Calling all ghosts of the LHC thread! [Physics and Math]

[BerenTebogo]

It's getting to be that time...I need to start solidifying my choices for grad school and I would like some help.

As most of you know I'm a double major in physics and math, what maybe has been left out is that I'm now specializing in astrophysics and computational math.

I originally thought I'd just be majoring in physics, focusing on astro, and learning a bit of math on the side and then going in for astrophysics and learning the crazy stuff in grad school. Seems I was wrong.

Since taking on the major I've taken real analysis, numerical analysis 1 & 2 (numerical methods for ODE and PDE basically and chebyshev all the things), I'm taking applied linear algebra and numerical linear algebra next semester along with differential geometry. The following semester I'm taking a formal numerical PDE course and a numerical optimization course.

Almost every math class I take is outside of the course requirements and is offered just as a high-level elective whereas I'm sticking pretty close to the physics curriculum besides the grad level astro class next semester.

My research is in using numerical methods to solve the teukolsky equation in reduced dimensions (black hole physics) and I love it, but it's a different direction than where I originally saw myself going.

I'm definitely going to graduate school for astro and not for math, that's a given, I just don't care enough about math without application but now I'm starting to realize that the best place for me may be in a computational astrophysics department, possibly one specializing in black hole dynamics.

I've read reddit and looked around and talked to advisers obviously but I want some input from all of you. From you classmates who went on to different schools to faculty you've worked with to people you've met at conferences.

What are some good schools besides the schools I'm already looking at? What are the real life pros / cons of the schools I've chosen? Any input is helpful!

1: College Park Maryland
2: UC Berkely
3: CalTech
4: Harvard
5: UC Davis
6: Brown (?)
7: U Delaware (?)
8: UNM (?)
9: Arizona (?)
10: UMass Dartmouth (where I am now)

Edit: overall GPA is a 3.96. I've been being stupid this semester and I may take an A- or two or maybe even a B+ as a result. Possibly may drop to ~3.9 - 3.91 by end of the semester at worst.

[Abandon]

i love you sath

[Abandon]

you like asians, how is berkeley not #1 for you

[BerenTebogo]

There's a surprising amount of asians in DC which is ~20 minutes from College Park.

[Dolmen]

There's a surprising amount of asians in DC which is ~20 minutes from College Park.

Just go to Annandale, VA, and you'll think you're in an Asian country. There is an incredible Korean, Vietnamese, and Thai population here.

[isladar]

How mobile is the Mrs.? Is packing up and going across the country for grad school going to impact family relations (i.e., are her folks/your folks involved in your lives), or all you guys easy with transplanting?

[Nephlite]

If you want a long breakdown, then it'll come later. For now I'll just recommend UMD (College Park, Maryland). Great location; just minutes from the metro, D.C., bars, clubs, shopping, whatever you need. Campus is open and fresh with lot's of open study space. Great grad level classes and benefits (like the "Time Served" program that gives you credits towards the degree you want if you worked in a related field before you got your degree). For someone like me who never thought about college, the advisers and councilors were amazing in setting up my schedule. They stayed on my ass too. Slipped a few points on my GPA? They got me hooked up with another study buddy and kept tabs on me till I brought it up.

There are a few cons (as are with most colleges). For one the neighborhood isn't great and the UMD Police and Prince George's County Police are constantly there for something. They've had a string of burglaries in off-campus student housing recently that's prompted a much larger show of force from those departments. Football and basketball nights are crazy if you're not in to sports and can really kill your plans if you don't leave out early enough or live with rowdy people. Food options are great, but it's mostly off campus. The cafeteria sucks, the closest Starbucks is a small drive away, and liquor stores aren't terribly close. Most people who go to UMD commute, so you might be forced to bring a car since Metro is close but it's a long bus ride through the ghetto...

[Cleverness]

How mobile is the Mrs.? Is packing up and going across the country for grad school going to impact family relations (i.e., are her folks/your folks involved in your lives), or all you guys easy with transplanting?

Unless they got remarried, they aren't together anymore Isla(since he started going to school iirc) so that is not an issue.

[Xajii]

I live right near UMD as well and have a friend who went through the Physics grad program there. It's a solid choice. The area isn't that bad unless you're an idiot, anyway, and you can get to so many places easily from around here. Very multicultural area, lots of bars, and of course everything there is to do in DC. Potential downside is that the cost of rent around here is NOT cheap, and the driving can be a pain in the ass. Back on the plus-side, 3.9 is definitely good enough to not only get you in but net you some financial helpings-out, depending on the program at least (pretty sure it should be not-costly though, as it's grad school). That's IF they like you though, grad school is picky.

As far as programs in the field go, I know UC Davis and Harvard are both very strong. Only heard good things about the UMD program from the inside but that's from like one and a half sources total. In general though with grad school you are going to want to apply to a fair amount of places (although this unfortunately costs a lot of money to do on its own) and see who accepts you. It's easy to feel picky right now, but you need to keep your options open.

[Shiro]

Go to AAS if you aren't planning to already, meet and greet with as many faculty as possible while you're there. (Get your advisor/department to pay for it if possible!) Today is actually the last day of regular registration, it bumps up like $30 otherwise.

With your GPA, (and hopefully good Physics GRE scores and solid letters of rec?), you can go pretty much where you want, which is a rarity. The best possible advice is to look for people who's research you're interested in an GO VISIT THE DEPARTMENT. Every single astro grad I've talked to that did this pretty much changed their entire grad school plan after going to their potential schools and actually talking with people. You will be infinitely better off knowing what you're getting into before you arrive 2-3 days before the semester.

As far as specifics I'm about to run to class, but my undergrad was at Michigan. Off the top of my head, people working on black holes there:

Elena Gallo

Monica Valluri

Jon Miller

Scower sites for schools you're interested in and track down profs, shoot an email and go visit!

[Abandon]

UM: CP is where that guy killed a robber with a samurai sword. Also, there's a lot to do in the area, such as bang girls. There's DC's usual stuff, but don't go to the blax clubs; your mouth will get you in trouble. Baltimore is okay, ESPN Zone makes my penis hard. There's Power Plant directly down the street from the Zone, which is a bunch of bars/clubs all gated into one area. Was pretty cool, at least back when i was 23-24. Hustler Club also not too far from the area. You have a thing for asians w/ boobies, and that's a decent place to check.

[Eliseos]

U of Wisconsin-Madison is known for their drinking prowess. I would suggest this.

[Mizango]

Whats good man? :D Will ask around for you, but if not for the opportunity to stay local why not do that? That was the reason I moved from lolTexas to be back closer to USC in the first place. How are you liking UM Dartmouth overall? (I mean besides your late night FB postings of making ribs and bacon and shit at 3:42am on a Tuesday lol)Ive traveled (Went from USC to Saint Louis University after graduation) and found that its not always necessarily the best. Unless you just absolutely loathe being close to home, why not just stay in the vicinity? No Asians in the Zona, you'd be sad panda.

[BerenTebogo]

I am expecting to cut down on the partying lol so that's a consideration. Night life is always good though.

About staying close to home: I don't really have any preference. I have nothing tying me down but nothing pushing me away either. I have a consistent source of good sex but new sex is also good sex (that's about as far as my consideration for move vs. don't move goes in my head).

As for UMD...there's no PhD program, only a masters. Part of me considers staying so I can bend Saul Teukolsky over a table and fist him with Matlab, but I don't know. Overall it's a pretty low-tier school and I don't want to get too comfortable with that environment. There are definitely perks to staying but yeah...so much of me wants to just jump right onto the PhD track and start getting it over with.

Travel and stuff isn't an issue wherever I live as long as I can drive. I really am leaning away from being so deep in a city that I can't own a car in any place where the weather drops below 50. I grew up in the city, not a huge fan, hate being around so many people ALL the time.

In terms of GRE and stuff...to be honest I'm very nervous. I haven't put forth any serious time yet and I know how ridiculous they are. Not to mention that I'm opting out of some of the classes that will really help me on the GRE (solid state, nuclear, stat. thermo) in exchange for higher level astro classes and advanced math classes. Recommendations shouldn't be a problem at all but publishing might be. I have been told that I could generalize what I've already done for the black hole research and publish a small work on methods of eigenvalue decomposition for hyperbolic PDEs, but nothing serious yet...I'm very close but I've had next to zero time this semester to really apply myself to the problem. If I can push through at least in the reduced dimension I'm currently working in and finalize things I have a paper, sure, but reviewed and published before I graduate? I don't know about that.

I definitely plan to visit departments in person. My roommate and I are going to spend most of next summer doing a grand tour of schools on the west coast (he's going for applied math / finite element or RBM maybe) since a lot of our schools will overlap. The worst thing that could happen would be that I get stuck with an adviser who I clash with harshly. That'd just kill my motivation.

[Mizango]

See, that would be my concern as well, especially somewhere that is shit-far away. Been there with an adviser in the past and goddamn it saps any and all motivation you have going for yourself. I feel you on the city thing too lol

[Abandon]

I am expecting to cut down on the partying lol so that's a consideration. Night life is always good though.

About staying close to home: I don't really have any preference. I have nothing tying me down but nothing pushing me away either. I have a consistent source of good sex but new sex is also good sex (that's about as far as my consideration for move vs. don't move goes in my head).

As for UMD...there's no PhD program, only a masters. Part of me considers staying so I can bend Saul Teukolsky over a table and fist him with Matlab, but I don't know. Overall it's a pretty low-tier school and I don't want to get too comfortable with that environment. There are definitely perks to staying but yeah...so much of me wants to just jump right onto the PhD track and start getting it over with.

Travel and stuff isn't an issue wherever I live as long as I can drive. I really am leaning away from being so deep in a city that I can't own a car in any place where the weather drops below 50. I grew up in the city, not a huge fan, hate being around so many people ALL the time.

In terms of GRE and stuff...to be honest I'm very nervous. I haven't put forth any serious time yet and I know how ridiculous they are. Not to mention that I'm opting out of some of the classes that will really help me on the GRE (solid state, nuclear, stat. thermo) in exchange for higher level astro classes and advanced math classes. Recommendations shouldn't be a problem at all but publishing might be. I have been told that I could generalize what I've already done for the black hole research and publish a small work on methods of eigenvalue decomposition for hyperbolic PDEs, but nothing serious yet...I'm very close but I've had next to zero time this semester to really apply myself to the problem. If I can push through at least in the reduced dimension I'm currently working in and finalize things I have a paper, sure, but reviewed and published before I graduate? I don't know about that.

I definitely plan to visit departments in person. My roommate and I are going to spend most of next summer doing a grand tour of schools on the west coast (he's going for applied math / finite element or RBM maybe) since a lot of our schools will overlap. The worst thing that could happen would be that I get stuck with an adviser who I clash with harshly. That'd just kill my motivation.

holy shit, rofl