How much does research help?

Chance Me / Match Me
1

<p>I’m applying for yale princeton Harvard MIT but have no “safeties” at this stage because i have an offer from my own uni (I’ll do a masters and then try again if I don’t get accepted)</p>

<p>I’m applying to do a physics phd and here are my stats</p>

<p>Gpa 6.02 out of 7
GRE general test 550 verbal, 750 quantitative (I had trouble timing myself in both sections and ran out of time, I didn’t do the last three questions in each section)
Subject test - could not register in time (I have a sob story, basically the admission process has been painful in australia)</p>

<p>so not so flash so far but I have a few strings in my bow, I have</p>

<ul>
<li>done enough original work for 3 papers (all my letters of recommendation would say that)</li>
<li>accepted in undergrad to present at the australian institute of physics</li>
<li>edited a textbook on quantum information theory</li>
<li>done numerous research projects from 1st year</li>
<li>my degree was “bachelor of science with advanced studies”</li>
<li>given talks at group meetings</li>
<li>been a teaching assistant for a first year computing subject</li>
<li>done about 700 hours volunteer work a year including youth counseling and prison work (I had no idea this counted for anything)</li>
<li>travelled australia for a year in a professional music group as the lead guitarist</li>
<li>done various other little extra curricular activities such as latin dancing</li>
</ul>

<p>Would this make up for not doing a subject test and not doing fantastic in other areas?</p>

2

<p>Oh I forgot to mention that my application to harvard was late too so that would be another thing against me</p>

3

<p>is this like a really hard question or something? I have noticed that most people here are applying for undergrad although gives advice for grad school too. No one care to give it a crack, even if a vague one?</p>

4

<p>As you yourself pointed out in other threads, your chances are very weak, but they’re not negligible.</p>

5

<p>PhD programs care much, much more about research accomplishments than they do about GRE scores.</p>

<p>I don’t generally comment on chances threads, but your research experience should be perfectly adequate to give you a shot at those schools. International admissions is often pretty competitive, though, so it’s difficult to say.</p>

6

<p>Yeah if I don’t get in I’ll publish like crazy for a year at the uni I’m at, get a masters and then apply again to that school plus some safeties. </p>

<br>

<br>

7

<p>I did my undergrad at MIT and am now a graduate student in cell biology at Harvard.</p>

<p>You do have a good shot, but I can’t tell you what your percentage odds are or anything. Science admissions are difficult to predict because they’re based so much on qualitative factors like research and recommendations.</p>

<p>There are a few internet sites which list notification dates from last year by program. You could try googling those sites and seeing what dates the programs to which you applied notified applicants last year.</p>

8

<p>cheers for the optimism molliebatmit. Well if I do get into harvard I could definately use a friend at harvard since I literally know no one in the states (I’m a true blue aussie although I met a harvard professor at the AIP conference I presented at but it would be nice to know someone my age). Could you be so kind as to privately message me your email?</p>