Graduate School in Math or a
Math-related Area
I
will post this information sheet on my website, along with a folder of some
useful information, and another Timeline at http://geneseo.edu/~haddad/grad.html
Keep an Open Mind
á
Try to get advice
from faculty (or former students) and follow it. WeÕve been through this before
ourselves, as well as, with former students.
á
Keep your options
open for as long as you can, especially if you are undecided!
á
Consider
Math, Applied Math,
Operations Research, Computer
Science, Computational Math or Science,
Scientific Computation, Statistics, Financial Math, Actuarial Science, Bio-Math,
Related (Engineering, Theoretical Physics, Economics),
Math Ed (another presentation), etc.
á
Begin by going
online, searching for a school, program, or area. Look at the courses
offered, degrees, and research currently being done by faculty (you will be
working with one at some point).
á
Consider more
than one area and program, even within the same school
o You may be able to get funding for one, and not the
other.
o You may be undecided at this time. You donÕt have to pick an area now, just
a list of schools and programs.
á
Make yourself stand out from all of the
other math majors who will be applying.
o Apply for a Research
Experience for Undergraduates (REU), Summer Math Programs, or some kind of
math research.
¤
Try the
Government: NSA, DOD, or DOE, etc.
¤
Summer Program
for Women in Math at GWU
o Try a Directed Study this fall/next spring.
o Make sure you have done a presentation, preferably at
some conference, if you can. Ask
faculty for help with this.
o Work in the Math
Learning Center (MLC) or TA for
a Math course (offer to do it for free if you have to, in order to gain experience!).
o Consider taking the Putnam exam or participating in the Math Olympiad.
o Think about a summer or semester abroad (particularly
if it involves math), such as semesters in Budapest.
o In the fall, be on the lookout for information on conferences
like Nebraska Conference for Undergraduate
Women in Mathematics. Attend and present.
Make sure you have all of
your Òducks in a rowÓ
Courses/Skills
á
Math 325
(Real Analysis 2)
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Math 326 (DE) and Math 345 (Numerical Analysis) for applied areas
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Math 333 (Linear 2) and Math 330 (Algebra) are good choices for all areas.
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Maths 360/361 (Prob and Stats)
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Computing (not
the same as programming)/Software/Word
Processing
o Matlab/Maple/Mathematica
o SPSS/Minitab
o Excel
o MS Word
o LaTex
á
Programming or Coding (particularly if you are thinking applied or
industrial math). Try to get as many of the following as possible
o Procedural
Programming such as Matlab or C or R
o Object-Oriented
Programming such as Java or C++
o Functional
Programming such as Maple or Mathematica
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Math 366 Foundations of Actuarial Science (for actuaries)
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Try to maintain a
good GPA in Math and related courses
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Talk to us regarding
specific recommendations on different areas
The
more preparation you get here at Geneseo, the better off you will be in grad
school. Getting the minimal number of courses in Math required for the degree is
insufficient, UNLESS you have a minor in some related area, like CS, Econ, Bio,
Physics, etc. Broaden your
interests, and take a broad spectrum of courses. Go for breadth and depth, if you can.
Graduate Record Examinations
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Study for the GREs
this summer
o General – like SATs
o Math Subject
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Sign up for both GREs,
and take them.
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Focus on Calc 3.
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ItÕs possible
there will be some GRE review offered here in the fall for the Math Subject
exam. Pay attention to e-mails from
the department!
Please do not send in
Math Subject GRE scores until you know what they are. ItÕs worth paying extra! Be prepared to have a low score.
Letters of Recommendation:
á
Be prepared to
ask for at least 3 letters of rec. (at least two in Math).
o Ask if the professor believes they can write you a good letter.
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Provide
o Transcript
o Your statement of purpose (letter of intent, etc.)
o Resume (include jobs, intramural activities, sports,
leadership positions, charities, etc.) Brag about yourself (in a nice
way)!
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Give them at
least a month or two to write the letters.
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Provide them with
stamped addressed envelopes if you want them mailed it, or detailed
instructions for sending them through the internet.
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Be prepared to
waive your right to see the letter (itÕs a fairly standard practice).
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Gently remind
them to sent the letters in two and one week(s) before they are due.
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Thank them, and for goodness sakes, let them know what
the outcome is when you find out, even if itÕs negative!
Selecting Schools
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Pick at least one
or two really good schools (Òpie-in-the-skyÓ schools)
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4-5 medium-level
schools (e.g. places where our students have had success getting in, and
finishing)
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1-2 safety
schools
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Consider web rankings
in US News and World Report, and PhDs.org.
o Talk to students who have gone through the process, as
well as, faculty if you need help deciding
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Talk to me, or
Professor Nicodemi, or whoever is your favorite professor.
Applying
á
Be sure to apply
for the PhD even if you are unsure or know that you just want a Masters
degree. You are not obligated to stay until you get
one.
á
Most grad schools in these areas have
funding available for good grad students that include a stipend to live on and
a waiver of tuition. Be
sure to ask for funding (anything they offer!). These things make the school
think you are serious. You can
always turn it down if you donÕt want it. You donÕt want to pay to go to grad
school if you can help it.
á
Apply to schools
where our graduate students have been successful. Here is a partial list of places where
our students have been accepted (most with support):
á
Letter/Statement
of Purpose/Intent:
o All schools want a statement asking why you want to go
to grad school in your chosen area.
o You should tailor each letter to the school and
department
o If you know of faculty or a specific area of research
you find interesting, mention it.
¤
Be honest about
what you are interested in. If you
are undecided, say so.
o Ask faculty to proof read it and suggest improvements
á
Supporting
Documents
o You have to arrange for faculty to write letters of recommendation
(typically 3, at least two in math).
It is your responsibility to ask faculty, give them all information on
how/where/when to send letters.
o You have to arrange to have transcripts of grades sent
to the correct schools and departments.
o You have to arrange to have your GRE scores (the
subject one only if they are good) to the correct place.
After you have been accepted
á
Visit the School: always try to visit the school if you can (many schools have funds to
do so), and talk to the other grad students in the program away from faculty. Ask about how cutthroat the place is and how
accessible are the faculty. You have to like the program, the people,
the location, and the package offered (in that order!). Ask how long it typically takes to
finish and whether they guarantee funding for that time period.
á
Funding and Tuition Waiver: Most offer a teaching or research assistantship, and
will waive tuition. The
assistantship is typically enough to live on and you will get out of grad
school with little or no debt! Ask what you have to do for the teaching/research
assistantship. Ask when the
qualifiers need to be taken. Ask if
there are any computing requirements.
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Acceptance Offer: make sure that you accept the offer prior to their deadline.
á
Rejection of Offer: If you are not attending, it is courteous to inform the school as soon
as possible. Schools can then make
offers to those on waiting lists if they know your position is free. You will
hurt the chances of other Geneseo students if you do
not.
o A note about acceptances (from a contact at Iowa
State): All programs set deadlines because they have to make replacement
offers. The deadline should ideally be a week ahead and never less than 4 days
(high pressure sales is a red flag).
The advice to students is, when you get an offer, then you contact all
programs that you prefer to the offer, tell them your deadline, and ask when
you may expect to hear. If they can
legally make offers and want you, they will try to meet the deadline.
á
Leaving: later, should you find that you donÕt
like the school you have chosen, you can always take the MasterÕs degree and
run, or apply to another school the following year. You are not obliged to stay there
any longer than one semester or one year at the most. Remember, if you donÕt want to be there,
they probably donÕt want you there, and likely can find someone better suited
to take your place.
Timeline
Sophomore year:
á
Start thinking
about REUs in your sophomore year.
o Make sure that you have the required background
courses and skills necessary for your REU or undergrad experience of choice.
á
Think about the
Math courses skills you will need for Grad school
Junior year:
Fall and Winter
á
Research REUs, Summers
Abroad, Semesters Abroad, or other educational experiences. At the end is a list of some
opportunities.
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Find an Internship
program (NSA, actuary, industry of some sort?)
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Most are due in
Jan or Feb (though NSA wants them in Oct.)
Summer
á
Begin looking at
schools on the internet.
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Begin thinking
about GREs. http://www.geneseo.edu/math/test_preparation Think about taking them twice!
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Make sure you are
taking the courses you need to be taking.
Ask your adviser or other faculty for help in deciding. Many are degree- or
program-specific.
Senior year:
Early fall
á
Sign up for GREs
and start reviewing for Math Subject GREs.
Take them for the first time to see what theyÕre like.
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Start talking to
faculty about the schools you want to apply to.
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Get their advice.
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Start thinking
about whom you want to ask for letters.
Mid-fall
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Narrow your list
down to 10 or less.
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Begin working on
your letter/statement of intent.
Show it to faculty members!
Start applying.
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Ask faculty now
about writing letters of recommendation.
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Take the GREs
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Applications for NCUWM are due.
Late
fall
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Take math subject
GRE.
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Finish your
Òstatement of purposeÓ and show it to some of your Profs.
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Finish your
applications.
á
Gather together
your materials and give them to your letter writers at least one month in
advance of the due date.
o Include resume, transcript, letter of intent, waiver,
instructions with a list of schools and websites, addressed, stamped envelopes,
etc., and anything else your letter-writer asks for.
Jan-Feb
á
Make sure all applications, transcripts, scores, etc. are in to the
schools to which you are applying.
Later, contact the school(s) or the organization(s) that sends them, and
verify they have all of your information.
Include unofficial copies of these things with your applications, as a
precaution.
á
Gently remind
your letter-writers to send in their letters. Give them the deadlines and
websites. You should provide any
envelopes. They should be addressed
and stamped. DonÕt make faculty look up the information!
March-April
á
Wait. Sometimes school will make offers
earlier than this, but donÕt panic if they have not.
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When you are
accepted, ask about VISITING the campus.
Often, there are institutional funds available for travel. (Come talk to one of us before you do it
so we can prep you on what to ask.)
á
Ask about
financial offers if they have not made them with the acceptance letter.
á
Consider applying
to grad prep programs:
o SMI (Cornell)
http://www.math.cornell.edu/~smi/
o EDGE (women only)
o IMMERSE if you are going to grad school-mostly
analysis and algebra
April
á
Decide. Accept an
offer. Kindly reject the rest.
Other Helpful Information
Math Conferences
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Seaway Meeting
– Upstate NY (October/April)
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Saint Lawrence
Valley Mathematics Symposium – Potsdam area (Fall)
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Joint Math
Meetings – varies (January)
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NCUWM – Lincoln, NE (January/February)
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GREAT Day-
Geneseo (April)
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Hudson River
Undergraduate Conference – Albany area (April)
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Applied Math
Conference – Buffalo (April)
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Math Fest –
varies (August)
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Look for local
sectional meetings of the AMS or SIAM
Math Organizations
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MAA-Mathematics
Association of America, maa.org
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AMS-American
Mathematical Society, ams.org
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SIAM-Society for
Industrial and Applied Mathematics, siam.org
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AWM-Association
for Women in Mathematics, awm.org
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YMN-Young
Mathematicians Network, ymn.org
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INFORMS-Institute
for Operations Research and the Management Sciences, informs.org
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WEUSEMATH.org
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AMSTAT-American
Statistics Association, amstat.org
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BEANACTUARY.org
Summer Resources for those
going into the summer of their Junior year
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Research Experiences for Undergraduates in
Math-this includes both
theoretical and applied mathematics
http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/list_result.cfm?unitid=5044
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The Mathematical and Theoretical Biology
Institute
http://mtbi.asu.edu/
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Park City Math Institute has summer programs for math research
and math education http://pcmi.ias.edu/summer-program/
á
Center for Discrete Math and Theoretical
Computer Science
http://dimacs.rutgers.edu/REU/
They
have a US program and one in the Czech Republic this summer
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GWU Summer Program for Women in Mathematics
http://www.gwu.edu/~spwm/
á
VIGRE Vertical Integration of Research and
Education
http://www.math.utah.edu/vigre/ugrad/reu/index.html
Summer Resources for those
going into the summer of their Sophomore year
The Carleton College Summer
Mathematics Program for Women
http://www.math.carleton.edu/smp/
Summer Resources for those
going into a Graduate Program
á
EDGE http://www.edgeforwomen.org/
á
IMMERSE http://www.math.unl.edu/programs/mctp/immerse/
á
SMI (Cornell) http://www.math.cornell.edu/~smi/
Others
o
National Security Agency - has summer internships for undergrads,
grads, and faculty in math and related areas-due in October
¤
http://www.nsa.gov/careers/opportunities_4_u/students/undergraduate/index.shtml
o Mathematics
Advanced Study Semesters (MASS) at Penn State http://www.math.psu.edu/mass/
o http://geneseo.edu/~haddad/grad.html:
o http://grad-schools.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-graduate-schools/top-science-schools/mathematics-rankings -Choose a specialty.
o http://mathaware.org/profession/data/annual-survey/groups_des
o http://www.phds.org/
o http://worldranking.blogspot.com/2009/07/top-mathematics-doctoral-programs.html
o http://www.math.psu.edu/users/curm/
o We
use Math video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=aYIv4jggQJc