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I am about eight months away from completing a Bachelor's degree in Mathematics. I am what you would call a "non-traditional" student - I am an adult who decided to change careers and I'm pursuing my current degree online (read: I work for a living at the moment and have adult responsibilities). My school, despite having a physical campus, has zero support in the realm of undergraduate research or mentorship (this is no program for any student looking to do research). I've tried connecting with a number of my instructors, but as the program is exclusively online, it seems that they are not particularly interested in helping.

I hope to attend graduate school where I would also study Mathematics. It doesn't necessarily have to be a Ph.D. program, though I know that some schools do not offer Masters's degrees - I would opt for on-campus learning in either case. Since I have no support, I have no idea how to prepare for the application process nor do I have any primer for how to jump into the world of mathematical research. I have a superlative GPA and have aced all of my math classes, but this seems trivial when reading about how difficult it is to get into a graduate math program. I recently applied for a short-term research program for undergraduates (outside of my school), for which I was soundly rejected (I can only assume the many things about my background that seemed inadequate). I've tried perusing papers to get a sense of the research landscape, but all of it seems well beyond my abilities to dissect on my own. I'm in a really low place and it seems that things are quite hopeless. Does anyone here have any insight that might point me in the right direction?

Rutva Babaria
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Drew Dias
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  • You should begin by finding researchers at a university that fit your particular interest and reach out to them to express interest in pursuing graduate school with them as a supervisor. However, some of this depends on your ability to move because of your situation - can you move quite freely? – GrayLiterature Jun 19 '20 at 14:20
  • If you know that you want to go to graduate school, learning about the application process would be the next step. If you're not sure about graduate school, it could be helpful to ask current math graduate students about their experiences. You may consider reaching out to graduate students at a nearby university to ask questions. – Stephen McKean Jun 19 '20 at 15:50
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    If there aren't any nearby universities with graduate programs, you can also connect with graduate students online. For example, I'm organizing an online math mentoring program for Fall 2020 (https://sites.google.com/view/twoples), where undergrads are paired with grad students to work on a reading project for the semester. This is based on the Directed Reading Program that is run at many universities. – Stephen McKean Jun 19 '20 at 15:52
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    This is a pretty common question - you're not alone. See for instance https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/8026/how-can-i-enter-into-the-mathematics-field-at-the-graduate-level-when-i-only-too/8030#8030 and the other questions that appear in its "Linked" sidebar. – Nate Eldredge Jun 19 '20 at 16:30
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    You might like to look into postbac programs. These are intended for just this situation - you've finished a bachelor's degree but without sufficient coursework / research experience / faculty relationships to be ready to apply to a PhD program. They typically last one year. – Nate Eldredge Jun 19 '20 at 16:32
  • Another comment is that you may want to narrow down what kind of program interests you. In particular, you seem to be indifferent between PhD and masters programs, but they offer very different experiences and preparation, and moreover there is wide variance within masters programs (aimed at research, teaching, industry, applied math, etc). If you can focus your goals more precisely, people can give you better advice about them. – Nate Eldredge Jun 19 '20 at 16:34
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    @GrayLiterature Yes, I am very open and able to move. It's a very interesting suggestion that you bring up. I think I had the impression that I should only be contacting institutions once you are 100% set in your research path (with research/publications already under your belt). It sounds like you're saying that there may be some schools that are willing to work with people who seem driven/bright enough to add something to their program. Is that a fair assessment? – Drew Dias Jun 19 '20 at 19:06
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    @DrewDias The expectation of having already been published prior to applying to graduate school is a bit outlandish, but perhaps not so much if you were applying to Ivy league and were exposed to research very early on. What I am saying is that you want to try and connect with professors prior and then apply to the program. The reason being is that you could apply to a math program, get in, and then realize they do not have any research areas that suit your interest. – GrayLiterature Jun 19 '20 at 19:08
  • I just read this and was very moved and wished I had read it at the time you posted it. I would have offered for you to work with me on some things. Perhaps the community should find some ways to think about a virtual undergraduate research program for non-traditional students... – cheyne Oct 20 '22 at 01:42

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