8elaLed ulsclpllnes eLer !. Colllngs Morrls L. CloLhler rofessor of hyslcs SwarLhmore College !acob !. krlch osLdocLoral lellow Parvard unlverslLy 2/13 Assumpuons ! ?ou !"#$ &$'(&$& )* "++,- Lo graduaLe school ln physlcs or a relaLed dlsclpllne. ! ?our undergraduaLe ma[or ls physlcs. ! ?ou undersLand LhaL Lhrough a Leachlng/research asslsLanLshlp and Luluon/fee walvers -*. /(,, 0*) !"#$ )* +"- for your graduaLe educauon. ! ?ou Lhlnk LhaL )!$ 1*2) 1-2)$3(*.2 +"3)2 of Lhe process are o Selecung Lhe schools Lo apply Lo, and o Chooslng Lhe school Lo auend. 3/13 Chooslng Lhe CraduaLe Schools Lo Apply Lo 4/13 WhaL Lo Look lor ln a CraduaLe rogram ! SLrengLh ln a parucular area (some unlverslues wlLh less name recognluon have Lop programs ln speclc areas) ! SLrengLh across Lhe dlsclpllne of physlcs and ln relaLed deparLmenLs ! Access Lo speclallzed faclllues (Lelescopes, acceleraLors, nauonal laboraLorles) ! SLrucLure of Lhe program (course work, quallfylng exam, Leachlng obllgauons, lengLh of ume Lo degree, Lhesls defense procedures) ! Ceographlcal locauon and unlverslLy semng 5/13 SelecuvlLy of CraduaLe rograms ! AspecLs of SelecuvlLy: 4&1(22(*02 '3()$3(" (quallLy of your undergraduaLe preparauon, leuers of recommendauon, all C8L scores, research experlence) 5!"0'$ *6 7$(08 "&1(9$& (percenL admlued, C8L scores of admlued sLudenLs, success of prlor appllcanLs from your school, conLacLs wlLh faculLy aL Lhe graduaLe school) ! Ceneral Advlce: ?ou should apply Lo schools LhaL represenL varlous levels of selecuvlLy, !"#", where your chances of belng admlued range from excellenL Lo falr. 6/13 CaLher lnformauon ! Check deparLmenL and faculLy webslLes ! Al book: $%&'(&)# +%,-%&./ !0 +12/!3/4 5/)%,0,.24 &0' 6#7&)#' 8!#7'/ ! CradSchoolShopper.com ! Lmall deparLmenLs and currenL/pasL graduaLe sLudenLs ! 1alk Lo physlcs professors aL your undergraduaLe lnsuLuuon ! vlslL some graduaLe schools 7/13 Chooslng Lhe CraduaLe School Lo Auend 8/13 SLudy Lach Cer of Admlsslon ! AmounL of Leachlng and/or research obllgauon ! ArrangemenL for chooslng your Lhesls advlsor (some programs oer more exlblllLy Lhan oLhers) ! osslblllLy of supporL Lo perform research Lhe summer followlng your rsL year ! osslblllLy of deferrlng admlsslon for a year ! osslblllLy of performlng research Lhe summer before you enroll 9/13 rogram 1haL 8esL MeeLs ?our needs ! Cverall sLrengLh and sLrengLhs ln speclc areas ! SLrucLure of Lhe program (course work, research, supporL mechanlsms, lengLh of ume Lo degree, hu graduauon percenLage, speclallzed faclllues) ! Ceographlcal locauon, unlverslLy semng, opporLunlues for your slgnlcanL oLher ! lnLanglbles (graduaLe sLudenL communlLy, cllmaLe for women and mlnorlues, faculLy-sLudenL relauonshlps) 10/13 vlslL MosL romlslng Schools ! ueparLmenLs wlll usually help pay for a vlslL ! vlslL on Lhe deparLmenL's vlslL day. lf you vlslL aL anoLher ume, make arrangemenLs Lo see people ahead of ume. ! 1alk Lo professors and graduaLe sLudenLs ln your areas of lnLeresL ! SLay overnlghL and nd ouL: :).&$0) 2";26"';*0 wlLh course oerlngs, classroom lnsLrucuon, and Lhesls experlence <3"'= 3$'*3& for placlng sLudenLs aer Lhey recelve Lhelr hu Ceneral level of !"++(0$22 of sLudenLs and faculLy 11/13 Maklng Lhe llnal ueclslon ! uon'L puL much emphasls on Lhe nanclal oer (Lhey Lend Lo be slmllar and ln accordance wlLh Lhe cosL of llvlng) ! Avold allowlng name recognluon Lo lnuence your declslon Loo much ! ueLermlne how well Lhe avallable research envlronmenL maLches whaL you are lnLeresLed ln and exclLed abouL ! 1hlnk serlously abouL your career goals and concenLraLe on how well your long-Lerm needs wlll be saused ! uon'L sLress ouL abouL Lwo close cholces - elLher wlll be ne 12/13 8esources 13/13 8ead, Surf, 1alk ! Al book: $%&'(&)# +%,-%&./ !0 +12/!3/4 5/)%,0,.24 &0' 6#7&)#' 8!#7'/ (senL Lo all undergraduaLe deparLmenLs) ! CradSchoolShopper.com ! AA1 provldes a good resource for applylng Lo and chooslng a graduaLe school. +7&00!0- 9,% $%&'(&)# :)('!#/: hup://www.aapL.org/8esources/sLudenLs.cfm ! ?our undergraduaLe professors (Lalk Lo Lhem!) ! 1hls weblnar avallable aL: hup://www.aps.org/careers/ guldance/weblnars/gradschool.cfm