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I applied to PhD programs in mathematics last year and unfortunately wasn't accepted to any of the schools I applied to (miserable). I was looking for advice in what I can do before December to help push my application forward, and advice can hopefully help others in a similar situation.

Background: I graduated from Rutgers in 2014 with 2 degrees after 3 years, Mathematics and Computer Science. I did research in Graph theory while a student but ended with a GPA around 3.3. In the years between my masters and undergraduate I worked as a software engineer with work in machine learning, apps featured by apple, and some other successes. I finished my Masters at NYU in May 2020, with a thesis in computational algebraic geometry with new results under a very well known professor. One of my other recommenders is very famous too. I taught precalc / numerical analysis recitations while I was there. Ending around a 3.7 for my Masters. I was looking for a program in number theory but after the rejections I'm thinking of changing course to topology where I have several graduate courses and grades reflecting a good understanding (what is life other than failure + corrections :) ).

Now: Disheartened by the result, I've been working at the startup I was at before I went to my Masters. I feel incredibly lost as to what I can do now to help push my application further than I did last year... If anyone has advice that could lend itself to an improvement here in what can be accomplished in the next 6 months I would really appreciate it.

Cheers and good luck to everyone else who is applying for Fall 2022. Thanks!

user12417631
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    Have you tried publishing your thesis results from May 2020 in a peer-reviewed journal? Would this "well-known professor" who supervised your work be willing to help you with that publication? Instead of working back at a startup, is there any short-term research internships in a field you are interested in your level (that pay sufficiently to... live)? – penelope Jun 30 '21 at 13:54
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    This will get closed. Who has reviewed your statement of purpose? If you can get feedback on that from faculty, you will likely improve it. – Dawn Jun 30 '21 at 14:46
  • @Dawn, yes I agree about SoP. It can be very important. – Buffy Jun 30 '21 at 20:59

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While your GPA is a bit low (if based on math courses), your overall profile, including letters (provided they are very supportive) seems fine. Having famous recommenders is helpful only if they honesty predict your future success. It is what they say, as much as their own reputation that matters. "Jane/John did well in my class" is never enough, no matter the recommender.

But, I think you should look at how widely you cast your net for a program. If you only applied to schools >= (Rutgers, NYU), then your net is too narrow. Widen it, just as undergraduate applicants do so that you more options and more possibilities. I don't suggest you apply to "bad" schools, but all of the R1 universities and even many of the R2s are very good, and better in some fields than their overall ranking might imply.

You might need to consider moving to a different region, but there are good schools pretty much everywhere in the US (and beyond).

Buffy
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  • I am wondering what is meant by a "bad" school. Are there any such (Ph.D. granting) mathematics departments in the US among R1/R2 institutions? How would one recognize them? –  Jul 04 '21 at 18:08
  • Sorry, no. And I suggest you delete the above comment for security sake. – Buffy Jul 09 '21 at 12:45