nyu physics phd acceptance rate

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• Physics (Non-Degree)
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Ph.D. in Physics

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M.S. & Ph.D. Programs

• December 30 : Fall admission
• Ph.D.-J.D. applicants must submit  two separate applications  — one to GSAS, and another to NYU Law. Please consult  NYU Law Admissions  for the J.D. application deadline.

Requirements

In addition to the general application requirements, the department specifically requires:

Test Scores

• GRE general test optional. We will consider GRE test scores if they are submitted. Scoring well on the GRE may strengthen your application, especially if you perceive that you have weaknesses in your prior academic record. Not taking the GRE will not adversely affect your application and we will make no assumptions about why you did not take the test. 

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Applicants must submit official TOEFL or IELTS scores unless they:

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In a concisely written statement, please describe your past and present work as it relates to your intended field of study, your educational objectives, and your career goals. In addition, please include your intellectual and professional reasons for choosing your field of study and why your studies/research can best be done at the Graduate School of Arts and Science at NYU. The statement should not exceed two double-spaced pages.

Writing Sample

Writing sample not required.

Special Instructions

The Ph.D. program in Physics offers the opportunity to conduct research in New York , or at NYU Abu Dhabi or NYU Shanghai . Applicants who are interested in opportunities at Abu Dhabi or Shanghai should indicate their interest in the campus section of the application.

Non-degree applicants to Physics who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, or applicants who hold a current H1-B visa, must use the online application to apply. Other non-degree applicants must follow special instructions. Refer to  Application Policies  for more information. As part of the application, all applicants must provide a final and official academic transcript showing proof that the bachelor’s degree or equivalent was conferred, including all courses with grades received. The statement of purpose should explain why you want to attend the program as a non-degree student and describe the courses that you plan to take, including directed reading and research courses. The GRE, TOEFL, letters of recommendation, and résumé are optional (please leave items blank on the application if you do not provide).

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The Graduate School of Arts and Science reserves the right to change this information at any time. This page supersedes all previous versions.

Last updated August 2023.

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Physics (MS)

Program description.

Physicists come in many forms. Some love tinkering and may be natural experimentalists, some are drawn to elegant theories, some delight in writing computer codes, some have a special talent for communicating science to others, etc. And physicists do many different things in their lives, from public education, to academic research, to industry and tech, to public service and beyond. The goal of the NYU Graduate Program in Physics is to provide outstanding training to a student body which reflects the diversity of backgrounds, talents and skills of the next generation of aspiring physicists, astrophysicists and biophysicists. We want every member of the Department to flourish and find their own path. Our graduate admissions process aims to bring in a capable and committed group of students who are well-positioned to benefit from the training we can provide. No single metric gives a valid and accurate gauge for every person. To that end, admissions decisions are based on the full scope of information in the application dockets, and any individual component is considered in relation to its relevance for the student’s aims.

The Department of Physics offers courses leading to the degrees of Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy. There are opportunities for study and research in both experimental and theoretical physics. Areas of specialization include astrophysics and cosmology, atomic and molecular physics, condensed matter physics, elementary particle physics, quantum field theory and string theory, quantum optics, and statistical physics. Through ongoing faculty recruitment efforts the department continues to develop existing active research efforts and expand into new areas. The Ph.D. program is aimed at enabling a student to prepare for and carry out research in physics at the frontier of knowledge. The department encourages entry into doctoral research under the supervision of a faculty member as soon as one has attained sufficient mastery of the fundamental principles and techniques of physics. Depth and breadth within the larger context of contemporary physics are promoted by a flexible set of course requirements.

Applications for admission to the Masters and Doctoral programs in Physics should be submitted to the  Graduate School of Arts and Science . We encourage all applicants to review our  Frequently Asked Questions  page for answers to the most commonly asked questions, including how to qualify for an application fee  waiver .

All applicants to the Graduate School of Arts and Science (GSAS) are required to submit the  general application requirements , which include:

• Academic Transcripts
• Test Scores  (if required)
• Applicant Statements
• Résumé or Curriculum Vitae
• Letters of Recommendation , and
• A non-refundable  application fee .

See Physics for admission requirements and instructions specific to this program.

Program Requirements

Option a: report, option b: thesis, option c: examination.

Note: MS candidates are permitted to take at most two courses outside the department, with permission of the Director of Graduate Studies.

Degree Options

In addition to the above course requirements, MS candidates complete their degree requirements via one of three options:

This degree option requires the completion of 36 credits. The report is essentially a comprehensive review article based on the literature in a specialized field of physics, prepared under the supervision of a faculty adviser. In addition to submitting the report, students choosing this option must receive credit for nine regular courses (one-semester, 4-credit courses, not including reading and research).

This degree option requires the completion of 32 credits. The thesis is based on physics research (experimental or theoretical) supervised by a faculty adviser, at a level of originality and comprehensiveness less than that of PhD research. In addition to the standard course requirements, the student is expected to enroll in one semester (4 credits) of a research course, PHYS-GA 2091 Experimental Physics Rsc , PHYS-GA 2095 Research Reading .

This degree option requires the completion of 32 credits. In addition to receiving credit for eight regular courses (one-semester, 4-credit courses, not including reading and research), a student choosing this option must pass the core courses with an average grade of B or better. For each course, the student has the option of:

• enrolling in the course;
• taking the midterm and final examination of the course if the student is not enrolled; or
• taking the relevant preliminary examination given just before the start of the fall or spring terms.

Sample Plan of Study

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will have:

• Mastery of fundamental technical and mathematical knowledge of foundational areas of Physics. This includes mastering of Classical Electromagnetism, Statistical Mechanics, Classical and Quantum Mechanics, as well as being fluent in the use of numerical techniques applied to solutions of physical problems. 
• The ability to perform supervised research on an assigned research topic, either in an experimental setting or in a theoretical setting.
• The ability to conduct autonomous, unsupervised research on original material, either independently or collaboratively.
• A full grasp of the relevance and position of the student’s research within its area of specialization.

NYU Policies

Graduate school of arts and science policies.

University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages .

Academic Policies for the Graduate School of Arts and Science can be found on the Academic Policies page . 

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NYU Graduate School Acceptance Rates: A Detailed Look

Gaining admission into any graduate program at New York University is highly competitive. As one of the world‘s premier research universities located in the heart of NYC, NYU attracts over 80,000 applicants each year across its 20 graduate schools and colleges.

With some programs accepting fewer than 10% of applicants, it‘s important to understand the unique admissions landscape across NYU‘s graduate offerings. In this comprehensive 2000+ word guide, we‘ll analyze acceptance rates for all major graduate programs so you can gauge your chances of getting into your dream school at NYU.

Breaking Down Acceptance Rates by NYU Graduate Program

NYU encompasses a diverse range of graduate programs, from architecture to nursing to data science and beyond. Let‘s examine acceptance rates and competitiveness across some of NYU‘s most sought-after graduate schools.

Stern School of Business

As one of the top business schools in the US, the NYU Stern School of Business receives nearly 10,000 applications annually for its full-time MBA alone. With a class size of around 425, the current acceptance rate is just 28%.

Over the past five years, the acceptance rate has fluctuated between 24-31%, making it one of NYU‘s most competitive graduate programs. Beyond seeking candidates with high GMAT scores (average last year was 728!), NYU Stern also assesses qualitative factors like leadership experience, community impact, and career goals when making admissions decisions.

School of Law

NYU School of Law is world renowned, especially for its strength in public interest law. For the 2021 entering class, the school received over 8,000 applications for just 350 spots in its Juris Doctor degree program, resulting in a highly competitive acceptance rate of 11%.

Over the past several years, acceptance rates have ranged from 11-25%, with an average around 15%. Applicants who demonstrate "big picture" thinking on societal issues tend to have an advantage. NYU Law also offers early decision and highly values candidates committed to public service.

Grossman School of Medicine

With its innovative curriculum integrating basic science, research, and clinical experience, the NYU Grossman School of Medicine attracts thousands of aspiring physicians each year. For 2021 entry, the school received over 10,000 applications for just 102 spots, yielding an acceptance rate of 1.2% – one of the lowest across all NYU graduate programs.

Over the past five years, acceptance rates have ranged from 1.2-1.8%, with an average around 1.5%. Gaining admission requires stellar MCAT scores (average last year was 522) along with demonstrated compassion, leadership skills, and commitment to medicine.

Tisch School of the Arts

As one of the country‘s preeminent arts schools, the Tisch School of the Arts at NYU receives applications from talented performers and creatives worldwide. For its Film and Television graduate program, the school‘s latest acceptance rate was around 9%.

Across all Tisch graduate programs, acceptance rates typically range from 8-12% on average, making admission highly selective. Tisch looks for candidates who can demonstrate unique artistic talents through auditions, reels, portfolios, and more. Experience, skills, and passion all factor into admission decisions.

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences

Encompassing programs across the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, the NYU Graduate School of Arts and Sciences offers diverse degree options like English literature, economics, biomedicine, and more. Recently, acceptance rates have ranged from 15-30% depending on the specific program.

For example, highly selective programs like Ph.D. History admitted just 15% of applicants in 2022, while masters programs like Applied Statistics admitted around 30% on average. Across the school, admissions committees look at factors like test scores, research experience, publications, and recommendations when evaluating applicants.

As demonstrated above, acceptance rates can vary widely even within the same graduate school depending on the size and competitiveness of individual programs. But which NYU graduate schools tend to have higher acceptance rates overall?

NYU Graduate Schools with Highest Acceptance Rates

While NYU‘s graduate programs are all highly competitive, a few schools stand out for having relatively higher acceptance rates overall:

Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development

With its student-centered approach and pioneering programs in areas like educational theatre, music therapy, and teaching, the Steinhardt School attracts passionate candidates focused on careers in education, health, and the arts.

Across Steinhardt‘s masters and doctoral programs, average acceptance rates range from 30-60%. For example, the Masters of Science in Communicative Sciences and Disorders program admitted 42% of applicants in 2022. Steinhardt‘s Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions also has higher acceptance rates around 50% on average.

Having taught current and future educators for over 130 years, Steinhardt faculty are skilled at identifying candidates that will excel professionally and contribute to the school‘s inclusive, innovative community.

Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service

Dedicated to advancing leadership and innovation in public service, the Wagner School offers globally-focused masters programs in public policy, health policy, urban planning, and more.

Acceptance rates across Wagner‘s programs average around 30% , higher than many other NYU graduate schools. In 2022, Wagner‘s Urban Planning program admitted 38% of applicants, while its MPA in Public and Nonprofit Management and Policy admitted 28%.

With small class sizes and close mentorship, Wagner provides a supportive environment for applicants passionate about driving social change through public service careers. Admissions committees assess both academic preparedness and commitment to improving communities.

School of Professional Studies

As NYU‘s home for professional education, the School of Professional Studies offers flexible graduate degree and certificate programs tailored to working adults across fields like HR, project management, and applied data science.

Acceptance rates for these programs tend to be around 40% on average , due to the school‘s practice-oriented approach. For example, in 2022 the MS in Project Management program admitted 45% of qualified applicants.

With online and blended formats, the School of Professional Studies aims to accommodate diverse learning needs. Admissions decisions strongly weigh professional experience and career goals in addition to test scores and past academic performance.

While these graduate schools have higher acceptance rates comparatively, it‘s important to emphasize that admission into any NYU graduate program remains highly competitive, and applications are evaluated holistically.

Tips for Getting Accepted to NYU Graduate Programs

So how can you maximize your chances of getting into your dream program at NYU? Here are my top expert tips:

Align with the program‘s values: Take time to understand each program‘s mission and priorities. Tailor your application to show how your goals and experiences directly support these values.

Conduct informational interviews: Speaking with current students, alumni, and school representatives provides valuable insights to inform your application.

Highlight unique experiences : NYU looks for diversity in perspective and background. Showcase what makes you stand out as an applicant.

Obtain strong recommendations: Ask writers who know you well professionally or academically and give them plenty of lead time.

Communicate why NYU: Articulate specifically why you‘re pursuing this program at this school versus alternatives.

Ace standardized tests: Study rigorously and give yourself multiple attempts to achieve high GRE/GMAT scores.

Start early and edit carefully: Begin drafting your personal statements months in advance and ensure no typos/errors.

Remember there are no shortcuts to getting into a prestigious program like NYU. With strategic planning, passion, and perseverance, you can submit the strongest possible application.

The Takeaway on NYU Graduate School Acceptance Rates

While gaining admission into NYU graduate programs is highly competitive across the board, acceptance rates vary widely depending on factors like program size, reputation, focus area, and applicant pools.

Programs in high-demand fields like business, law, and medicine tend to have the lowest acceptance rates, in the 10-15% range. Master‘s programs in less competitive fields like education, music, and project management offer improved odds, with average acceptance rates around 30-50%.

However, it is important to emphasize that for all programs, admissions committees take a holistic approach. Simply meeting the minimum GPA or test score cutoffs does not guarantee entry. Stand out by demonstrating your unique talents, experiences, and purpose.

With its unmatched faculty, innovative curricula, and New York City location, NYU offers an educational experience like no other. By selecting the right graduate program, positioning yourself competitively, and crafting an authentic, memorable application, you can realize your dreams of attending this world-class institution.

A dedicated father and former high school English teacher, Chris's journey into education advocacy is both personal and profound. His passion for equitable education sparked not in the classroom, but at home, as he navigated the challenges and triumphs of raising his children within the public education system.

After receiving his Master's in Education, Chris embarked on a teaching career, enriching young minds with literature and critical thinking skills. However, it was his transition to full-time parenthood that brought a new dimension to his understanding of education. He witnessed firsthand the effects of underfunding and standardized test pressures on schools and students alike.

Motivated by these experiences, Chris took his advocacy to the digital world. His blog, born from a blend of professional insight and parental concern, delves into the nuances of educational policy, resource allocation, and the need for a balanced approach to student assessment. Chris's unique perspective as both educator and parent offers a compelling call to action for quality, accessible public education.

Chris, residing with his family in [City, State], continues to be a beacon for educational reform, inspiring others through his writings and community involvement.

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Is admission standard for math PhD significantly higher than that for physics PhD?

I'm a student at a small LAC, and I'm considering to apply to both math and physics PhD programs. In my school, which is top 15 but do not have large (20 students in each dep.) or well-known departments for either of these fields, students did significantly better on physics PhD admission than on math PhD admission. For math, many students go instead to master's, and only one or two students can make top 40~70 PhD program per year. For physics, some students went to Caltech, Columbia, UCSB, and other high ranked programs in the last year, which was just as usual. A similar phenomena seem to happen not only in my school. Mathgre.com and Physicsgre.com list applicant profiles and admission results for each PhD program, and they show a similar tendency. For example, students accepted to top pure math PhD programs are exclusively those who got nearly 4.0 GPA, took many grad-level courses, had a significant amount of research experience and come from an undergrad institution with a renowned PhD program. On the other hand, students accepted to top physics PhD programs have more diversity in GPA, their undergrad institution, number of grad-level courses taken and amount of research experience.

What causes this difference? Or is my view wrong? If this difference actually exists, I think the following factors are among the causes:

• Physics PhDs are funded more, and therefore more students can be afforded.
• Physics PhDs have both theoretical and applied subdivisions, while many applied math programs exist as master's programs.
• Math PhDs demand its applicants to take a significant number of grad-level courses, while physics ones don't.

Also, how about the situation when it comes to pure math vs. hep-th in the U.S.?

• mathematics

• 7 Is your first sentence saying that your university 1) is a small liberal arts college, 2) is one of the top 15 universities in the country, and 3) does not have a strong mathematics or physics department? I don't think all three of these can be true simultaneously. –  Tom Church Commented Sep 23, 2015 at 2:46
• 3 I mean it's one of the top 15 LACs in the country, so it's not an university, and the ranking excludes universities. Although it has strong departments in other natural science topics, our math and physics deps are not the ones. 2) and 3) can be simultaneously true only when 1) is also satisfied. –  Math.StackExchange Commented Sep 23, 2015 at 2:51
• 15 I'm a physicist. I'm just speculating, but it seems likely to me that a physics grad student is seen as valuable cheap labor in an experimental research group, whereas a grad student is a burden in both math and theoretical physics. In an area like high-energy particle physics, a grad student is a cog in the wheel. No originality or independence of thought is required. If you're willing to pull cables and debug software, you're an asset. –  user1482 Commented Sep 23, 2015 at 23:35
• Thanks for your comment. In the U.S. is the admission for experimental hep PhD usually separated from the admission for hep-th? I'm not familiar with the process in the U.S., but many PhD programs in the U.S. seem to have the same admission process for both experimental hep and hep-th. If they are not usually separated, do students officially select their "concentration" after entering to the program? –  Math.StackExchange Commented Sep 24, 2015 at 0:31
• 2 @AranKomatsuzaki: Usually you apply to the department as a whole, but you state a likely area of research or whether you're leaning toward theory or experiment. If you say you want to do string theory, your application may be considered more skeptically than if you say you want to be an experimentalist. In the US, there is normally a lot of coursework at the beginning of a PhD program. That coursework is an opportunity for students to get a feel for whether they would be likely to succeed as theorists. –  user1482 Commented Sep 24, 2015 at 15:04

This is an attempt to gather some data supporting or refuting your hypothesis (or rather a slightly different one). Ideally, we would like a direct comparison of admission rates at top places, but I could only find limited data on admissions rates, so let me start elsewhere. At any rate, some of this data may be of interest.

The annual number of bachelor's degrees in physics is about 8000. From the AMS's annual survey , this number for math is about 28,000. This suggests there may be a lot more PhD program applicants for math. However, I don't have data separating out which math degrees are on a math ed track (or similarly for physics, though I guess the numbers are much greater for math ed), and these people are unlikely to pursue PhDs.

What about actual numbers of PhD students? I didn't see 1st year PhD numbers in physics for recent years but this slightly dated data puts it around 3000 new grad students in physics/astronomy (with about 93% aiming for PhDs), whereas the AMS annual survey has around 3600, and around 5000 if you include masters programs. (Stats and biostats is separate with around 2000, I guess including masters.) These statistics also say the number of physics versus math phd's awarded in recent years are pretty similar (about 1500-1600 for physics compared to 1400 for math). So there may be many more "potential" PhD applicants in math, but both math and physics students seem to compete for roughly the same number of slots in grad programs. (I don't know about how many of the PhD enrollments were domestic BS/BA holders, but we might guess the numbers are comparable as about 54% of enrollments were US citizens.)

So the above data tenuously supports your hypothesis. Can we check this with some actual admission rates?

For physics schools, this website has grad school admission rates. For top schools, the admissions rate seems to be around 10-15% (though Penn State seems to be an anomaly). Unfortunately, I don't know such a nice tool for math schools, but a few math departments mention their admission rates. Northwestern is around 17% (about the same as for their physics program, 16.4%). Notre Dame's is around 20% (a little lower than their 26% for physics).

These were all I could easily find and I'm afraid it's not enough to make any real conclusions, but I might speculate that top math phd programs are only somewhat more competitive than top physics ones if at all. (And in terms of undergrad research experience, I would guess that's more common in physics than in math.)

Edit: One qualitative issue for why you're seeing what you're seeing could be that top schools in math get lots of applications and if an admissions committee isn't familiar with a department, it doesn't know how to evaluate a transcript or the letters of recommendation from there, so it will tend to play it safe and accept students from places it's more familiar with. This is one reason why it's very helpful for students at small, relatively unknown schools to do programs like REUs (or a master's first) where a letter writer from there can compare you with a wide range of students. That said, I know many people who have gone straight from small, relatively unknown schools directly to top math PhD programs.

• I really appreciate your effort to gather all these data. I'm surprised to see some of the facts you mentioned and from your link. 1) # of physics bachelor's is only 8k/y. This sounds like physics is one of a few least popular majors among the departments which exist in almost every colleges in the U.S. Maybe media is exaggerating difficulty of physics, and youngsters were discouraged. 2) Acceptance rate of physics programs are much higher than expected (I thought ~5% for top ones). While top math PhD programs enrollment are roughly 20/r, physics –  Math.StackExchange Commented Sep 24, 2015 at 4:08
• PhD seems to have more capacity. 3) Some of lower ranked programs have pretty low acceptance rate. Penn state, while it's ranked high, is probably not for me. 4) This may be a well-known fact, but about a half PhD students in math and physics can't get PhD. The following list of universities attended by math PhD students at Harvard and UC Berkeley gave me an idea of how prestige of undergrad institution matters in admission for math PhD (because better education nurtured better students). reddit.com/r/math/comments/296e60/… –  Math.StackExchange Commented Sep 24, 2015 at 4:12
• 6 That only 8,000 bachelor's degrees are awarded to physics students at American universities annually made my eyes pop out. I would have guessed a much larger figure. So a big +1 for presenting hard data. –  Pete L. Clark Commented Sep 24, 2015 at 5:01
• 3 Another point to consider is that people that end up in physics departments come from a variety of backgrounds. I'm a physicist myself but we have plenty of chemists, materials scientists, IT guys and the odd mathematician in my department. I would guess it's mostly only mathematicians trying to make it to maths PhD programs. –  Miguel Commented Sep 24, 2015 at 6:24
• 2 @AranKomatsuzaki Regarding your point 4), I'm guessing that most of the PhD students at top schools can get PhDs. At Caltech in math, almost everyone who started finished, and those who didn't were usually the ones who decided it wasn't for them during their 1st year, so I don't think that's as bleak as it seems. Also, see edit about undergrad institution. –  Kimball Commented Sep 24, 2015 at 12:29

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• Science Education and Careers

Getting into physics grad school

• Thread starter Vanadium 50
• Start date Jan 12, 2009
• Tags Grad Grad school Physics School
• Jan 12, 2009

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Vanadium 50 said: The ratio X/Y is known as the yield ratio, and departments keep historical records of this, so they know pretty much how many people to admit. They get Z applications, and typically Z >> Y: perhaps 10 or 20 times larger, although of course it varies.

j93 said: I hate to nitpick but no school has a 5% acceptance rate Harvard 12% Berkeley 16% from GradSchoolShopper

Dr Transport said: The best resource is the American Institute of Physics, they publish a catalog of grad schools, the faculty listing etc...right down to applications received, accepted, number of degrees granted over the past X years... If memory serves me correctly, and I could be wrong, but I remember seeing that Rochester accepted single digit percentages (they basically say, if we accept you you will get a PhD) and I'd rank them with Berkely, Stanford, Cornell and some of the other big name schools.

j93 said: gradschoolshopper is a site that just links to that aip data. Any data that I have seen that claims a single digit rate is suspect. For example, USC claims they accept 13 out 190 but have 78 grad students. Rochester seems to claim they accept 20 out of 400 but have 114 grad students. They are either flat out lying (cooking the books or they honestly believe accepted students means students who accepted their offers) or have a 100% yield which neither Stanford, MIT , nor Harvard do. Dont take numbers at face value.

Also, as someone going through the application process this year, thanks for writing this up Vanadium50!  

• Jan 13, 2009

Part 2: Grades: A physics department invests a lot of effort into educating graduate students. They don't want to admit students that will not complete their degrees, and like it or not, grades are a very strong predictor of how well that person will do. I don't know what the average GPA is of an admitted student, integrated over all universities, but I would imagine it's around 3.7: the typical student got mostly A's and some B's as an undergraduate. The less competitive one's undergraduate institution is, the higher the expectation of good grades. Below 3.5, a student starts to become uncompetitive very quickly. Below a 3.0 many universities simply will not admit you. People ask how severe this 3.0 limit is. This varies by school, but it's often taken very seriously. At one university, near the bottom of the rankings of departments, the dean of the college forbids accepting students for graduate admissions with less than a 3.0. Exceptions are granted only by the provost (the senior academic officer of the university). Part of this is because grades once in graduate school are taken seriously: a C is considered failing. When I was a graduate student, if you had any two quarters with either a quarter or cumulative average below 3.0, you were shown the door. The department had no choice in the matter - this was the policy of the college. So they were strongly disinclined to admit students with a history of low grades. History is an important word here. Committees look at trends and patterns. A history of high grades, backed with strong test scores is the sort of pattern they like. An upward trend in grades is a trend they like. Strong physics grades is a trend they like. Downward trends in grades, they don't like so much. A GPA that offsets low physics grades with higher grades in easy courses is a trend they don't like so much. They look beyond the single number - so all 3.7's are not created equal.  

Part 3: Standardized Tests The graduate equivalent of the ACT or SAT is the Graduate Record Examination or GRE. This comes in two parts, a general test covering verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and critical thinking and analytical writing skills, and a subject test covering what is taught in the typical undergraduate physics curriculum. The general test is largely irrelevant. Sometimes the college has minimum requirements for the general score, but physics graduates tend not to have any problem with them. Other than that, I have never seen this score make a difference: a student who got in because of a high general GRE or one who was rejected because of a low general GRE. The key part is the subject test. This is the only way that the committee has to compare across schools: how does a student with a 3.5 at University X compare to one with a 3.6 at University Y? While this test is pretty much universally acknowledged not to be perfect, because it is standardized, it is taken very seriously by committees. Since only about half of the people who take the GRE go on to graduate school, one needs to score roughly in the top half to be competitive anywhere, and substantially above that if one wants to be competitive at a more selective university. The other test that's important is the TOEFL, for international applicants. Most departments have had the experience of admitting a bright student from some far-away land, with a great application except for low TOEFL scores. They admitted this student, saying, "look how bright he is - surely he'll pick up English in no time". For whatever reason, this didn't happen, and they ended up with someone with English skills so poor that they couldn't use him as a TA, and whose presentations were very difficult to follow, making his path to a PhD quite rough. Most departments have learned from this experience and are taking increasingly close looks at TOEFL scores. International students should be aware of this.  

Part 4: Letters of Recommendation These are very important. Grades and GREs are just a pile of numbers (correlated ones at that) and don't give as an accurate a view of the candidate as letters do. In many cases, letters are the deciding factor on whether to admit someone or not. To set the scale, about 1 in 4 students ends up going to graduate school. The average college graduates 10 physics majors per year, so about 2 people per class go. Each student will likely (and naturally) pick the professors whose opinion of him is best to write letter, so it's entirely possible that both students' letters say something like "The best student this year". Now of course this oversimplified analysis fails at a place like MIT, which graduated 85 physics majors last year, but the point is that a letter that seems quite strong at first look is merely average among admitted students. The very best letters I have seen describe a student in some depth, including strengths and weaknesses. Including negatives actually helps the student (provided they are not too negative of course), because it shows that the writer isn't just writing fluff - she put time, effort and thought into the process, and it really can help the committee assess whether or not the student is a good match for the program. The more specific, the better. "Got an A in my class" but not much else isn't very helpful - we have the transcripts. "Good in labs but sometimes makes careless mathematical errors" is better. "Works well with ultrahigh vacuum equipment, and in fact has better vacuum hygiene than most postdocs, but still struggles with sign errors when doing lengthy matrix manipulation" is better still. So, who should write your letters? The professors who know you the best. Those are not necessarily the biggest names at your university, or even necessarily the ones who gave you the highest grade. A detailed letter than is mostly, but not universally positive will do your application far more good than one that is completely positive but vague. This is one of the areas where research is important. If you've done undergraduate research, you've worked closely with a professor, who can presumably write a letter with some meat on it. I would even argue that much of the benefit of undergraduate research on graduate admissions stems from the project generating a professor who can write such a letter. If you have not done any undergraduate research, I would strongly recommend having one letter from the professor teaching a laboratory course. Chances are she has interacted with you one-on-one, which is a plus and the admissions committee will also want to know how you did in the closest thing to research in your degree program. If you have done something outside your own school, such as an REU, that is also a good source for letters: apart from the reasons above, now the committee knows what people at two schools think of you. It may make sense to have a professor in another department write you a letter, particularly if she knows you and your work well. Don't go overboard, though - if a physics major intending to get a PhD in physics sends in three letters from historians, the committee will wonder. Two physicists and a chemist though would not be a problem, and may be advantageous.  

Part 5: Other Factors Having experience with research at the undergraduate level is a good thing. There are people who claim that it is required to get into graduate school. I disagree. Beneficial, yes. Required, no. One major benefit was mentioned earlier - it gives a professor an opportunity to work with you and write a letter with some substance to it. But what if you went to a small liberal arts college where research opportunities are limited? I wouldn't worry about it - most colleges that offer degrees in physics fall into that category, so you are hardly in an unusual situation. Many students are admitted with this sort of background, and they usually do quite well. If however, you have an opportunity as an undergraduate to participate in research, you should certainly take it - there are personal benefits to this, and frankly, research isn't for everyone. If you find it's not for you, better to learn that as an undergraduate rather than after beginning a multi-year research degree. Also, it looks quite strange if one graduates from a research university, particularly one with a commitment to undergraduate involvement, with no research experience and then applies for a multi-year research program. Often a candidate is asked to write a personal statement. This is not a contest to see who can write the saddest story or who was interested in physics the earliest. The committee doesn't care what books or television shows first got you interested in physics. They do, however, want to know why you want to invest half a dozen years of your life into this. They want to know what you want to study: experimental? theoretical? AMO? Nuclear? If your background is missing something typical of entering students (e.g. you were not a physics major as an undergrad), they want to know how you intend to make up that shortfall. It's not expected that you have decided on your thesis topic at this point. But it is expected that you are aware of the different branches and have thought about where you might want to do your research. They are looking for something like "theoretical nuclear physics" and not "a better calculation of the half-life of Ni-56". If you are attracted by more than one area, say that. But if all branches of physics interest you equally, you might want to think a little harder. Finally, for heaven's sake run this through a spell checker and look at the grammar. This is an opportunity to look very bad in front of the committee, and sadly, many students avail themselves of this opportunity.  

Vanadium 50 said: Part 2: Grades: I don't know what the average GPA is of an admitted student, integrated over all universities, but I would imagine it's around 3.7: the typical student got mostly A's and some B's as an undergraduate. The less competitive one's undergraduate institution is, the higher the expectation of good grades. Below 3.5, a student starts to become uncompetitive very quickly. Below a 3.0 many universities simply will not admit you.

I was thinking mostly in terms of a 4.0 (which is the most common among undergraduate institutions).  

L62 said: It could be that in the case of for example, USC - saying they accept 13 out of 190 but have 78 grad students - it's because the other 65 grad students were those who had been admitted in previous years who are still there working on their degrees. so the 13 out of 190 refers to new or incoming students whereas the 78 refers to total number of students (incoming as well as existing)

I think it's a matter of being inaccurate rather than dishonest. I think the AIP sends out a form every year to the departments and the department secretaries have to fill it out. At least that was the case at my former school, which never took the form too seriously (but then again the department was totally backwards). I don't think anyone sits there and calculates the exact average of test scores and GPAs... Who has time for that?  

For Avg GPAs and GRE I would agree with you. I think if I was a secretary or anyone in the position to fill out the form and I received a form that asked about acceptances for my college I would assume they meant offers given by my university just like if they asked how many rejections I would think of the group that does not get an offer. I thinks it takes a deliberate effort to go against this interpretation especially since the AIP also asked for the amount of first year grad students.  

• Jan 14, 2009

I don't think that the exact number of rejected applications (which of course varies from school to school and year to year) is really that important. One very good reason is that there's not much an applicant can do about the other applications anyway, so it's best to focus on the one application they have some control over - their own. Another is that if the school accepts, say 20 students, it only matters if you're in that 20 or not. If not, it doesn't matter if you're in that batch with 5 other people or 500. What matters is that even at a school ranked towards the bottom of PhD granting institutions (and these are often still quite good schools - the vast majority do not offer the PhD degree at all) there are many more applicants than places for them. Things are competitive everywhere, and like I said, not everyone who wants to go to graduate school gets to go.  

Just mentioned rejected applications because when you say rejected applications you mean applications that were not offered admission I am assuming and I believe that implies that when you say accepted you mean applications that were offered admission. USC and Rutgers apparently disagree with those definitions from the data they submitted to AIP and I can't believe they honestly do. The whole debate was to point out that physics PhD programs do not have single digit acceptance rate. The acceptance rate bottoms out at approximately 12% and can hover as high as 30% and slightly higher for domestic students. I was looking at UCLA data for domestics which is among top 50 programs. The rate for some lower ranked schools could possibly have acceptance rate in the high 30's/low 40's assuming they are at least slightly less selective than UCLA. That's a range from 1 in 8 to 1 in 3. This is according to AIP data that makes sense because it doesn't display a 100% yield and other university data. I just thought it was an exaggeration to imply a 5% acceptance rate.  

• Jan 15, 2009

j93 said: Just mentioned rejected applications because when you say rejected applications you mean applications that were not offered admission I am assuming and I believe that implies that when you say accepted you mean applications that were offered admission. USC and Rutgers apparently disagree with those definitions from the data they submitted to AIP and I can't believe they honestly do. The whole debate was to point out that physics PhD programs do not have single digit acceptance rate. The acceptance rate bottoms out at approximately 12% and can hover as high as 30% and slightly higher for domestic students. I was looking at UCLA data for domestics which is among top 50 programs. The rate for some lower ranked schools could possibly have acceptance rate in the high 30's/low 40's assuming they are at least slightly less selective than UCLA. That's a range from 1 in 8 to 1 in 3. This is according to AIP data that makes sense because it doesn't display a 100% yield and other university data. I just thought it was an exaggeration to imply a 5% acceptance rate.

JUICYWART said: While some top schools (I'm speaking as a Statistics PhD applicant) have slightly higher acceptance rates (such as Duke), generally, most students that apply to these schools are the best in the country [edit - best in the world] (think top 10%). So it doesn't really matter what the acceptance rate is . It's not a good indicator of how difficult it is to get into a graduate school. If you're an average applicant, your chance of getting into a top program will be MUCH less than 5%.

• Jan 16, 2009

Thanks for taking the time to put this together Vanadium 50.  

• Jan 18, 2009

A PF Molecule

I think this should be stickied, given the glut of "can I get in without a 3.0?" threads lately.  

• Jan 5, 2011

Thank you Vanadium 50, this thread is very helpful for applicants.  

• Jan 6, 2011

How do you convert a percentage mark ie. 70% from a Canadian physics program into an American GPA? Is this 3.7 mark on a 4.0 or 4.33 scale? On the other hand, where did you get your 3.7 gpa value from? It seems ridiculously high. :) The class averages of my physics and math classes at my university are usually around 72%.Thanks for your helpful post Vanadium50.  

If one's average was 70%, and the class average was 72%, I'd assume that person's GPA wouldn't be above 3.0, let alone 3.7.  

I know this is a year old but I have a question: Do grad schools tell their applicants if a TA or RA job is available to them after being accepted? I'm also doubful on the below scenarios. Situation 1: There was also a mention about some classes having more weight then others. What if an applicant had a 3.3 GPA but his college required him to take many humanities and social science courses which he did poorly in, but this student has aced every physics and math class he took. Would this make it very unlikely he would be accepted or does he have the grades that could make him a competitive applicant? Ceteris paribus. Situation 2: How about an applicant with this upward trend of gpa's in his 4 years of undergrad: 2.6, 3.3, 3.7, 4.0. This gpa has an average of 3.4; would it be considered bad or good by a committee? It seems that Vanadium has experience with acceptance committees so I would like people with similar experience to give an insight instead of speculation.  

A PF SuperCluster

Fizex said: I know this is a year old but I have a question: Do grad schools tell their applicants if a TA or RA job is available to them after being accepted?

My experience is the same as JT Bell's. As far as the other questions, the answer is, I am afraid, whatever the committee thinks of it. One school might look at low scores outside of physics and think "well, only his physics grades matter" and another might think "doesn't work so hard on things he's not interested in." That's why people get in in some places and don't in others.  

A PF Asteroid

Volorado, Most schools will have their own conversion schemes which should be printed in their calanders. For a very general approximation: A+ = 4.0 = 90 - 100% (= 4.3) A = 4.0 = 85 - 89% A- = 3.7 = 80 - 84% B+ = 3.3 = 77 - 79% B = 3.0 = 73 - 76% B- = 2.7 = 69 - 72% etc. In Canada, schools that have honour rolls will generally establish the cutoff around the 80%, A-, 3.7 line and the majority of students who get into graduate school are at or above this line. Fizex, Actually, most schools should be able to explain financial support before you even apply. It should be on their web pages. In some cases though, they won't make any guarantees until you receive a letter of offer. For both of your scenarios, remember that graduate school admissions work on a competative basis. Once you make the minimum requirements, you are lumped into a pool of candidates for a set number of positions. Candidates in the pool are ranked and if there are N positions, the top N candidates are offered admission. So, in light of that, in scenario 1, this candidate would likely come out ahead of another candidate with the same average who didn't do as well in the upper year physics classes. Similarly, in scenario 2, this candidate would likely be ranked higher than one with the same average with consistent numbers or worse, a trend that went the other way.  

I think that the odds of getting into grad school if you are a serious student is a bit larger than those numbers indicate. The GRE is an international test so there are pretty substantial numbers of people taking it that will not end up in a US grad school. There may be a lot of self-selection here, but every US citizen that I know that wanted to go to physics grad school with a decent application has gotten in somewhere, and I don't know anyone that has made a "serious application" that wasn't able to get in somewhere eventually.  

twofish-quant said: I think that the odds of getting into grad school if you are a serious student is a bit larger than those numbers indicate. The GRE is an international test so there are pretty substantial numbers of people taking it that will not end up in a US grad school. There may be a lot of self-selection here, but every US citizen that I know that wanted to go to physics grad school with a decent application has gotten in somewhere, and I don't know anyone that has made a "serious application" that wasn't able to get in somewhere eventually.

• Jan 7, 2011

Choppy said: Volorado, Most schools will have their own conversion schemes which should be printed in their calanders. For a very general approximation: A+ = 4.0 = 90 - 100% (= 4.3) A = 4.0 = 85 - 89% A- = 3.7 = 80 - 84% B+ = 3.3 = 77 - 79% B = 3.0 = 73 - 76% B- = 2.7 = 69 - 72%

Hi Camaron, Here's a conversion chart from McMaster's website. As you can see, it's pretty school-dependent. Also, there's a difference between percentage obtained on exams and final grades. The 3.7 = A- = 80-84% line seems pretty standard from my experience. It's also worth pointing out that this is for undergrad. My experience is that graduate grades, although following a similar scale, will have a significantly higher cutoff for what constitutes a pass. http://careers.mcmaster.ca/students/education-planning/virtual-resources/gpa-conversion-chart  

Caramon said: In Alberta from my experience it generally goes like this: A+ = 4.0 = 97% + A = 3.9 = 93%-96% A- = 3.7 = 90%-92% B+ = 3.3 = 85%-89% B = 3.0 = 80% - 84% B- = 2.7 = 75%-79% C+ = 2.3 = 70%-74% C = 2.0 = Below 70% There is no "set" percentage, it's based on z-scores and a bell-curve normally. Not sure how the hell someone would be worth any of A with a grade in the "80-84" range...

Jokerhelper said: Is it? I thought only US grad schools wanted those.

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• Design of a multifunctional polar metal via first-principles high-throughput structure screening, Yue-Wen Fang and Hanghui Chen* , Communications Materials 1 1 (2020).
• Linear magnetoresistance with a universal energy scale in the strong-coupling superconductor Mo8Ga41 without quantum criticality, ​W. Zhang, Y. J. Hu, C. N. Kuo, S. T. Kuo, Yue-Wen Fang, Kwing To Lai, X. Y. Liu, K. Y. Yip, D. Sun, F. F. Balakirev, C. S. Lue, Hanghui Chen* and Swee K. Goh*, Physical Review B 102 241113(R) (2020).
• E. Aulestia, Y. Cheung, Y-W. Fang, J. He, K. Yamaura, K. Lai, S. Goh and H. Chen , "Pressure-induced enhancedment of non-polar to polar transition temperature in metallic LiOsO3", Appl. Phys. Lett. 113, 012902 (2018)
• H. Chen and A. Millis, "Charge transfer driven emergent phenomena in oxide heterostructures" (invited review), Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter 29, 243001 (2017)
• X. Chen, X. Zhang, M Koten, H. Chen , Z. Xiao, L. Zhang, J. Shield, P. Dowben, X. Hong, "Interfacial Charge Engineering in Ferroelectric-Controlled Mott transistors", Adv. Mater. 29, 1701385 (2017)
• A. S. Disa, D. P. Kumah, A. Malashevich, H. Chen , D. A. Arena, E. D. Specht, S. Ismail-Beigi, F. J. Walker and C. H. Ahn, “Inter-elemental orbital tuning in oxides”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 026801 (2015)
• "Gate tunable optical absorption and band structure of twisted bilayer graphene", K. Yu, N. V. Luan, T. Kim, J. Jeon, J. Kim, P. Moon* , Y. H. Lee*, E. J. Choi*, Phys. Rev. B (Rapid Communications) 99, 241405(R) (2019). (doi: 10.1103/PhysRevB.99.241405)
• “Band Structure Engineering of 2D Materials using Patterned Dielectric Superlattices”, C. Forsythe, X. Zhou, T. Taniguchi, K. Watanabe, A. Pasupathy, P. Moon , M. Koshino, P. Kim, C. R. Dean, Nat. Nanotechnol. 13, 566 (2018). (doi: 10.1038/s41565-018-0138-7).
• “Dirac Electrons in a Dodecagonal Graphene Quasicrystal”, S. J. Ahn*, P. Moon* , T.-H. Kim,* H.-W. Kim, H.-C. Shin, E. H. Kim, H. W. Cha, S.-J. Kahng, P. Kim, M. Koshino, Y.-W. Son, C.-W. Yang, J. R. Ahn, Science 361, 782 (2018). (doi: 10.1126/science.aar8412) (* These authors contributed equally to this work.)
• Incommensurate double-walled carbon nanotubes as one-dimensional moiré crystals, Mikito Koshino, * Pilkyung Moon ,* Young-Woo Son,* Physical Review B 91, 035405 (2015)
• Reem Mandil, Stephen DiAdamo, Bing Qi , Alireza Shabani, “Quantum key distribution in a packet-switched network”, npj Quantum Inf 9, 85 (2023)
• Wang, Wenyuan, Rong Wang, Chengqiu Hu, Victor Zapatero, Li Qian, Bing Qi , Marcos Curty, and Hoi-Kwong Lo, “Fully Passive Quantum Key Distribution”, Physical Review Letters 130, 220801 (2023)
• Brian J. Rollick, George Siopsis, and Bing Qi , “Dynamic attenuation scheme in measurement- device-independent quantum key distribution over turbulent channels”, Phys. Rev. A 106, 032405 (2022)
• J.C. Chapman, J.M. Lukens, B. Qi, R.C. Pooser, and N.A. Peters, “Bayesian homodyne and heterodyne tomography”, Optics Express, 30(9), pp.15184-15200 (2022)
• S. DiAdamo, B. Qi, G Miller, R Kompella, A Shabani, “Packet Switching in Quantum Networks: A Path to Quantum Internet”, Phys. Rev. Research 4, 043064 (2022)
• Bing Qi , “Bennett-Brassard 1984 quantum key distribution using conjugate homodyne detection”, Phys. Rev. A 103, 012606 (2021)
• Eleftherios Moschandreou, Brian J. Rollick, Bing Qi , and George Siopsis, “Experimental decoy- state Bennett-Brassard 1984 quantum key distribution through a turbulent channel”, Phys. Rev. A 103, 032614 (2021)
• Y. Liu, D. Winder, B. Qi, C. Long and W. Lu, “Upgraded Fiber-Optic Sensor System for Dynamic Strain Measurement in Spallation Neutron Source,” IEEE Sensors Journal 21.23, 26772-26784 (2021)
• Yun Liu, Bing Qi , Drew E Winder, “Faraday Michelson interferometers for signal demodulation of fiber-optic sensors”, Journal of Lightwave Technology 39 (8), 2552-2558 (2021)
• Bing Qi , Pavel Lougovski, and Brian P. Williams, “Characterizing photon number statistics using conjugate optical homodyne detection”, Optics Express 28, 2276-2290 (2020)
• Bing Qi , Hyrum Gunther, Philip G. Evans, Brian P. Williams, Ryan M. Camacho, and Nicholas A. Peters, “Experimental passive-state preparation for continuous-variable quantum communications”, Physical Review Applied 13 (5), 054065 (2020)
• Hsuan-Hao Lu, Bing Qi , Brian P. Williams, Pavel Lougovski, Andrew M. Weiner, and Joseph M. Lukens, “Agile frequency transformations for dense wavelength-multiplexed communications”, Optics Express 28 (14), 20379-20390, (2020)
• Joseph Lukens, Hsuan-Hao Lu, Bing Qi , Pavel Lougovski, Andrew Weiner, Brian P. Williams, “All- Optical Frequency Processor for Networking Applications”, Journal of Lightwave Technology 38 (7), 1678-1687 (2020)
• Levy walks and path chaos in the dispersal of elongated structures moving across cellular vortical flows, Hu SY, Chu JJ, Shelley M, Zhang J ., Phys. Rev. Lett. 127, 074503 (2021)
• Metallic microswimmers driven up the wall by gravity, Brosseau, Usabiaga, Lushi, Wu, Ristroph, Ward, Shelley and Zhang , Soft Matter. 17, 6597 (2021)
• Streaming controlled by meniscus shape, Huang, Wolfe, Zhang and Zhong, J. Fluid Mech. 895, A1 (2020)
• Zhang J . "Footprints of a flapping wing," Journal of Fluid Mechanics 818, 1-4 (2017)
• Ristroph L, Liao J, and Zhang J . "Lateral Line Layout Correlates with the Differential Hydrodynamic Pressure on Swimming Fish," Phys. Rev. Lett.114, 018102 (2015)

Selected Faculty and Student Features

" Physicists Explain the Origin of Charge Order in Nickelate Superconductors " (Hanghui Chen)

" Controlling Heat with Heat: New Approach Proposed to Tame Thermal Convection " (Jun Zhang)

" Physics Institute Co-Sponsors Leading Quantum Information Conference " (Tim Byrnes)

" Institute Members Participate in Research Funded by NSFC Major Research Plan " (Jun Zhang)

" Building ‘Lego’ Blocks in Physics: New Mechanism Designed to Induce Topological States in Oxides " (Hanghui Chen)

" Ultrafast Polariton Switch Realized by Institute of Physics Members " (Tim Byrnes)

" NYU Shanghai Hosts International Forum of Fluid Physics " (Jun Zhang)

" Soft Ferromagnetism Found in Oxide Thin Films, NYU Shanghai Scientists Give Theoretical Explanation " (Hanghui Chen)

" NYU Shanghai Grants First Tenure Awards to Neuroscience, Physics Faculty Members " (Tim Byrnes)

" NYU Shanghai Researchers Find a Possible Way to Induce Superconductivity in Ferroelectrics " (Hanghui Chen)

" NYU Shanghai Scientists Develop a Method of Teleporting Quantum States Using Majorana Fermions " (Tim Byrnes, Marek Narozniak)

" HED: Research Discovers New Physical Properties in a Magnetic Oxide Monolayer " (Hanghui Chen)

" Fluid Dynamics Helps Researchers Uncover the Mysteries of Shooting Stars " (Jun Zhang)

" A New Way to Achieve the Entanglement between Two Bose-Einstein Condensates " (Tim Byrnes)

" NYU Shanghai Professor and Colleagues Create a New Type of Quasicrystal " (Pilkyung Moon)

" A Glimpse into a 'Two-Faced' Material " (Hanghui Chen)

" Professor Jun Zhang Elected APS Fellow, Cited for 'His Elegant and Artful Experiments " (Jun Zhang)

" Distinguished Young Scholar " (Tim Byrnes)

Structure of Program

Participating students complete the PhD degree requirements set by the NYU Department of Physics and in accordance with the academic policies of NYU GSAS. Each student develops an individualized course and research plan in consultation with the Director of Graduate Study at the NYU Department of Physics and the student’s NYU Shanghai faculty advisor. Most students will complete their PhD in 4-5 years. A typical sequence follows:

Begin program with funded research rotation, up to 3 months preceding first Fall semester, to familiarize with NYU Shanghai and faculty as well as lay a foundation for future doctoral study.

Complete PhD coursework at Department of Physics alongside other NYU PhD students.

Return to Shanghai for second funded research rotation to solidify relationships with NYU Shanghai faculty and make further progress in research.

Under supervision of NYU Shanghai faculty advisor, pursue dissertation research and continue coursework. Depending on each student’s individualized course of study, return visits to New York may also occur. Complete all required examinations and progress evaluations, both oral and written, leading up to submission and defense of doctoral thesis.

To learn more about the NYU Physics PhD program degree requirements, please visit this page .

Application Process and Dates

Applications are to be submitted through the NYU GSAS Application portal , within which students should select the Physics PhD as their program of interest, and then indicate their preference for NYU Shanghai by marking the appropriate checkbox when prompted. Applicants will be evaluated by a joint admissions committee of New York and Shanghai faculty. Application requirements are set by the NYU Department of Physics and are the same as those for all NYU PhD applicants, no matter their campus preference; however, candidates are recommended to elaborate in their application and personal statements about their specific interests in the NYU Shanghai program and faculty.

For admission in Fall 2024, the application deadline is December 30, 2023.

Interested students are welcome to contact Vivien Du , PhD Program Manager, at [email protected] with any inquiries or to request more information.

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What percentage of applicants are admitted to the PhD program?

The program admits approximately 5-8 students to the PhD Program each year. The admit rate is around 5%.

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Gre prep online guides and tips, graduate school acceptance rates: can you get in.

Even the most qualified and confident applicants worry about getting into grad school. But don’t panic! Graduate school acceptance rates, which give the percentage of applicants that were admitted to a particular school or program in an academic year, can help you determine how likely you are to get into a given program.  But where can you find grad school admissions statistics?

In this article, we’ll first investigate the trends and factors associated with graduate school acceptance rates. Then, we’ll take a look at some of the current acceptance rates and give you expert tips on how to find acceptance rates for your programs. Finally, we’ll show you how to determine your odds of getting into grad school.

Graduate School Acceptance Rates: Factors and Trends

Grad school acceptance rates are the same as any other acceptance rate: the lower the acceptance rate, the more selective the school or program is. Similarly, the higher the acceptance rate, the less selective the school or program is. As with undergrad acceptance rates, grad school acceptance rates vary widely, from extraordinarily selective (less than 5 percent) to incredibly lenient (nearly 100 percent).

Unlike undergrad rates, though, grad school acceptance rates are usually calculated for specific programs or departments and  not for entire universities. This is because with grad school, you are essentially applying to an individual program rather than an overall institution (as you did for undergrad).

Now that we’ve covered all of the basics, let’s look at a few key trends. Our research indicates there are three major factors that help determine grad school acceptance rates:

• School or program prestige
• Degree type
• Amount of funding

Let’s look at how each of these factors influences grad school acceptance rates.

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#1: School or Program Prestige

How prestigious a particular grad school or program is can affect its overall competitiveness and selectivity. In general, the more prestigious a program is, the more competitive it’ll be and thus the lower acceptance rate it’ll have.

An easy way to determine school or program prestige is to consult official rankings, such as those listed on  U.S. News . (Grad schools are typically ranked by field or program and   not by overall institution.)

For example, a 2017  U.S. News  list of the best political science grad programs  ranked Duke’s political science program at #7 and Northwestern’s at #23. Because both of the programs have fairly high rankings, it’s safe to assume they’re probably quite selective.

And this is true: in 2016,  Duke  reported a mere 10 percent acceptance rate to its political science doctoral program, while  Northwestern  reported a 12 percent acceptance rate.

#2: Degree Type

Another major factor is degree type. Generally,  doctoral programs tend to be more selective than master’s programs (though this isn’t always the case as I’ll explain in a moment). This trend is likely due to the fact that doctoral programs often look for higher-quality applicants with proven academic track records and more relevant experience in their fields.

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. In this case, the doctoral program is clearly tougher to get into than the master’s program.

Still,   master’s programs can have lower acceptance rates than doctoral programs. If we were to take the University of Michigan’s grad programs in computer science and engineering, we’d find that the doctoral program has  a 15 percent acceptance rate  and the master’s  an even lower 8 percent acceptance rate .

Additionally, M.F.A. programs are particularly cutthroat. In 2015, the creative writing M.F.A. program at UT Austin’s James A. Michener Center for Writers only admitted 12 out of 678 applicants — that’s a mere 1.8 percent acceptance rate !

#3: Amount of Funding

Funding, too, plays a big role in how selective a grad program is.

Well-funded  programs typically receive more applications than those offering little to no aid, thereby raising their selectivity. Competition is especially fierce for fully funded programs — possibly because fewer people are willing to go into debt for grad school.

Compared to fully funded doctoral programs, fully funded master’s programs are somewhat rare and thus pretty competitive. UT Austin’s Creative Writing M.F.A. program, for instance, is not only a prestigious program but also one of the most well-funded Creative Writing M.F.A. programs in the country: it  offers full tuition remission and a $27,500 stipend per academic year . It’s no wonder, then, that its acceptance rate is below 2 percent!

What Are the Current Graduate School Acceptance Rates?

For this section, we’ve scoured the internet to bring you a robust assortment of acceptance rates for popular U.S. grad schools.

Before we dive in, note that not all institutions calculate grad school acceptance rates using the same methodologies. Some offer only a single acceptance rate for all of their grad schools put together, while others offer individual rates by school, field, or program.

Now, let’s see how selective these schools really are!

*Statistics for NYU are based on the number of enrolled students and not the number of admitted students. Therefore, expect actual acceptance rates to be slightly higher.

How to Find Graduate School Acceptance Rates: 4 Methods

Unfortunately, grad school admissions statistics tend to be more difficult to find than undergrad acceptance rates.  But there are ways to search for them — you just have to do a lot of digging and possibly a little reaching out.

Below are our top four methods for finding grad school acceptance rates for the programs you’re applying to.

#1: Consult School Websites

By far the most reliable resources for grad school admissions statistics are  school websites.

Start your search by consulting program and departmental pages, particularly admissions and FAQ pages. Look out for any statistics-related keywords or phrases, such as “admission(s) rates,” “acceptance rates,” “enrollment,” “facts and figures,” etc. Use ctrl+F to move swiftly through large chunks of text.

Not all schools publish grad admissions information online, and those that do don’t always report it in the same way as others. For example, Princeton offers a handy PDF  containing acceptance rates for all academic fields of study. On the other hand,  Notre Dame  gives separate admissions charts for each of its grad programs (which you can access by selecting a program and then clicking “Admissions Statistics”).

Additionally, many schools release admissions statistics without explicitly publishing acceptance rates.  In this case, it’s your job to take the statistics provided and use them to calculate an acceptance rate. To find the acceptance rate of a school or program, you’ll need the following information:

• The total number of applicants in a year
• The total number of applicants granted admission  that year

The acceptance rate equals the total number of applicants offered admission divided by the total number of applicants and then multiplied by 100, or:

$$\acceptance \rate = {\number \of \applicants \offered \admission}/{\total \number \of \applicants}100$$

Be sure to  avoid conflating the number of students who were  offered admission   with the number of students who accepted their offers of admission. These two concepts sound alike but are actually different. What you’re looking for is the first statistic — that is, the number of admitted students (regardless of whether they decided to enroll).

If you’re having trouble finding admissions statistics by browsing school websites, search on Google for “[Your School] graduate acceptance rate” and see if any relevant school pages appear. While searching for acceptance rates to use in the table above, I consistently swapped “acceptance rate” with similar phrases, such as “admission(s) rate,” “facts and figures,” “student statistics,” “admittance rates,” and “admission(s) statistics.”

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Don’t be afraid to get creative! You can also use phrases like “Ph.D. admissions statistics” or “master’s admissions statistics” to narrow your search even further. Try to think outside the box as you do your research. What are other ways people talk about acceptance rates?

#2: Check  U.S. News

If your school or program doesn’t offer any admissions statistics on its website, go to  U.S. News . This website offers official rankings of grad programs as well as lists of the most (and least) selective programs in various fields.

For example, I found a 2016 list of the most competitive online M.B.A. programs  and a 2015 list of the most competitive online graduate engineering programs .

If U.S. News doesn’t offer any relevant lists for you to use, try skimming the current grad school rankings to gauge how competitive your program is compared with others in the same field.

#3: Search Other Websites

One less reliable method for looking up grad school admissions statistics is to  look for (unofficial) websites discussing acceptance rates for your school or program.

The Grad Cafe’s  admissions results  section is a solid place to start. Here, applicants post whether they’ve been accepted, rejected, or waitlisted for grad programs.

Search for your program to get a rough feel for how many acceptances and rejections go out each year. You might notice that certain types of applicants are more active than others. Creative Writing M.F.A. applicants, for example, are prolific posters in winter and spring (during admissions season).

Occasionally, Google itself will provide you with grad school acceptance rates, but this only appears to work consistently for well-known law schools, medical schools, and business schools.

Additionally, while using Google, don’t assume that any acceptance rates that pop up are directly connected to your search terms. For example, when I searched “stanford graduate acceptance rate,” Google gave me this result:

This 4.8 percent acceptance rate is  not  the acceptance rate for Stanford’s grad programs (what I searched for) but rather the acceptance rate for undergrads. So always cross-check any statistics Google gives you.

You can also consult grad school data websites such as  Peterson’s and StartClass . Take their grad school acceptance rates with a grain of salt, though — their data isn’t always verifiable online. If possible, try to compare any data you find on these types of websites with the school websites themselves or U.S. News .

#4: Contact Schools

If the internet isn’t giving you the help you need, call or email your schools. Be polite but upfront: ask whether the school calculates acceptance rates for grad programs and where you can find this information online (if available).

If a school refuses to divulge admissions statistics or simply doesn’t report acceptance rates, see if they can give you estimates for how many applications they receive each year, or for how many acceptances they usually extend to applicants in your program.

Graduate School Acceptance: What Are Your Odds?

By this point, you might be wondering how likely it is you’ll actually get into the grad program you wish to attend. After all, acceptance rates are pretty broad — they tell you what everyone’s odds are but not your odds specifically.

Below are three easy steps for determining your odds of getting into grad school, including advice on when it’s better to go for it or choose another program.

Step 1: Check Program Requirements

First, go to your program’s website and pinpoint the admissions requirements page. Now, ask yourself:  do you meet all of the program’s basic requirements? If not, you’ll likely wind up with a rejection (and might not even be able to apply).

However, if you’re still interested in applying, contact the program and ask if they’ll make an exception for you. Your chance of getting accepted is still low, but you’ll at least have your application considered.

If your program strongly recommends qualities you lack, don’t interpret this as an automatic rejection. Sometimes, applicants can make up for deficiencies in other ways. For example, if your undergrad GPA is 3.1 and your program recommends applicants have a minimum 3.2, don’t write off the program — you might still have a shot at getting in as long as the rest of your application is solid.

On the other hand, even if you meet all of a program’s requirements, you’re not necessarily a shoo-in. Remember, all other applicants have met these requirements, too, so you’ll need to find a unique way to make your application stand out.

Step 2: Find Average GRE Scores and GPAs

Your next step is to look up your program’s average GRE scores and GPA  to see how your own scores and GPA compare with those of previously admitted applicants.

You can usually find GRE score information on admissions requirements or FAQ pages. You can also search on Google for “[Your School] [Your Program] average GRE scores.” For step-by-step instructions on how to find average GRE scores, check out  my article on average GRE scores by school .

For GPAs, you can use the same basic methodology. Check admissions requirements and FAQ pages and use ctrl+F to search for “GPA.” If GPA information is available, you’ll most likely come across minimum GPAs or average GPAs (or both). For more tips on how to find GPA information for your grad schools, read our guide .

Now, compare your own GRE scores and GPA with the averages you’ve found. Below are all possible scenarios and what they mean for you and your odds of getting into the program:

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• Your GRE scores and GPA are both  higher than your program’s averages:  Congratulations! You have an excellent chance of getting accepted, especially if the rest of your application is equally impressive. Keep up the great work!
• Your GRE scores and GPA are both  about the same as your program’s averages:  You’re doing pretty well! You are just the type of applicant your program is looking for. The only drawback is that you probably won’t stand out as much from other applicants who have similar GRE scores and GPAs. So take time to make your application sparkle (I’m looking at you, statement of purpose).
• Your GRE scores and GPA are both lower than your program’s averages (or just one of the two is lower):  It ain’t over ’til it’s over! You can still make up for your deficiencies in other ways. While you can’t change your GPA, you can retake the GRE . If your GPA is low, a great strategy for combating this is to discuss it in your statement of purpose, taking care to highlight any external factors that contributed to the low GPA as well as any attributes of yours that prove you’re indeed ready for grad school.

Step 3: Decide Whether to Apply

Now, we get to the final question: do you apply to the program or not?  This is a vague question that’s difficult to answer as is. The real questions you should be asking yourself are as follows:

• Do I meet all of the program’s basic requirements?
• Do I meet most or all of the program’s expectations of applicants (in terms of GRE scores, GPA, etc.)?
• Is the program’s acceptance rate extremely low?
• Do I really like this program?

Although acceptance rates and GRE/GPA comparisons are helpful, don’t base your decision to apply solely on how difficult the program is to get into. We can’t know for sure what kind of applicant a grad program is looking for or who they’re willing to make an exception for.

Take a moment to think deeply about how interested you are in this particular program. Be realistic about your chances of getting in — but don’t cross the line into pessimism. If you don’t meet most or all of a program’s expectations and you’re not super invested in it, consider applying elsewhere.

But if you meet some, most, or all of a program’s expectations and you’re extremely interested in enrolling, give the application a go. Remember, it’s totally normal (and even encouraged) to have a few reach schools. Plus, you’ll never get in if you don’t apply!

Key Takeaways: Graduate School Acceptance Rates

Grad school acceptance rates quantify for us the selectivity of grad schools and programs. More specifically, acceptance rates tell us  what percentage of applicants were offered admission to a particular grad school or program. 

With grad school, acceptance rates are often reported for individual schools or programs,  not  entire universities. Acceptance rates can vary widely depending on program prestige, the type of degree you’re seeking, and how much (or how little) funding a program offers.

Unlike undergrad acceptance rates, grad school acceptance rates are somewhat difficult to locate online. You can look for them using any of the following four methods:

• Peruse school websites
• Check grad school facts and lists on  U.S. News
• Browse other websites and forums such as The Grad Cafe
• Call or email your schools

When trying to determine your  odds of getting into a program, look at your program’s requirements as well as the average GPA and GRE scores of previously admitted applicants to your program. If your GRE scores and GPA are comparable to those of your program, you have a decent shot at getting accepted. If one or both are lower than your program’s averages, however, you can always try to  raise your GRE score  with a retake or address your GPA in your statement of purpose.

At the end of the day, what ultimately matters isn’t that you get accepted to a highly competitive grad program but that you make the right decision for you and you alone!

What’s Next?

Need help with your grad school application?  Learn about the most common grad school requirements  and get tips on how to write a grad school CV or resume !

Is your GPA good enough for grad school ?  Read our in-depth guide to learn how you can make up for a less-than-stellar GPA and ultimately raise your chances of getting into the school of your dreams.

Do you have to take the GRE for grad school ? When are grad school deadlines ?  Check out our guides for answers to these questions and more.

Ready to improve your GRE score by 7 points?

Author: Hannah Muniz

Hannah graduated summa cum laude from the University of Southern California with a bachelor’s degree in English and East Asian languages and cultures. After graduation, she taught English in Japan for two years via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel. View all posts by Hannah Muniz

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This subreddit is for anyone who is going through the process of getting into graduate school, and for those who've been there and have advice to give.

Which University has physics phd program with high acceptance rate (preferably in the u.s)?

All the programs which I found has a quite low get in rate. I'm applying to a few university, but I want to make sure that I will be accepted somewhere. I prefer the warmer states, hate cold weather :(

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