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I have recently begun to think that perhaps I should at least investigate graduate schools for semiconductor physics in the US, but I have to admit I am totally at sea on the topic, and would appreciate any help the members of this forum might care to offer.

From the US News ranking, I see that CIT, MIT, Harvard, Princeton, Stanford and UC Berkeley are at the top for physics in general, and in condensed matter physics specifically, U of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign, MIT and Cornell. Whilst I am familiar to all of these schools, such a list really mean little to me, and, moreover, these are the very top schools, doubtless extremely selective, and I have doubts that I can get in. What is worse, though, is that I have no idea how to evaluate my chances of being admitted to a PhD programme in the US.

I have a BA (linguistics) and a BE (electrical engineering) from a Go8 university (top eight research-intensive universities in Australia), ranked 4th in a class of 120. My weighted average mark is quite high, ~90%, but I have no idea what this means in American terms.

I would appreciate it if someone could help me evaluate my competitiveness for admission to a US grad school. The only point of reference I have is that one of my closest friends, who finished just ahead of my in my class (i.e., 3rd of 120), has been admitted to MIT to pursue a PhD in health sciences and technology. But I can get no clear information out of my friend; he wasn't too clear on the admission criteria either, but he applied, was interviewed, and was made an offer.

I am completely confused by the selection criteria, and would appreciate any help or suggestion at all.

Also, what are some good-but-not-impossible-to-get-into schools for semiconductor physics in the US?

Thanks in advance.

By Afterburner (Afterburner) on Saturday, October 18, 2003 - 09:24 pm: Edit

Do you need financial aid? If you do, very difficult. If not, then you'll be on the same level as everyone else.

And did I hear top-notch graduate school? Two words: Ivy League. Seriously, you need excellent professors.

By Ksolo (Ksolo) on Sunday, October 19, 2003 - 02:19 am: Edit

It's difficult to gauge admission for Ph.D. programs and graduate school admission in general for the United States. Even Americans have great difficulty with this topic.

For admission into pretty much any graduate program, you will have to submit your GPA (college transcript), GRE (standardized test scores for grad school applicants), Statement of Purpose (personal essay), and Letter of Recommendations (from your professors).

There are probably more schools or a bunch, for what you want to pursue. Look around on the search engines like Google, and you'll be sure to run across something.

By Radagasty (Radagasty) on Sunday, October 19, 2003 - 07:02 pm: Edit

Well... I wasn't really thinking of the Ivy League schools as such, but certainly a good university, Top 25, at least. I do, however, have excellent recommendations from my professors here in Australia. Funding will be a consideration, though, especially since I have been offered a full-cost scholarship elsewhere.

By Clickspring (Clickspring) on Sunday, October 19, 2003 - 07:37 pm: Edit

You should apply to the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. A professor in our physics department just won a Nobel prize for his work in superconductors and superfluids. I don't know how hard it is to get into grad school at UIUC, but if you want the best, that's where you should look.

By Radagasty (Radagasty) on Monday, October 20, 2003 - 08:34 pm: Edit

Thanks for your comments, Ksolo. I have found it quite confusing... even the universities' graduate admissions websites aren't really all that clear. Moreover, I am not from an American college, and therefore don't have a GPA... I have a weighted average mark, but I don't think there is a straightforward conversion.

Anyway, I'll think a bit more about what you said. I can get good references, and perhaps put together a statement of purpose, but I don't have a GPA and a GRE, and these are likely to be stumbling blocks.

Thanks again.

By Coureur (Coureur) on Tuesday, October 21, 2003 - 12:00 am: Edit

You can probably take the GRE in Australia. I think most US standardized tests are given in foreign countries for the benefit of foreign applicants. Knowing your GRE score will tell you a lot more about your chances.

I earned a Ph.D. from a US university, and I can tell you that the grad school admissions process is not as straightforward as regular college admissions. It varies quite a bit from school to school and sometimes even from department to department within one school.

By Radagasty (Radagasty) on Wednesday, October 22, 2003 - 11:04 am: Edit

Thanks, Coureur. I will investigate the GRE. So far, I've had a tough time gauging my chances. Perhaps the GRE will help. It seems to me, though, that some schools don't require the GRE. I asked a friend, who has been admitted to a PhD programme at MIT, about the GRE, but he didn't know much about it.

By Radagasty (Radagasty) on Thursday, October 30, 2003 - 09:38 am: Edit

Hmm... taking the GRE in Australia doesn't seem to be particularly straightforward.

By College (College) on Sunday, November 09, 2003 - 12:58 pm: Edit

bump...