/sci/ - Science & Math

>4chan admissions office, I have some questions.
lol

Obviously if there's somebody with any sort of inside knowledge - i.e. you've spoken with people from admission or you know somebody who made it with a low GPA - would be great to hear from you.

>>11782148
There are actually quite a few phds here contrary to popular belief

>>11782134
I'm pretty sure nobody will accept anybody with GPA < 4, sorry

>>11782211
I'm pretty sure it's a bait.

>>11782148
Well I'd love it if an actual admission office of some uni responded, but that's not possible is it? Considering they have hundreds of thousands of applications each year and likely even more email questions.

>>11782134
I have a somewhat related questions. Can you do well enough in phd program to get by while making progress as a novice actor?

Why the fuck do foreigners have this shitty obsession with LA and NY? Fucking retards

>>11782361
Not OP, but for me phd is a way to move to a showbiz capital. I'm not even sure I'll live LA or NY. But that's where the action is.

>>11782361
Where would you rather people want to live in? Washington DC?

>must be in 1 of the 2 shittiest cities that’s also the only ones foreigners have heard of

lol

>1
Yes if you have a master’s in a closely related subject that’ll generally replace your undergraduate gpa for PhD calculations (assuming you didn’t bomb, which if you got into a msc program you didn’t)

>2 Sort of, they might use it in your decision but they won’t look in that much detail unless they’re already considering you and aren’t sure about it

>3 then yes your ug gpa will not matter much at all.

>4 rankings don’t matter but prestige does, if you’re at MGU for example that will definitely make your application look better, but even if it’s a higher rank globally than the institution you’re applying it won’t help you at all if it’s not a famous enough institution for them to have heard of it, the idea of international rankings for undergrad doesn’t make much sense

Look into NYU polytechnic and Case Western Reserve University. Of course the big ones are NYU and Columbia in New York, and USC and UCLA in LA, those are extremely competitive for admission though, I’d also very strongly recommend you consider one of the many cities in the US that is not a polluted overpopulated shithole

>>11782492
> Yes if you have a master’s in a closely related subject that’ll generally replace your undergraduate gpa for PhD calculations (assuming you didn’t bomb, which if you got into a msc program you didn’t)

Can I ask what's your source on that? Because in answers on sites like quora and physicsGRE, they say that MSc matters fairly little and one of the reasons for that is the apparently common grade deflation (which may not even be present in my country).


Also do pass/not pass subjects play a part in GPA or is it only the subjects with exams?
What if I have two semesters of, say, QM and the first one is just pass/not pass and then the second has an exam. Does only the second semester's score count or do both semesters play an equal role, OR do they count differently?
I've read somewhere that if it's a "pass" subject, you get either 4.0 or 0.0 for that.

>>11782134
>applying to phd programme without having MSc or MA
wtf

>>11782534
That's norm in America. Apparently it's actually weird to apply for PhD WITH a MSc

>>11782492
>Look into NYU polytechnic and Case Western Reserve University.

Are there any shitty schools like this in LA or no?

>>11782492
>>4 rankings don’t matter but prestige does, if you’re at MGU for example that will definitely make your application look better, but even if it’s a higher rank globally than the institution you’re applying it won’t help you at all if it’s not a famous enough institution for them to have heard of it, the idea of international rankings for undergrad doesn’t make much sense

Do people know of any Russian schools aside from MGU?

>>11782134
It's definitely much harder than in Europe. Top US school made sure to market the shit out of themselves and as a result they have billions and more applicants than they know what to do with.

Did my PhD in biophysics in the U.S., more on the biochemistry/structural biology side. Take that for what it's worth.
>>11782134
>1. Can the situation be improved if I first get an MSc with great GPA equivalent?
Yes. But, I don't know if it's worth it because of the cost and time of an MSc. Guessing you want to do a PhD in biochemistry from a physics background. With a 3.3 GPA, your application shouldn't go in the trash, especially with a high enough GRE, to most biomedical science PhD programs. That said, 3.3 will stand out, and not in a good way, but I also think the physics background is working to your advantage. I think solid experience as a lab tech, strong letters of rec and statement of purpose, perhaps your name on a manuscript, would go way farther than an MSc with high grades.
>2. Do they actually look at transcripts of the local score (which in my case would be scores of 0 to a 100)?
Yes.
>3. What if I take MSc in another field and then pursue PhD in that field so my BSc is less relevant? Like I'm BSc in physics and I apply for PhD in biochemistry after getting a local MSc in biochemistry?
Physics and other more quantitative backgrounds (math, engineering) are hot right now in biological and biomedical science. I think that would be an advantage and make you stand out over chemistry or biology majors.
>4. Does global ranking of my school matter? Say it's the top school in Russia.
No.

>Are there schools in LA/NY I can safely count on getting into assuming I have good MSc GPA, LORs and SOP?
I think you'd be better served by working as a lab tech at one of these schools that you're targeting for two or three years before applying. Word on the street I've heard over the years: UCLA is heavy on undergrad performance. UCSF iPQB, though not in your ideal spots, does weigh tech experience, and your physics background would be an advantage. In New York, Columbia may fit better than Tri-I (Sloan Kettering, Rockefeller, Cornell) PhD.

>>11782788
I actually used biochemistry only as an example. I really wanna do theoretical physics.

> Yes. But, I don't know if it's worth it because of the cost and time of an MSc
Well I only have a year left in my BSc and at this point I've done fuck all in terms of papers, internships or anything else, so it seems like MSc is my only bet. It's free where I live, so it's just about time really.

> I think you'd be better served by working as a lab tech at one of these schools that you're targeting for two or three years before applying.
But what's the demand/supply of this job? Surely there's enough willing lab workers who actually live there. And will I even be able to get a VISA for that?

>>11782604
I wouldn’t say NYU poly is shitty, just not on the same world class level as the others. Also I looked up Case Western and it’s in Ohio, idk why I thought NY.

Whatever you do, do not go to Ohio under any circumstances

The thing about LA, is it’s not a very well defined region, technically only USC is in LA and UCLA is in Hollywood. There are definitely a lot of other schools in the greater LA area, cal poly for example and Pepperdine are in the general surrounding area of LA where you’re within the same 2-3 hours of traffic as everything else there, they’re just not in the city itself.

NY, you can get around walking and with subways and Uber but anyplace in LA, you will need a car to go anywhere except class and local shops and restaurants. So if you’re going to LA branching out into the surrounding area may be fine.

>>11782873

Yeah, being within a couple of hours is totally fine. But you're saying you would absolutely need to have a car to get to LA then?

>>11782899
What I’m saying is you absolutely need a car to live in LA, if you’re ever gonna do anything in LA and not just go to the stores and restaurants within a few blocks of campus. So, being near LA and needing a car to get there is not much difference.

>>11782930
Fug. How much does the shittest car cost?

>>11782953
Like $2-3000 for the cheapest one that will last your whole phd program

There’s no need for a car if you’re in NY but the rent and food is even more crazy expensive

>>11782975
Do any phds programs provide with any sort of living quarters?

>>11782134
You need at the minimum $5k plus for moving expenses and that's without a car.

>>11783093
Don't stipends take care of that? Or do they come much later than you have to move?

>>11782788
>Columbia

>A fuckign Ivy
>3.3 gpa
Yeah right

>>11783109
Not at all, I'm not an international student but lab mate came from the UK at the same time as me and it was a huge pain in the ass for her to move. Luckily her parents have money and could help.
The stipend comes two weeks after the semester begins and it's not a lot.

>>11783126
Depends on the field but if a PI wants you and they have funding they can generally push for your admittance.

How much do things like "grading tests for undergrads" matter in your application? Cause to me it seems like a sign reading "i'm a cuck".

>>11783126
columbia has some dogshit programs. I don't know enough about it to know if biophysics is strong, but its physics program is generally worse than many others. yale is even worse except for in some subfields.
don't get too hung up on the idea of ivy's being all-powerful when they can get BTFO'd by random UC schools

>>11783060
>>11782975
your rent in new york would be subsidized by the school. I haven't heard of any exceptions.
it is literally unlivable to pay full price for a new york apartment, so they'll work out a deal to get you a reduced cost.
it'll still be expensive though

>>11783146
Any estimates for the cheapest one person apartment with a subsidy?

Are there any "life-hack" ways like living in some garage with electricity?

>>11783157
>one person apartment
OH NO NO NO NO AHAHAHAHAHAHAH

>>11783157
no, sorry. you'll have to get the info from specific schools because I'm sure the process would be different.
however, I haven't heard of anyone paying more than $1500/month while on the subsidy. that being said, a lot of schools will only guarantee the subsidy for, say, one year.
living in new york your best bet is to just find a small apartment that is shared with other people. it'll be crammed but you can get it for under $1000 a month, price ranging depending on how close to popular areas you're in.
even better would be to share an apartment that's further away that you commute to via the subway. just make sure that the monthly subway cost doesn't add up over the amount you're saving.

>tl;dr there are facebook groups/forums where people find roommates. and your school would likely have one that only has students from the school so you at least know you're not rooming with methhead mike and his seven boyfriends that come around every other day

>ucla?
no i dont see la

>>11783402
You mean like.. in my future?

>>11783169
>1000 dollars per month to live in a shared apartment
What could be worth this?

>>11782134
Let me tell you something. I majored in mathematical physics at an Ivy League (a top 10 school in the US, basically), took 10+ grad courses in mathematics and physics and graduated this year with a 3.8GPA. I'd done grad-tier research at my uni for 2 summers in both the physics and math departments, was on excellent terms with the professors I worked with and got their recs for my grad apps.
I applied to 23 math grad schools (ranks 1-40) and got into 0. I repeat, 0. Zero. No waitlisting, straight rejections. I had to send additional apps out to schools via email post admissions season basically begging them to have a look and literally the math department head at my uni had to get involved (whom I asked for a rec and have excellent relations with from 2 years), and only after knocking on dozens of doors was I able to get into a literal-who school (out of sheer pity I bet). I never let it get to my head when everyone told me I'd get into a great school ("at least one as good as ours") and busted my ass off working but this is just pathetic.
The experience of begging like that for months was the most humiliating things I have ever gone through and I want to kill myself everyday.

>>11783528
Lmaoooo egos a bitch eh I’m glad I went through it in undergrad and was reasonable enough to apply for grad school for the best sounding program instead of just trying to get the highest rank

Probably shoulda taken some time off school to figure out what life is actually supposed to be about maybe done some online courses and apply for a mid tier program for the spring instead of dooming yourself to mediocrity tho

>>11783528
That's extremely anomalous. Did you not get in touch with PIs and ask to join the lab? That's basically how it works you need networking. They take the people they know rather than randos.

>>11783509
$1000 a month is probably for a shared room, it’s easily $1200-1500+ for a private room in a shared residence in NY

>>11783528
Were they top 23 math schools? Could it have to do with the math being even more "prestige" than physics, so the requirements are higher?

fuck off we're full

>>11783582
Hey I'll kick out some mexican if that helps.

>>11783550
>Lmaoooo egos a bitch
fuck off
You faggots always assume just because someone graduated from an Ivy they MUST be one of those high-nose overconfident bitches wallowing in their gigantic egos
I worked 100+ hours a week for years and did more all-nighters than you could ever dream of doing
All my recommenders basically fell out of their chairs when they heard the wipeout results
And one of the profs had repeatedly compared to me to some of his earlier students who got into Stanford and Harvard, and kids regularly go those to kind of places from here
If you're going to do a PhD at a garbo rank 50+ school you might as well not do it all, the stinging truth is no one needs those bottom of the barrel grad students anyway
I actually wish I'd gotten in no where so I could fall into that stinking pile too

> the stinging truth is no one needs those bottom of the barrel grad students anyway
Surely if you have great work you'll be fine?

>>11783558
There are no PIs for pure math grad schools
These schools pretty much only care about your transcript and LoRs (and publications if you have them but it's very rare for undergrad math students to have any)
>>11783572
No, they were distributed across the top 40 ranks
I actually think I could've gotten into a much better ranked physics PhD program (the physics portion of my GPA was a perfect 4.0 and I'd taken multiple grad QFT courses) if I'd applied but I realized junior year after finishing some grad sequences that it wasn't for me

>>11782829
OK, then I wouldn't be the best person to give advice. Theoretical physics would be very different from what I did my PhD work in, biophysics with a focus on structural biology.

>>11783126
In biological and biomedical research programs, in my opinion, research experience and letters of recommendation are the most important factors. I had a very low GPA for PhD programs, 3.1, but had three years of tech experience and two letters of rec came from PIs in the NAS. Ended up in a Top-10 program in my discipline at a Public Ivy. Experience and letters and statement of purpose can outweigh lower grades (<3.5 GPA). A pub from tech work is your golden ticket. I tossed out Columbia Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics as an example because it'd probably be more inclined to take someone coming from a physics background over Tri-I chemical biology, which I'd guess attracts more traditional backgrounds in chemical biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, medicinal chemistry, whatever.

>>11783632
>There are no PIs for pure math grad schools
Jesus pure math sounds so dry

>>11783667
It's up there with philosophy in sharing the title of the most armchair discipline

>>11783550
>apply for a mid tier program for the spring instead of dooming yourself to mediocrity tho
Also I'm curious to hear what you mean by "mid-tier"

>>11782378
You as a PhD candidate has the same mindset I had as a fucking preteen.
God I truly must a galaxy brain after all. Look at these fucking retards

>>11783740
Wanna specify what you mean?

>>11783606
My friend, ego is not only arrogance, it is your entire conception of yourself, the person you think you are in your head.

Your perspective is horribly twisted by how focused your ego has been on this one goal. This idea that everyone who’s not at the exact right kind of prestigious institution is worthless is a toxic product of your ego in the Ivy League environment and your superiority complex.

Cutting edge, world changing research comes from second-tier institutions literally all the fucking time, they’re not useless, that elitist attitude is just self reinforcing Ivy League marketing bullshit, it’d be one thing if it was an actual shit tier school like middle Tennessee state but it’s clear from your toxic entitled elitist ego you’re trashing normal tier state schools as worthless garbage, there are people who work every bit as hard as you they’re just less privileged with the opportunity to work on Ivy League research who see getting into that very same grad program as their greatest accomplishment. And with the attitude you have they’re gonna be way more successful than you.

Appreciate what you have, it’s simple.

The self hatred you’re feeling over disappointing your ego’s goals is your punishment for investing your time and energy into a flawed and fake ass value system. It sounds like you’ve got time to explore things outside your laser focus on math this summer, you should learn about the idea of ego, how it works, how it affects you and how you can use it instead of it working against you and getting in your way. Descriptive psychology won’t help, you need to approach this learning from the perspective of meditation, it’s a very different vernacular from what you’re used to and it’s at a waaaay lower level but being simple doesn’t mean it’s unimportant, even a lawyer who will never do math on the job needs to learn algebra. You’ll continue to suffer until you learn to make peace with yourself.

>>11783528
i'm so sorry anon, if it can matter

>>11784031
i posted this on my facebook. #Anon'sMindisOverMatter

>>11783528
I'm saying, for you, there probably is a puppetmaster somewhere

>>11783528
Anon, you realizing why they didn't let you in: They, each reviewer thought to themself: "Physics makes discoveries, if this brilliant discovers something there's a piece in it for I. Anon wants to love life, but I want their's. I'll crush your ego for my own pleasure"

>>11784105
from a man who didn't settle. I dropped out of community college. I'm going to be an architect & inventor. Play the rules anon, take the Professional Engineering exams. Make money for yourself

>>11783881
lmfao what the fuck is this mumbo jumbo ego crackpot garbage
I don't want any part of such pathetic delusions, what a cringey cope for being at a dogshit grad program
I have no fucking superiority complex and I have already mentioned how I approached things with 0 entitlement, your post is literally all projection and your own inferiority complex screaming out
What I do know is that anyone who can't demonstrate results is irredeemable trash
There is very little bullshit involved in grad admission for hard sciences/math. It's mostly about pure talent and skill and if you can't make it in then yes it is an objective evaluation of your worth as a potential researcher in the field
And like I said
>>11783606
>If you're going to do a PhD at a garbo rank 50+ school you might as well not do it all
because your PhD from those institutions is completely worthless and you're better off not wasting your time chasing some fantasy where you or your work ends up mattering, only to realize the bitter truth after putting 5 years down the drain. And if you look for a job after then no one's going to bother squinting to read your obscure school name before dumping your resume in the trash
That or they think they mistakenly received your "kentucky state university" resume meant for a burger flipping job
You sound like one of those whiny complaining bitches who want to be spoonfed yet refuse to roll up your sleeves and do honest hard work, take some fucking responsibility for once in your life
I saw enough of you leeching faggots in HS, spare me

>>11783126
>>>11782788
>>Columbia
>>A fuckign Ivy
>>3.3 gpa
>Yeah right
Piper got into Princeton math PhD with nothing more than a fucking BA in French. Took the better part of a decade to complete as well as an older student.

You need SJW points. Tell 'em you are a trans something that identifies as black and the worthless Ivies will kill each other to let you in with a mediocre gpa.

>>11783562
There is no education that's worth suffering paying a thousand bucks a month to live in the same room with someone for years. There's nothing in this world that's worth that except getting to go to Mars. 1000 dollars per month is too much for a studio apartment let alone a shared fucking room.

Another EU dude here in a similar spot:

Imagine if you got a complete shit GPA on your bachelor (undergrad) but you got a perfect GPA on your masters. Would they (US PhD committees) trash your application because of the messed up bachelor GPA?

>>11782788
So for how many hours would you be busy on an average day (I know there's not necessarily some schedule just looking for some ballpark figures)?

Did you do TA/grading/whatever for extra money?

Reading all these bullshit posts makes me think about you Amerifats.

Feels good to live in Europe and reap the fruits given to us by the union.
(Looking at free education, Erasmus,etc.) Which also tends to be one of the best in the world.

>>11785418
>Erasmus
Ok but what about after hs?

>>11785315
Depends on GPA but it seems like some definitely would without looking at it. Too many applicants.

Another question from a foreigner: can you change your phd visa to permanent residency somehow and if yes, how long does it take?

Is it just about living there for 5 years or whatever?

>>11785287
It order to get to the top in any field you first need to go through being a bitch for a couple of years.

>>11783667
Now you know what experimentalists think of theorists. And yet you realize they are completely wrong.

Can someone give me some advice?
I graduated from a UC in Physics and have accepted another UC's offer to start a PhD in material science and engineering this fall.

I can't decide if I want to try to get some engineering type job and make some money or just stick with the PhD. I haven't had much luck in the job hunt either.

I already took a gap year and stayed in my research lab from undergrad.

Any advice?

>>11786096
If it's not UCLA or Berkeley then just drop out, no one gives a shit about a PhD from those other literal who schools

>>11786096
Well... What do you wanna DO?

>>11785491
Nobody's ever gonna give you a visa dude, just

>>11786323
Stop ruining people's dreams. Or at least do it in an informed way.

>>11786273
Either that's why I'm conflicted

I wouldn't mind hiding from the recession in grad school desu

>>11786496
If you like both just do the more profitable thing.

>>11785411
>So for how many hours would you be busy on an average day (I know there's not necessarily some schedule just looking for some ballpark figures)?
It varied over my graduate career. My first two years, I was rotating through different labs, taking courses, preparing for quals. Those years, with everything, I'd guess it was ~12 to 14 hours a day. 9-to-5 day on Saturday, maybe a couple hours on Sunday.

Rest of my graduate career, I'd say I averaged 10 to 12 hours a day. I enjoyed it, being in the lab. Probably around 12 hours towards the end of my grad career, applying to post-docs, finishing manuscripts, writing up dissertation. Third and fourth years were I'd guess closer to 10 or 11, with some weekends. They were pretty fun, done with the quals and classes and stuff, but not yet writing up, mentoring younger students, etc.

>Did you do TA/grading/whatever for extra money?
Didn't have to, my program didn't require it. My PI brought in money and paid my stipend. That tends to be more common for PhD programs in medical schools, the labs are often pretty well funded, translational research, and there aren't tons of undergrads to TA. The more basic research PhD programs, physics, chemistry, biology, have thousands of undergrads that need TAing. I was at a public university with thousands of undergrads. Chemistry PhD students had to TA for two years, both gen chem/o chem lecture and labs. Sounded brutal.

>>11786679
How many hours would you sleep?

Also don't forget CUNY for NYC and if you're talking about NY state then SUNY Buffalo

This being said OP you seem fucking manic. A PhD to kickstart an acting career ? are you actually this retarded ? How about you try to get some experience in your own country ? Do some figuration or some bullshit like that. And without any information on the field we have no fucking idea about your chances.

>>11786724
> A PhD to kickstart an acting career ?
Not kickstart, just a way to move. I realize I may just end up spending 5 years or so exclusively on phd but I just don't know of another option to move.

> How about you try to get some experience in your own country ?
I am doing that senpai.

> And without any information on the field we have no fucking idea about your chances.

Ideally QFT, but I'm fine with modern fundamental theoretical physics in general

Also, I never said I wanna do acting.

>>11786724
>>11786741
My perfect scenario would be to just accumulate fuck you money and then maybe do research not having to worry about shit.

>>11786694
> sleep
Haha

>>11786824
This meme has ruined far more students then it should. People need sleep, going without sleep to try and do more work burns you out and ruins your productivity later while immediately lowering the overall quality of work currently.

>>11786829
Not saying you should go without but I know a guy who's 50 or something, he sleeps for 4 h and feels totally fine.

How much does it help to contact potential advisors before applying? I didn’t do it, because it seemed inappropriate and makes you seem desperate.

Also, do grades even matter? Some professors seem like grade fetishists who don’t realize that GPA is inversely correlated with innovative thinking. For the record, I have about a 3.5 GPA. Some of my fellow students with perfect GPA’s were invariably desperate bootlickers without original ideas.

>>11786694
Probably 6 a night or so. Never needed that much sleep. Other thing was I had little social life, never really went out drinking or to bars or anything. Had a long-term girlfriend, but all I pretty much did was get up, go to the gym, go to work, then go home at night then go to sleep. First two years I'd study after dinner.

>>11783632
Are you saying there are no NSF grants in pure mathematics? Or that they never cover any grad students? (My degree was Operations Research, so not entirely pure.)

>>11786882
>Also, do grades even matter?
Depends on your field. If you're going for physics/math, they matter 110%
>>11786892
I really don't know much about how they work. I didn't apply for any grants when I applied.

>>11782534
>Case Western Reserve
it's standard for american phd programs to give you ms coursework along the way (along with a degree for it if you want it). applying with a masters is fine, and at top schools (in my field anyway) maybe half of the phd students already had a masters from somewhere else, but it's not necessary

>>11786903
Typically a professor will get a research grant, and spend some of the money on a small number of upper level graduate students. From the student's point of view this is a Research Fellowship. (Or at least, that is how it was back when I was involved in academia.)

>>11787197
And this is something incoming graduate students qualify for? Are you talking about fellowships?

>>11787217
My experience was that incoming graduate students were funded by working as teaching assistants, for example grading homework for undergraduate classes.. Research fellowships were for when you were working on your thesis, and you had proven yourself capable. (Myself I had an NSF fellowship at the beginning, which I had applied for in advance. I doubt that that was available for foreign students, and I don't know if that program exists now.)

But this branch of discussion was just launched by the casual mention of a PI, that is "Principal Investigator", which is the lead on any research contract. In this context it would be the professor who applied for the grant.

>>11787243
Yeah, that's how it is for math grad students: unless you're able to get a fellowship, your only funding comes from TA and RA positions, the latter of which are highly competitive and something you usually only become eligible for a year or two into your program

>>11783528
This is a shitpost.
Nobody applies to 23 fucking schools. That's like (ballpark calculation) $2200-2300+ pissed away just on application fees. I've never met a single person who applied to more than 10. I've seen a few tryhards on online forums like mathgre who did maybe 12. 23 is completely absurd.

>>11787340
I only applied to one

>>11787340
>my life is a shitpost
fuck off, I burned my college savings and all self-respect I had on these God-forsaken apps, I don't need a clueless shithead to try and rub it in my face by telling me what happened to me is so pathetic it sounds like a shitpost

>>11786882
>How much does it help to contact potential advisors before applying? I didn’t do it, because it seemed inappropriate and makes you seem desperate.
This depends entirely on what you say when you contact them. Contacting random profs who have cool research statements is not likely to be helpful. If you have a very specific, concrete research interest already, then it's very strongly recommended to contact the profs you want to work with. You won't seem like you're trying to politic into an admission if you have a mathematical reason to talk to them, and if you're interested in a specific advisor you really NEED to talk to them first before you move for 5 years to work for them. It happens way too often that people get stuck with advisors they clash horribly with on a personal level because they didn't get to know them first.
Plus if you're only interested in doing e.g. geometric representation theory, you want to know that the geometric representation theorist will actually supervise you if you go to his department. You don't want to apply to a school for one person only to find out in September he's on sabbatical or he already has 6 students or he's moving to Germany in a year.

>>11787376
post a screencap of your list of 23 GRE score recipients from the ETS website and I'll believe you

>>11787412
>post caps
>get doxed
you wish I were this retarded, don't you

>>11787429
There are no dox on the bottom 3/4 of the page. It's just a list of schools+dates you sent the score.
You would know this if you'd actually sent out any GRE scores, but you haven't, because as you can see, it's just a shitpost.

>>11787477
You know the fact that I graduated from an Ivy and applied to 23 schools is a very specific piece of information, yes? The more schools there are, the better the match becomes. You think I'm so stupid I'll reveal the names of the exact schools I applied to and add to the info my posts already reveal?

There's a more legitimate proof I could post without revealing more info but why the fuck should I go through the trouble of making you believe me? Considering how dismissive you've been of my post, you'll only call me out and laugh. I didn't come to this thread to brag about my spectacular failures but just to let the OP know how horrible PhD admissions can turn out and show that there are no guarantees. I've been mocked and derided enough as it is.

>>11787519
everybody knows you're baiting now
that's good enough

>>11787526
I am one step away from posting proof, but what will you do if I show it? You want me to convince you for free after incensing me? I'd posted on this board a few months ago when I was in the middle of receiving rejections and someone likewise adamantly refused to believe me and arrogantly called me a shitposter. All you can do is desperately derail and live in your pathetic bubble.

>>11782134
>tfw perfect GMAT scores and perfect gpa but zero letters of recommendation

>>11783528

That sucks bro. Something must've been fucked with your statement of purpose or personal history statement if the schools asked for it.

If it makes you feel any better. I only got into UCLA and UCB with a near perfect GPA, several grad physics classes and barely any research.

The main reason I got in was due to just getting to know the people so it's mainly about not being a rando.

>>11788035
>barely any research
you shouldn't expect to get in anywhere then. they're accepting you to do research, not to take classes

>>11788035
was this for a physics PhD?

>>11782724
Honestly never heard of any Russian schools.

>>11787340
I was retarded and must have had low self-esteem and I applied to 13 schools since I didn't think I would get in anywhere. I got into 8 of them.

I was unironically going to apply to more but I got my first offer like 5 days after submitting the application so I didn't bother to finish the other apps.

>>11788252
what tier did you apply?

>>11788284
I applied to three safeties in the 30-40 rank and got into all of them. The rest were in the top 25 and I accepted an offer from a school that is in the top 10.

My subject GRE was pretty mediocre (70th percentile IIRC) but I had done some meme undergrad research so that may have counted for something idk

>>11788320
Nice
Was this for physics or math?

>>11788321
Also are you a woman/LGBTQ/minority by any chance

>>11788252
Same here. I was so nervous about getting into a good program that I applied to 13 and only didn't get into MIT/Harvard/Stanford. And part of this was because there was no research match.

>>11788399
I know right, what were we worrying about? Getting into a top 10 is actually a breeze if you aren't retarded

>>11788320
I scored in the 98-95th percentile for all my tests. Would I have tried for a top tier uni?

>>11788416
Tests mean nothing though, what matters is your research experience.

>>11788416
GREs are a meme. Low scores filter you out but high scores are expected. It literally makes no difference if you're 85 or 95 to schools, all you get is a check mark for "didn't bomb the subject GRE"

>>11788321
>>11788329
This was for math and I am a nonwhite dude. Also even though my GRE was painfully average I had a very good gpa. But I don't think that matters all that much if you have strong letters of rec. All my letter writers I had known for like 1-2 years and I had taken grad classes with them, done undergrad research with them, tried not to be a sperg and talk to them outside of class, etc., before I even thought about asking them to write me a letter.

So I suppose if there are any undergrads reading my best advice would be to start early as possible in building relationships with professors who you want to write a letter for you. This advice seems like a no-brainer but I had a friend who is very bright and hardworking but didn't go to graduate school because he didn't know who to ask for letters. Everyday he would go to some professor's office hours and so I thought there must have been someone to write him a compelling letter. But he told me that during office hours he would only ask questions about the homework/lecture material and never even thought about building rapport or any other things with the professors. And so he ended up realizing he had no one to ask for a letter that knew him well enough to say something more other than that he was just a good student.

>>11788421
I built a super computer with a club I founded to donate to my school, built a circular dichroism spectrometer, worked as a plant r&d virologist, did research for like 4 years, have a presentation at the biophysical society, and got a double major in chem and bio with a math minor.

My GPA was like 3.07 when I applied but I acted all my math courses so it went to 3.21. I did good in math at least and took extra classes.

>>11788439
Okay all of this is nice stuff but this isn't undergrad apps. "did research for like 4 years, have a presentatino at the biophysical society" is the only really important line here. Depending on the quality of this research and the recommendations you got from it would be what makes or breaks your application.
Unless you're getting accepted into a program to build supercomputers, circular dichroism spectrometers, or you're applying for a plant r&d virologist position, those are nice accolades that don't mean that much. the schools accept you to do your research towards your phd.

>>11788433
This is important, but there's a lot of conflicting guesses out there on the ratios of importance given by math grad schools to grades and letters. It's best to assume it's a 50-50. (It surely varies from school to school, and indeed even person to person in an admissions committee.) Research work is like a cherry on top of the cake, since there are plenty of people with great GPAs and strong letters who get into top schools having done minimal research work.
I'd also say that contrary to popular belief, math grad schools actually have an extremely low tolerance for poor grades. Don't take an advanced class if you think your grade could suffer, trust me risk-taking won't be rewarded - an A in an undergrad class is way better than a B in a grad class.

>>11788439
You sound as if you're applying for a job. Math grad schools are the most no-nonsense places out there and care as little as one could about everything not related to your math grades/research/research potential.

>>11788449
Biophysics is what I chose. I went to a good school, but in general it's a pretty interdisciplinary field and CD+super computer experience is relevent there.

I only applied to one program cause it was what I wanted. Turned out pretty okay, top 20. But I wondered after the fact if I should have applied to MIT and all those fancy places too.

I got the nicest letter of rec in my life from my internship. Overall it was a pretty solid application I just never tested it. My weak spot was my GPA so I figured I shouldn't bother with fancy schools.

>>11788498
>not trying for the best possible opportunities
dude why not? afraid of a rejection? you're only holding yourself back. don't apply to MIT just for the sake of it, like I did, because these schools get so many applicants that do that. However, I ended up going to my school that I had the best match with and the program is better than MIT. it's all relative

>>11788498
>I got the nicest letter of rec in my life from my internship.
You are never supposed to read your own rec. It is extremely unethical and most schools won't even look at your app if you don't waive your right to view your rec letters.

>>11788510
Dude was old school and sent it to me. He was very very old, I told him he had to send it directly to them through the app and I did waive my right. But when he sent it to me I couldn't help but look.

>>11788509
I guess I just sorta liked a place and didn't want the hassle of applying to a bunch of places. I got into a good school and just went with the flow. It's a weird feeling, cause it turned out good but I think maybe you are right. I was scared of rejection. Guess I just gotta be good in my postdoc

>>11788525
>But when he sent it to me I couldn't help but look.
Well make sure your school never finds out, I'm not 100% sure but it could become grounds for expulsion

>>11788531
It's definitely not. There are professors that have their students write their letter of rec and then the professor edits and rubber stamps it before sending it off.

There is literally no ethical reason why someone couldn't share the nice things they wrote about you. Forcing them to share it with me would be unethical, but he sent it to me of his own free will.

>>11788546
You literally sign an agreement when submitting your application that acknowledges you had no knowledge or participation in the writing of your recommendation letters, among various other clauses. Also included in the terms is that the school has the full and unreserved authority to cancel their offer of admission/expel you without any explanation should they suspect you have violated any of the other stated terms you agree to, including the aforementioned.

You are granted no special privilege of fair trial - they university will make the sole determination of the case and you will have no say in the matter. It casts some serious doubts over your if they find out you had seen the letter before submission, even if no alteration come from your end, whether directly or indirectly, and since there is very little you can furnish for definite proof establishing your innocence, nothing can really stop them from giving a verdict of guilty if they want to.

Yes, some letters might be drafted that way and there might be a casual attitude about this practice that gives you a false sense of security, but the fact of the matter is you are playing with fire when you do so. It could easily turn into something very ugly, and there is very little benefit in stealing in a look at such massive potential risk.

>>11782191
>there are actually quite a few pajeets here contrary to popular belief
there you go.

>>11788591
No, your application only indicates that you "waive your right to view the recommendation letter." If the professor still chooses to send it to you that is them making a decision that they didn't have to make.
I literally wrote one of my own rec letters because my PI was in the hospital and he signed off on it. The departments don't give a flying fuck about this unless you don't waive your right.

>>11788591
Give me a citation on that please because in the US at least there is not provision for that in the applications I have done.

We waive the right to see it after the fact so that a reccomender can honest without fear of us seeing it, unless they as a recommender desires it. That's the reason we waive it.

There isn't even a solid ethical argument as to why one should be denied the ability to look at a letter of recommendation in perpetuity.

>>11788605
>No, your application ONLY (emphasis mine) indicates that you "waive your right to view the recommendation letter."
Perhaps you didn't read the entirety of your application in detail. (I mean the ENTIRETY, not just the recommenders section. There's a sign-off page at the end with a link to a lengthy list of terms and clauses you must agree to before submission.) That or your applications were fundamentally different than mine.
>>11788605
>The departments don't give a flying fuck
Then that is their choice. My post is not about what the whims of the admissions committee. It merely points to what COULD happen, and indeed sometimes does (and is hence not a near impossibility).
>>11788609
>There isn't even a solid ethical argument as to why one should be denied the ability to look at a letter of recommendation in perpetuity.
You can look at the letter all you want AFTER it has been submitted. But there is no guarantee the letter hasn't been tampered with if you had access to it before submission, so it's grounds for suspicion at the very least. In any case, it's extremely unfavorable. You can read your application in full detail for a citation; you should find these terms. (As I did.)

How about you stay in your shitty country?

>>11788648
Can you also tell me what's on page 56 of the World of Warcraft terms and conditions, autismo?

>>11788656
fuck off retard, go ahead and get yourself screwed because you were too gullible and illiterate to check shit before signing
cocky cunts like you have no right to whine and cry when the rug gets pulled from under your feet
Actually I don't even think you're one of the anons I was replying to, go blow your brains out you flaming fucking faggot

>>11788648
I read mine and it didn't include looking at my letter of rec beforehand as a legal prevention.

Just show some links for major us unis that do this

>>11788686
>I read mine and it didn't include looking at my letter of rec beforehand as a legal prevention.
They certainly must have a clause similar to
>...included in the terms is that the school has the full and unreserved authority to cancel their offer of admission/expel you without any explanation should they suspect...
This clause could be construed to interpret receiving a rec prior to official submission as suspicious behavior warranting an investigation, which, in the event of finding you guilty, would culminate in the imposition of whatever penalties the clause describes (typically expulsion)

>>11788712
it can also be used to interpret if they find you went and shot up a kindergarten then they could rescind your admissions.
you're really reaching here. there is nothing that explicitly states that you will get your application withdrawn if someone decides to share a rec letter with you even if you waive your rights. you seem paranoid.

>>11788716
I don't know if you applied and still have access to the clauses page linked, but I remember reading these kind of terms on multiple Ivy and UC apps
>you seem paranoid
You don't seem to understand how terms and conditions works. Truth is, as an applicant, you're on the begging side, as much as it sucks to hear. You have to accept the conditions they state and there's really nothing you can do about it because at the end of the day YOU'RE the one who's seeking admission to their institute. What I'm stating is not as far-fetched as you'd like to believe.

>>11788748
yes I read the fucking applications and as many people have responded there's nothing saying that if you read a rec letter it is grounds for expulsion. you're taking the fact that the school reserves the right to retract your offer for admission to mean that it applies in this one narrow cirucmstance, which I'm saying is not ever invoked because of the fact that you waive your right to view the rec letter.
if they retracted your offer it would be because they found out you lied on the application or did something against school policy after the fact.
of course the institute is the one with the power, but do you think yale or uchicago is going to retroactively reject me because they found out my undergrad PI sent me my rec letter to read and make sure everything was correct? no. you're out of your mind if you think so.

>>11788769
>no. you're out of your mind if you think so.
Well then why don't you go ahead and send out an email to your school explicitly saying so? Forward your PI's email with it for good measure? You clearly don't seem out of your mind so surely doing something so harmless would prove me wrong and result in eternal btfo

>>11788784
>Being this autistic
No one would do that because it would be a bizarre email to get for no reason. You are delusional and a simple Google search proves you wrong.

>>11788798
>a simple Google search proves you wrong
It's a wonder how people like you even get into grad school in the first place
Don't > me anymore, this isn't going anywhere

>>11783402
kek

>>11788807
> Don't > me anymore, this isn't going anywhere
I'm gonna > you all I fucking want, because you are a golden example of the sort of autism that prevents people with perfect grades from getting into top schools - or any schools for that matter. And now I'm thinking you're legitimately on the spectrum.

>>11790561
If we started interpreting agreements like you, we'd have kangaroo courts everywhere

>>11790573
News flash: most people are REALLY chill with most rules. If somebody wants you in, you'll stay in unless you, like, rape somebody. If somebody wants you out, they'll find a bunch of reason even if they'll have to pull them from the thin air - and they'll interpret all sorts of agreements and regulations in all sorts of ways. That's how the world works. Time you learned that.

>>11790561
Also nothing stops one from choosing to not turn in a recommendation to a school if they see it's not saying what they'd like to hear. You're probably fucking scum who wouldn't mind sinking to the absolute lowest to try and game the admissions process and get into "top schools"
You shouldn't be anywhere near academia

>>11790593
Oh, it's a LARP that hasn't actually had someone submit a letter of recommendation.

>>11790600
>Oh, he disagrees with what I'm saying and I'm running out of garbage arguments to shit out, better use the larp card! Hahaha there you go larper you're not real, now shoo let me scream to myself in my bubble safe space and live out my delusions
You can add and remove recommenders as you wish retard, but I don't expect an idiot who didn't even read the app clauses to be able to figure that out

>>11790621
Maybe you are just a surpreme autist then.

When you ask someone to be your recommender you generally have a long conversation about what you are applying for, what is important in your application, and what you did with them at the minimum. This is so they can write a good letter that makes sense, because you are one of many no matter how unique a student you are. They may think they can't write you a good one and will tell you that if needed. A person who writes these letters should be invested in you and your future so they should want to write a letter that will synergize with your application. A suggestion given in many graduate application symposiums is to ask a reccomender, if they know you well enough, to discuss a short coming in your application and what they thought of it. Such as "anon had their mom die in the middle of linear algebra and their grades dipped, but in my research with them they were able to use the concepts well and exceeded expectations in future courses using linear algebra"

If you are having letters sent in without even a vague knowledge of what is contained within you failed at that most basic of social interactions.

>>11790640
Wtf do you think I'm the anti-look-inside guy? I'm saying that it's not a big deal and of course what you said is important.

>>11790640
What a comical rollback
You DO know that you can have multiple potential recommenders with whom you have equally well-developed relationships, right?
Discarding letters you don't like or are not "satisfied" with and replacing them with better ones by requesting new letters from your pool of potential recwriters becomes a distinct possibility, and that's not even an exhaustion of all the ways you could abuse the system by seeing letters before submission
You're a loudmouth moron who didn't think this through and now you look like a complete fucking clown, godspeed on your PhD in idiocy

>>11790738
I'm nearly convinced you literally do not understand human interaction.

No one is requiring a recommendation letter be shown.

If a professor chooses to show you one then yes, you can decide that maybe your professor who said that "anon did pretty well for a darkie" might not be the best choice to write your letter so you ask someone else. But that is a risk because unless you ask substantially in advance you won't be able to do that, and that's a big IF they show it to you before sending it out.

Is choosing to only write about the stuff you did well in your essays also considered an abuse of the system?

Is it a good idea to contact a professor from the US university you're interested in applying for a PhD in the future and ask if there are some small research tasks that you can try to help / work on during your masters?

>>11791112
Good question would like to know that as well

>>11791112
>>11791172
In general it is always a good idea to contact a professor ahead of time.
Best case they respond to you and you end up working with them for phd (which is what happened to me)
worst case they don't respond at all.

What you're basically asking is if you can start a small collaboration with them, but it's good to establish a line of communication anyways.

>>11790762
>No one is requiring a recommendation letter be shown.
>If a professor chooses to show you one then yes, you can decide that maybe your professor who said that "anon did pretty well for a darkie" might not be the best choice to write your letter so you ask someone else. But that is a risk because unless you ask substantially in advance you won't be able to do that, and that's a big IF they show it to you before sending it out.
>Is choosing to only write about the stuff you did well in your essays also considered an abuse of the system?

Guys, to be honest i don't even know where the fuss is all about.

I litterally do not let anyone recommend me with a letter I have not written for them. As an axiom, if a professor doesn't trust you enough for you to write the recommendation for them, you shouldn't trust them enough to give you a recommendation when a certain uni wants them through a process independent of you, and you all should do so.

And you should also have the social maturity to write a draft rec letter that is not too over the top for that professor to recommend you.

You guys are both retards and you are the reason why i got admitted to a phd program in an Ivy League as a french dude with a gpa of 2.5

>>11782461
Pick any of the top 30 metro areas in the country. It's a better standard of living than whatever shithole you and OP are from

>>11791279
>ivy league
>gpa of 2.5
how's dartmouth? or is it cornell? brown?

>>11791311
I am not fucking telling you anything.

I got there through extreme nepotism.

But i managed to pass the qualification exam, which partly relieves me of my crippling self doubt.

>>11791321
cont. but disregard that. My actual point was about the recommendation letter. Don't be recommended on someone's word alone. Micromanage the fucking process, that's a PhD we're talking about.

>>11791329
What about all the brilliant people who couldn’t be bothered to befriend professors? Seems like there’s a huge number of perfectly capable people who just couldn’t be bothered with that bullshit.

inb4 >well if they’re not befriending professors then they’re not brilliant

>>11791500

the medium is the message dude, there's a reason why they want you to write a statement of purpose, essays and whatnot. Part of a researcher's success is due to him being approachable and sociable enough to meet and network with industrials, sign contracts, get funding.

Brilliant or not, you can always respectfully suggest a draft to a prof with the right temper, laid-back kind of dude. Actually, having good grades with him actually gives you more legitimacy to do so. As a gesture of good faith, after he said he was okay with you sending him a draft, you should also give him your CV and transcripts. If you're that good he won't modify your stuff much anyway.

Worst case, he'll probably be honest with you and tell you he wants to write his own thing. In which case just tell him you'll get the transcripts, let it slide and find someone else.

>>11791500
Cry a fucking river, bitter autistic faggot. Guess what? Life is unfair. I think nobody is this thread has any delusions about what helped them succeed.

Are you actually a phd or at least a phd applicant? Cause you sound like a child tbqh m8 (baka). Is that more clear, when I'm speaking your language?

>>11791500
Btw it's never "oh I can't bothered". What are you, a king? As a phd applicant you're basically a tiny mass of mud, most common kind of dirt there is. And as such you're above nothing.

It's never "oh I can't be bothered". It's always "I'm scared of rejection/overstepping boundaries/lack the social skills required".

>>11788591
wait aren't you supposed to ask your professors to write you a recommendation letter after you are done with undergrad, for instance?
I mean, it's up to them to accept or say no ofc, but, i mean, i didn't stay at night in labs without getting paid just for the experience and knowledge, the least they could do is giving me a little aknowledgment.
That's what i'm going to do (he aready mentioned it to me before me ever talking about it). EU btw.

>>11788591
Who gives a flying fuck. A professor is too fucking busy to care about this bullshit. He obviously knows that even if you got a hand in writing those recs, no prof worth their penny would not at least approve their content.

If a professor is actually doubting that those rec letters are legit, he is either an absolute autist and you should NOT do a PhD with him, or your letters were not aptly written which is a major fuckup on your part.

But both cases are very, VERY unlikely, because again, if the registration process forces the recommending person to send their letter of rec independently, it is a form of consent and that is what really matters.

>>11791698
No, not necessarily.

I would ask for recommendation letters on a need to basis, for the simple reason that your employer / advisor might contact them and talk about you with them. Asking for a recommendation when you need it by giving them a reminder of who you are through transcripts and a CV should help them discuss you in a relevant fashion, as well as giving them an implicit heads up.


Actually as a personal advice, i would suggest you to always keep good contacts with at least two professors of your latest diploma. A simple "thank you, you taught me things that i actually use today and i'm grateful for that" kind of letter a year after graduation goes a long fucking way.

>>11791762
Oh, i didn't know recommendation letters for academia were that specific, i thought a prof could write a general one and you could send it to anyone accepting rec letters?
So i'm supposed to ask him to write me a RL every time i, say, apply for a job or uni?
What if i want to apply to 10 unis, do i change like a few words or what?
Can i use "old" RL, since it probably will say the same things?
And how do profs do it? do they scan a piece of paper with the LR on it and you just attch it to emails? or do they send an email from their email address to the institution?
Help me mate, i'm lost.
Also, do you think i should ask another prof i briefly worked with for her LR? I'm in good terms with her, and i voluntarily helped in one of her researches.
I'm told that the more, the better concerning RL.
Tbh i have no out of the ordinary skill or knowledge, i'd just be more than happy if they wrote down i'm willing to learn and spend time and effort in lab doing research, that i'm capable and that i work hard if given the opportunity. Which is just the truth.

Sorry for the blogpost, i just don't have anyone to ask these questions to, i wish there were like a discord of some sort, or that i knew someone more experienced than me.

>>11788546
>>11788605
>>11788609
>>11788686
>>11788716
>>11788769
>>11790591
>>11790762
>>11791279
>>11791321
>>11791329
>>11791544
>>11791745
What a bunch of disgusting low lives. I can't fucking believe I lost out in admission to evil, manipulative and lying bastards of your kind. Neck yourselves.

>>11791544
>>11791556
>>11791569
For supposed academics, you don’t seem to be very interested in questioning why things are this way in the first place. I think we can agree that a university should be an apparatus of innovation. There are many people who can contribute in that process, but the supply of positions for such people is dwarfed by the demand. So, we would at least want the selection process to be selecting for the most innovative people, but the metrics that actually matter seem orthogonal to that. For example, it’s already been established that those with high GPAs are actually less innovative. And what good are these social hoops you have to jump through? The bottom line is that they’re not actually trying to be innovative. They’re not thinking about these things.

>>11783169
Wow US sounds like a shithole from what I've read in this thread. India tier only too fucking expensive. You can get a 30m^2 meter apartment even in Switzerland for 600 chf which is about the same as 600 dollars. Let alone other countries which are less expensive. But I guess those are the "perks" of wanting to live in NYC.

>>11791809
As a rule of thumb and as a courtesy, do not do anything with that rec letter that you didnt mention you'd do to your recommending professor. This being said try to get a blank check. "Can you keep it general ? I might apply to a few unis if thats ok.". What if you said you applied to Duke, when you actually applied to both Purdue and Duke, and the former calls your prof ? You don't want him to say something like "oh, i thought he applied for Duke". This being said most processes make it so the recommending professor himself submits the letter but still. In other words, while a RL should be specific about who you are, it's ok to keep it vague on who this letter is addressed to. ("To whom it may concern")

>And how do profs do it? do they scan a piece of paper with the LR on it and you just attch it to emails? or do they send an email from their email address to the institution?

Two possible cases. Either during your application you will have a recommendation letter or supporting document section which will either allow you to upload pdfs of your RLs. Or (the likeliest possibility) you will have a particular process in which you have to write down your prof's email adresses and they will receive an email with a link in which they have to fill in said letter.

Depending on the country, phd offers can be displayed as casually as job offers with an email address to contact for inquiries. In which case you should enclose your letters along with your cv and cover/motivation letter.

>
Also, do you think i should ask another prof i briefly worked with for her LR? I'm in good terms with her, and i voluntarily helped in one of her researches.

What's the worse that could happen ? Unless a professor is a downright asshole, they will tell you in advance that they can't recommend you if they don't want to. Then again, tell her you have a draft in the works and she can take a look at it. Cont

>>11791973
i guess, but they proportionally pay you more too.
A shitty job in the US pays 30-35K per year (most PhDs).
But here in EU my dad who is a retired psychiatrist, makes roughly the same , 3k montly, and 3k is considered a fairly high stipend

>>11791991
Well, phds in Switzerland get 52k on their first year with around 1k increase per month every year. You get around 30-40 k in other parts of Europe. But we're specifically talking about phds. I am not even sure you get any money in US from that. Even if you do, paying for a fucking shared room 1000 dollars makes your higher salary a lot worse. Europe is a lot better place to live in, even with the lower salary.

>>11791985
Cont'd

Professors, lecturers are whatnot are busy people and couldnt care less about your ass if you don't actively seek them. If they like you, they will be happy to see you succeed but that doesn't mean they can be arsed to take the time to write a letter for you as it is an active effort that gains them nothing. As such, don't expect them to be proactive regarding it, but if they ain't, all the more reasons for you to be so. Write a draft, make it honest. Don't make it sound like you're the chosen one, look up tutorials on how to write letters and whatever you do, try to make them look as different in style as possible.

Make it about concrete qualities you have. Think about traits you do have, that you think your professor saw in you, that may be beneficial for your application. E.g don't write that you're a very social person when you are the awkward silent kid in the back left corner. Add some context.

>>11791991
Psychiatrists earn much more than that in most of EU countries. Any kind of specialty whatsoever.

how is SUNY Buffalo for engineering?

>>11791844
The system is made so that few people like us low lives also get a shot at academia. Nobel prizes are teamplayers, not autistic lone wolves that are unable to amount to jack shit for a lack of funding or relevancy.

If you think i cannot publish actually relevant shit well think twice and cope more.

>>11791951
I'm the dubs guy and actually did question myself and my answer, not only based on myself but on my personal experience with succesful researchers is that research is a social process. Social processes are vital to academia. In the grand scheme of science, your contributions amount to nothing on your own (the whole shoulder of giants thing). When you're doing science, you should have the humility to always realize that you are working on something bigger than yourself. Your advisor will (or at least should) be there to help you find your direction. Your colleagues will help you brainstorm. Conferences and plenary talks will allow you to expand your mind.

If you can't approach a professor and have the gall to ask him for a quality recommendation, will you have the gall to ask a pertinent question to the plenary speaker with a 140 h-index (just a metric)? Will you have the balls, once you're an actual researcher to coordinate with the private sector and sign a research contract that will allow you to fund a phd student to get some research going ?

You guys keep believe that science is the stuff of irritable assholes. We're past the time when polymaths would discover new shit on their own.

>>11792001
In france a phd doesnt get more than 20 to 28k, the latter being for private grants or prestigious ones.

Fuck, a tenured associate professor doesn't earn much more than that in his first years either.

>>11791985
>>11792004
>it's ok to keep it vague on who this letter is addressed to. ("To whom it may concern")
oh, so they won't like discard it if their institution isn't directly mentioned. nice.
I'll add that i'll be sending RL to unis for my master's degree applications (wish i could apply for a PhD but for it a Master's is required here in EU), for what it's worth.
My porfessors aren't hotshots i'd say, but it's better than nothing.
Wish i knew what's the avarage undergrad CV among applicants for master's, cause other than these 2 RL from normal professors, a mediocre 3,6 gpa in a not very prestigious uni, a conference proceedings with my name on it and maybe a publication as coauthor i don't have anything else.
I'm not even trying to get into ivies, i'm not cut for it, i'd be very happy with like, a top 100-150 globally tbqh.

But thank you anon, you were very helpful.
Have a poss

>>11791844
Go read Notes from the Underground, it's about you.

>>11792038
Sure, science is a collaborative effort. I’m sociable and I got my letters of recommendation. But when you apply for a PhD somewhere, they never state as a requirement, “do you know the professor personally?”, because of course that would make them look bad. But the reality is that knowing a professor personally increases your chances enormously. I get it. Professors want someone they like, but that’s not always the best person. The door for corruption is wide open. For example, sometimes professors allow lots of people apply from around the world, but they already know who they want, even if some of the other applicants are much better qualified.

If the whole selection process was meritocratic or honest, then it’d be easier to accept being rejected. But arbitrariness just gets you a lot of pissed off rejects.

>>11793280
Hey, when i say you should only ask RL from professors that are friendly, i'm not saying you should suck their cock. I'm talking about the respectful friendliness between a good teacher and a good student.

If you are talking about knowing the advisor, well think about it the other way around. If you're an advisor you want someone you can actually trust. He wasn't obliged to take me. He could've said "you know the quals will fuck you up", or "sorry, i don't have a funding" and i wouldn't have taken it badly either way. Call it a cope, but i have witnessed first hand useless phd student with incredible gpas, because they lacked both social skills and creativity.


Then again people should know the unwritten rules as well as the written ones. Never in the world of private industry or academia should you underestimate networking. You don't even need to do it the way I did. When you initially contact a professor, shound you have a preliminary interview, look the fucking part. Study the fucking field. Look at recent conference papers. Do an unpaid internship beforehand with them and make a really good impression (that's what i did).

It's easy to fucking cram a course. It's also easy to fucking whine and assume things about people you have never known. It's harder to 1) figure out how to actually make yourself look interesting to a professor and 2) dare to do it.

>>11793415
>But muh monies

Find a fucking summer job or save up some money. A summer internship is litterally 3 months long at most. Profs only care about you attending the meetings and your results. What you do on your own time is your problem.

>>11793420
>summer job
Like what?

>>11795078
sucking the wuflu out of dicks

>>11786114
Caltech?

>>11782134
Look little faggot, I don't know of anyone already said this but what matters MOST is that you identify a professor you have a good rapport with AND they have funding

>>11797315
for engineering it's fine else dropout

>>11797440
You mean local prof at my uni in my country?

>>11795088
And that's why people that have lower gpas get the fucking phd.

I already told you shit that a lot of phd applicants do not do nor consider. Contrary to standard studying, phds require you to think, be creative and autonomous, instead of the usual cramming algorithm you apply to get a good gpa. If you lack the autonomy and smarts to even find a fucking summer hustle you should take your masters, get the fuck out of academia and be a good wagie.

I paid my second internship by being a fucking bouncer.