1. GRADUATE SCHOOL INFORMATIONAL MEETING Jonathan Feng Undergraduate Advising Committee Department of Physics and Astronomy UC Irvine Friday, 1:00 – 2:30 pm 27 April 2007 Natural Sciences II 1201

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

3. WHO IS HERE Professor Jonathan Feng – professional track advisor Professor David Kirkby – Chair, UCI Graduate Admissions Committee Professor Virginia Trimble – NSF Graduate Fellowships selection committee, physics GRE exam writer Professors Manoj Kaplinghat, Peter Taborek – astro/applied track advisors Kirsten Lodgard, Monica Ugwu, Jaycee Chu – undergraduate and graduate student affairs officers Michael Blume, Melissa Tong, James Wenner – graduating seniors going to grad school

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

5. Timeline Research –Sophomore, junior, senior years Professional track advising: 7-8 May 07 GRE –General: any time –Physics subject: April 07, Nov 07, Dec 07 NSF Graduate Fellowship deadline: Nov 07 Application deadlines: Dec 07 – Jan 08 Acceptances: Feb 08 – Apr 08 Prospective visits: Mar 08 – Apr 08 Decision deadline: 15 Apr 08 Enter grad school: Fall 08

6. Components of the Application Transcripts (up to Fall 07) GRE Scores Recommendation Letters [Research] Essays [Research]

7. Physics GRE Importance – uniform, quantitative Weird format –100 Multiple Choice questions –170 minutes Stresses ability to work quickly –dimensional analysis –limits –order-of-magnitude estimates 86, 92, and 96 exams available here, 01 exam available on-line

8. GRE Topics and Weighting

9. Recommendation Letters Almost always 3 Recommenders are asked to –place applicants in top 1% / 5% / 10% / 25% for intellectual merit, creativity, perseverence, … –write paragraph(s) about the applicant Best if based on personal knowledge –Not impressive: “Jane Doe got an A in my course” –Impressive: high praise from research mentor

10. Essays Demonstrate excellence, commitment –Not impressive: “I’ve wanted to study physics since I was a young child” –Impressive: significant knowledge beyond courses Discuss some physics topic intelligently; doesn’t have to be your eventual field Research experience is vital Suggestions –Present facts about your research experience – don’t assume its covered by recommendation letters –Ask faculty members to read your essays –Mention relevant faculty whom you might work with

11. Research Importance –No better way to decide if grad school is right for you –Learn how research is done, any subfield will do –Helps inform choice of subfield –Counts twice in application (letters, essays) UROP: Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program –At UCI, $3000 for summer (SURF), $1000 for school year REU: Research Experience for Undergraduates –Summer research positions at many universities –Competitive – typically must have previous research experience Also possibilities at National Labs

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

13. Where to Apply Rankings –Useful 1 st step, but… –Usually out-of-date –Enormous variations by subfield Talk to UCI faculty in your field(s) of interest Select a range in –Selectivity –Geography Gradschoolshopper.com –Physics and related fields 1995