school: Fall 10

Components of the Application Transcripts (up to Fall 09) GRE Scores Recommendation Letters [Research] Essays [Research]

Physics GRE Importance – uniform, quantitative Weird format –100 Multiple Choice questions –170 minutes Stresses ability to work quickly –dimensional analysis –limits –order-of-magnitude estimates 92, 96, and 01 exams available here (also 86) Harvard SPS GRE advice:

GRE Topics and Weighting

Recommendation Letters Almost always 3 Recommenders write paragraphs, rank in various categories (intellectual ability is only one) Best if based on personal knowledge –Good: “Jane Doe got an A in my course” –Great: high praise from research mentor

Essays Demonstrate excellence, commitment –Not impressive: “I’ve wanted to study physics since I was a young child” –Impressive: tangible evidence demonstrating sincerity of interest Discuss some physics topic intelligently; doesn’t have to be your eventual field Research experience is vital Suggestions –Present facts about your research experience – don’t assume its covered by recommendation letters –Ask faculty members to read your essays –Mention relevant faculty whom you might work with, provided you have looked into this carefully

Research Importance –No better way to decide if grad school is right for you –Learn how research is done, any subfield will do –Helps inform choice of subfield –Counts twice in application (letters, essays) UROP: Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program –At UCI, $3000 for summer (SURP), $1000 for school year –SURP Deadline: 27 April 09 (today!) REU: Research Experience for Undergraduates –Summer research positions at many universities –Competitive – typically must have previous research experience –Typical deadlines ~ Feb 10 Also possibilities at national labs and observatories

NSF Graduate Fellowships Extremely valuable –3 years of funding, freedom from teaching –Provides freedom to choose advisor –Prestigious Awards in 2007 (success rate: roughly 1 in 8) –35 in Physics –11 in Astronomy –Also 81 Honorable Mentions Stresses Physics GRE, broader impacts See handout for additional advice Also others, for example: –Hertz Fellowships: 5 years of funding, “applied physics,” 5 Physics and Astronomy awards in 2007 –National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowships: 3 years of funding, 15 in Physics in 2009

Where to Apply Rankings –Useful 1 st step, but… –Usually out-of-date –Enormous variations by subfield Talk to UCI faculty in your field(s) of interest Select a range in –Selectivity –Geography Gradschoolshopper.com –Physics and related fields NRC