Theoretical disciplines receive less funding, therefore they cannot support as many students. var year="";    |    It is incredibly easy to get an undergrad research position if you want to do mathematical biology for example, or the more theoretical parts of any other science. Which PhD programs have the highest acceptance rates? So it's probably unrepresentative.

But if computational biology is quickly expanding, then doesn't it mean that more and more slots are being created for it? His reason: Poor PGRE.

Likewise, there might not be many (relatively speaking) students interested in astrophysics.

In my opinion I think pure math, econ, and certain humanities programs (i.e Philosophy) are the toughest for admissions, followed by CS and Physics, followed by other natural sciences, followed by softer sciences and interdisciplinary fields. Other factors like involvement and strength of undergrad program also matter.

I would say they have more in common with PhD programs than MD programs, but, you usually have to make it through interviews with both the MD and the graduate school wanting to have you at the school.

Here's an example of one I'm interviewing with in early Jan:

Also you posted on thegradcafe.com right? 3.5 GPAs aren't bad for physics if they're combined with research+excellent PGRE scores. But I also love theoretical biology and atmospheric sciences.

I am curious as to where you get your information on Computational Biology and other related fields being easy to get into... these fields are actually very hot right now and extremely fast growing. For example, in 2016 University of Michigan’s math doctoral program had a 17.2 percent acceptance rate, whereas its master’s program had a much higher 31.8 percent rate. The average GPA of admitted applicants was 4.13, the average ACT score was 34, and the average SAT score was 1540.Students who took the ACT, the 25th percentile score of successful applicants was 34, and the 75th percentile score was 35.For students who took the SAT, the 25th percentile score was 1500. Most of my research is in the astro department but maybe they're willing to take recommendations from people in other departments?

And do most of them require advanced GREs or not? 1-2 years of MD, then the PhD part, then finish up MD. Thus they can only support a few, top students.

In my opinion I think pure math, econ, and certain humanities programs (i.e Philosophy) are the toughest for admissions, followed by CS and Physics, followed by other natural sciences, followed by softer sciences and interdisciplinary fields.

Okay, good point about humanities. © Applying to UC Berkeley's Physics Graduate ProgramThe application deadline for Fall 2021 admission to the Berkeley Physics Ph.D. program is:December 15, 2020 at 8:59 PM (Pacific Standard Time)/11:59 PM (Eastern Standard Time)Your application should be complete -- meaning that all of your letters and supplemental materials should be uploaded -- by this deadline. The majority of our MS graduates have gone on to residency or clinical physics positions. To be admitted into the graduate program, a student must hold a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent from an accredited college or university. For some reason, all the "hardcore theory" guys all want to do pure math (or computer science or applied math), so this frees up the more theoretical parts of the sciences for the rest of us.

I've looked into cognitive science PhD programs, and the top ones are still amazingly hard to get into (based on what someone from reddit says). In addition, a professor in a theoretical area is only going to want to bother with students who demonstrate enormous capability, because otherwise they will be eat up the scarce funding and not contribute anything (whereas in more applied areas they can still do grunt work in the worst case). Note: Click on column header to sort. I am curious as to where you get your information on Computational Biology and other related fields being easy to get into... these fields are actually very hot right now and extremely fast growing. Plus, the school has an alumni network of more than 150,000 around the world. MIT Graduate Admissions Statement June 11, 2020. It's generally easier to get into a master's program than a PhD program, at MIT or at any other top science or engineering graduate program. I have a few advanced math bio courses and a senior-level synthetic biology course (and a grad lvl neurobiology course that I got a 3.7 in). Among our graduates who have gone on to residency over the past decade, ~2/3 have been MS students. Maybe biology programs are easier to get in for people at the 90th percentile of intelligence. This requirement is waived if the candidate attended a secondary school taught in English and should be noted as such in the Test Scores/Experience section. Sure, lots of people complain about the PGRE, but it's incredible how little they study for it. One of the original six courses offered when MIT was founded in 1865, MechE's faculty and students conduct research that pushes boundaries and provides creative solutions for the world's problems. *HST requires IELTS or TOEFL score reports for any candidate whose native language is not English. MIT’s acceptance rate in 2018 was 6.6%. But if you don't have much research, or don't have a solid bio/math/computer combination background, you might find admissions extremely competitive, even with a 4.0. [quote] Probably top 10-20 programs.Knowing students from Caltech, they woudl expect to get a PhD at the best of the best. That's a very hot field, with an accompanying demand for students since the funding levels tend to be high. For students applying to the class of 2023, out of 21,312 applicants, MIT admitted 1,410. Prospective Physics Graduate Students [ Updated on November 16, 2020 10:46 AM]. *The Master's Degree in Physics is available in special cases only (e.g., US military officers). Bottom line: your PhD experience, no matter where you go, is going to be primarily about you and your advisor.

PS: where's the biosciences chances site? Check the number of rejected stduents in physics and compare that to other science fields. Sure, lots of people complain about the PGRE, but it's incredible how little they study for it. Computational Biology and Bioinformatics programs are very competitive to get into as this field is in demand and and also the competition is fierce: you are competing against bio, comp sci, and math students for the spots in these programs. In recognition of the significant disruptions caused by Covid-19, specifically the challenges of finding a practical testing site and date, the MIT Physics Department is not accepting Physics GRE or General GRE scores for applications received by the December 15, 2020 deadline for the academic year starting in 2021. It's just that maybe the intelligence required for physics is at the 98th percentile rather than the 90th percentile. Note: Click on column header to sort.

E.g. I can assure you that kids get into top bioscience programs with 3.5 GPAs which would be mediocre in physics. Please complete the section for courses most relevant to this graduate program and the additional courses section. The selection of the Ph.D. students admitted to the Department of Physics is based on an individualized, holistic review of each application, including (but not limited to) the student's academic record, the letters of recommendation, the statement of purpose, past accomplishments, and talent for research in physics. Thus they can only support a few, top students.

I don't know, but most people seem horridly under-prepared for the Physics GRE simply because there are no reliable prep books available. Wow. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, MIT had an acceptance rate of 6.7%. )

Wait though, do SOME bioscience programs have higher average GPAs than others? physics-grad@mit.edu.. Reliable data, properly contextualized, can help people understand complex systems and make informed decisions.So, a few years ago, we began publishing our own admissions statistics which went beyond the stats already contributed to the MIT… Meanwhile, some top level physics and astrophysics departments DO have surprisingly high acceptance rates of over 25% (and these departments are the only ones where I can get reliable acceptance rates since a lot of them post them at gradschoolshopper.com).

Sure, a physics PhD might require more raw intelligence than a PhD in another program. The PhD and ScD degrees are awarded interchangeably by all departments in the School of Engineering and the School of Science except in the fields of biology, cognitive science, neuroscience, medical engineering, and medical physics. Too much is subjective. Let's take computational biology, as was discussed above. MIT's Department of Mechanical Engineering (MechE) offers a world-class education that combines thorough analysis with hands-on discovery. Some departments require a doctoral candidate to take a “minor” program outside of the principal field. They just convince themselves that their coursework is sufficient enough and put off studying.

Physics might be more "difficult" in terms of the % of students smart enough to do the thing.

It's true that humanities programs are more competitive (percentage-wise) than science, as the post you links points out. In addition, other graduate programs in the social sciences, humanities, management, architecture, and urban studies have gained significant prominence. Sort by: Acceptance Rate. (Also, fewer professors!) Maybe the guys with 3.3s had PHENOMENAL research.

And yes, people with 3.3s DO get into physics grad programs, and it's actually not uncommon. The time to receive a PhD (from the beginning of the first semester at JHU to filing of the thesis to JHU library after the defense) has been steadily declining. I need to recheck the applicant pools and admission result threads. Also the average GPA for bioscience students at a lot of top 10 programs is around 3.5,

Oh really? Some will find admissions "easy" while others will think it "nearly impossible," and it all depends on subtle, and sometimes not-so-subtle, aspects of the applicant's background. [quote] Okay, you have me convinced.

I've read thegradcafe results before - but it's sort of frustrating because you can't see the stats of the applicant (why do they do this when they don't even post their GPAs+GRE scores? Well the best of the best want the whole package-grades, test scores and research experience.

Yeah, he had lower than 60th percentile. It says that physics isn't a particularly popular field for people, so it isn't that competitive.

My impression is that astrophysics, physics, computational biology, and the computational/theoretical parts of many other sciences have the least competitive programs. A physics PhD>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Chemistry/Biology/Biochemistry

In difficulty. I spent the past summer in an NSF funded program for Computational Biology and it had a 4% acceptance rate.

Most of this reasoning is unconvincing. School … The Graduate School Old Chemistry Building, room 313 415 Chapel Drive, Box 90065 Durham, NC 27708. myyear= mydate.getFullYear(); Where is that? I can assure you that kids get into top bioscience programs with 3.5 GPAs which would be mediocre in physics.

I am not a physicist by the way- just pointing out what I have seen from general observation. Graduate students entering the Department have had a wide variety of major background preparation, varying from literature to physics. Total: 136 Results. It's possible that there might be a time lag between increase in supply and increase in demand - if increase in supply comes first, then these programs might be easier to get into - but it's the opposite if increase in demand comes first.

Where are the statistics? But there are still plenty of problems available in the textbooks, and solutions through the torrent sites. But that doesn't necessarily make it harder to get into, for someone who probably already has that intelligence.

A physics PhD>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Chemistry/Biology/Biochemistry

In difficulty.