Okay, so what I will do is reach out to the department more to see if they will offer letters. I will contact universities I am interested in to see about their Math programs. Then I will apply. This is going to be my process.
I was just wanting to look into good schools that have a strong curriculum and students of my caliber.
But what are those top ranked schools for academia professions.
When you reach out to the department, ask to meet to discuss your plans to pursue an advanced degree. Get advice from a math professor who knows you and can help you develop a plan to meet your career goals. They can help you identify programs to contact based on your specific interests.
I understand this. I was a math major and took real analysis, or at least I started to take it.
I mentioned applied math and various related subjects because of the fact that you said that you got a C+ in real analysis, which seems to imply that it was not your favorite math class. It was not my favorite math class either. Real Analysis played a role in convincing me that applied math was a better fit for me.
So my daughter is getting her masters and has lots of friends in grad school - both masters level and PhD programs. Generally speaking a masters is not necessary or expected for PhD programs. None of her friends in PhD programs got their masters first - they went on to their PhD programs straight from undergrad. Her friends in masters programs all plan to go straight to work in some sort of job after graduation.
When applying to PhD programs I feel like while grades are important, along with GRE scores, there is less obsession with “perfect” grades as there is when applying to undergrad. What schools want to see is that you are able to do the work in your PhD program and you are a good fit for the research and other work being done there.
If you know some math professors from your undergrad I highly recommend setting up some appointments with them and asking them some of the questions you have and getting their advice about the best path to take to reach your end goal. They will be more familiar with the specific field you are interested in.
Once you are in a doctoral program, the “ranking” doesn’t matter. What matters is who you are working with and what you are working on.
If you are asking “where is a high concentration of strong professors and students in math” my answer would be “lots and lots- what specifically are you interested in and what do your math professors say about you?”
It’s useless to decide that you want a PhD from Princeton if the type of math you want to do is highly concentrated at Rutgers or Rice.
Again, you need to educate yourself on how grad school works.
The daughter of a colleague studied theoretical math at a “highly rejective” /top 10 undergrad program. She is finishing a PhD at a university which barely cracks the top 50 on most lists. That’s how it works. The department chair at the U she’s in reached out to her during her junior year and said “We’d love to have you here”. Her field is narrow enough so that the 'best" people know each other, know who is doing what…
That’s why you need advice from faculty and advisors from YOUR university, even if you’ve already graduated. They know you. We don’t. And they can give you a reality check as well.
I had more than one required Real Analysis class for Apllied Math degree. It is absolutely fundamental class for Math majors… Math is based on proofs, even Applied Math. Think about it like Math without proofs like car without wheels…
A LOT longer. As one example, the a Math PhD at the University of Chicago takes 5.75 years on average.
More importantly, earning an MA/MS first will not necessarily shorten that 5-6 year doctoral length.
So I wanted to give an update. I did get professors agreeing to write letters of recommendation. However, here is the new matter.
Two North Carolina schools do not accept spring enrollment. So if anyone knows any Math programs that accept spring enrollment, please let me know. I really wanted a NC school. They are focused completely on academics there and not the other stuff.
If I did a smaller school like NC Central I would be concerned phD programs would frown on that.
There has to be some college that will take spring. If I am out of college for more than a year that’s not a good look.
What do you mean that if you are out of college for more than a year that’s not a good look?
Well many schools want LORs from the last two years. I may have to settle for UT Chatt or UNC Charlotte but I will do what I can to transfer. Those are two schools that accept spring.
Your posts are really confusing.
But are these two the only doctoral programs you applied to?
And what does this mean-“I really wanted a NC school. They are focused completely on academics there and not the other stuff.”
What other stuff? Grad students aren’t joining frats, going to keggers, spending Saturday’s tailgating at football games, having leisurely Sunday brunch in the dining hall, etc. You’ll live in an apartment, buy groceries and cook dinner, and WORK. Grad school is hard. You won’t have time for “the other stuff” so it won’t matter.
Again- I’m repeating myself- and what others have posted- you need to find the professors doing work in the field you are interested in. Those are the programs that represent your macro list. Then you can cut it down based on where your faculty advisor/dean/professor from undergrad (even though you’ve already graduated) thinks are realistic options for you. THEN you can cut it further based on weather, geography, other stuff.
But you are grinding your wheels by approaching this from a non-productive direction. What’s so special about NC?
What do you mean that schools want LOR from the last 2 years? Many students get letters from profs etc despite graduating more than 2 years ago.
There is some ageism in academia, and those 70-year-old professors were hired when they were 30. A tenure-track academic job is a long-term commitment for both employer and professor. Your institution wants someone who will be able to commit to the 6-7 years required to go up for tenure, and then to remain there as a tenured professor. I’m not saying that there aren’t talented newly minted Ph.D.s who are older (of cource there are), but a university will want to invest in someone who could be there for the long haul. So these unspoken biases will affect you if you eventually reach the job market.
A Ph.D. (including the MA/MSc, which usually takes 2 years) takes about 5-6 years. Math probably takes less than average, but you’re not getting anything done in 2 years.
This is not true. I took a 5 year gap between my BA and my Ph.D. program. It’s very common for people to do that.
NC is the only state where graduate programs are focused on academia? What is “the other stuff”? What graduate program is not focused on academics?
Most graduate programs prefer fall enrollment, though not all of them.
@gococks21 Where are you getting your information? Maybe it’s time to take a step back and make sure you are making an informed decision.
Have you met with any professors to discuss your goals and asked their opinions on how best to achieve them? Asked for suggestions on steps and timelines?
I don’t want to sound harsh, but it doesn’t seem you have a realistic plan at this point. I hope it all works out for you.
They may accept spring- but are there faculty members there that work in the areas you are interested in? Grad school isn’t for generalists… it’s to do a deep dive in a particular subject. And transferring is not a thing. Once you are accepted into a doctoral program, unless your advisor/mentor leaves and encourages you to go with him/her, the expectation is that you’ll stay until you complete and defend your dissertation. Your funding is based on you starting and finishing. Your teaching/research responsibilities are based on you starting and finishing. There isn’t an exit door- unless you’ve decided to leave academia entirely (which of course happens-- all those ABD’s out there. But that reflects people who did not know what they were getting in to when they decided on grad school- which all of us are trying to help you avoid.
Why would you go to the trouble of getting in to grad school with the expectation of transferring???
Why? There are plenty of people who graduate from undergrad and do something and later decide to apply to grad school. They are out of college for more than one year.
I was out of college for over two years before I returned to get my masters. I was working full time and in my field (before a masters was required) but I decided to get my masters after the two years of working.