Pure Mathematics PhD admission results

[mathgrad]

I perfectly agree with you,zw849.With the present strict rules about Math GRE for international applicants ,their not-so perfect GPAs,not-so-effective recommendation letters,not that much research experience;it is much more DIFFICULT for an international applicant to get admission in a good school.But without the Math GRE,it would have been IMPOSSIBLE,perhaps.

Originally Posted by zw849

From an international point of view:
I think it's good that the GRE math subject scores is taken as a objective measure of the applicant. Now, it's true that is expected that foreigners get higher scores in the test and that's an extra burden domestics don't have. For example, you may have a strong international applicant with excellent letters of rec and all, but when it comes down to the admissions committee, they evaluate domestic students with excellent rec letters from 'famous' professors who have connections with faculty and so on, and those international students don't have those references. Another aspect to consider here is the high grade inflation in the US, with the consequence of students having perfect GPA's, and that's rarely seen outside.
Summarizing:
*domestic students with good (not top) gre scores, perfect GPA's, excellent rec letters from known people and often research experience and
*internationals with top scores, excellent rec letters from unknown people, not so perfect GPA, who may not have had the opportunity to do research, but their intrinsic abilities are no lower than that of domestic students.

Now, do you guess who has the most chances to get in a top (say top ten) school?
That's something to think about.

[mathgrad]

Once again,for people who missed my first post about the same topic,is there anybody here(other than Kraglon) who has got either into Brown or has been waitlisted there but has no plans to join there?If so,please decline the offer as soon as possible.Thanks in advance!

[fayfay]

What do you guys know about Michigan and Berkeley? Would anyone here take Michigan over Berkeley?

[mathgrad]

Fayfay

It is difficult to comment unless you mention your field of interest.You can mail professors of your field of interest in both universities too.They usually answer questions honestly.

[fayfay]

Originally Posted by mathgrad

Fayfay

It is difficult to comment unless you mention your field of interest.You can mail professors of your field of interest in both universities too.They usually answer questions honestly.

I am currently more interested in algebra/number theory/algebraic geometry, lalthough I feel this is somewhat biased by the cool algebra courses I've taken this year. What do you perceive to be the strong areas at each school?

[mathgrad]

Fayfay:
If you are interested in Number Theory(either Algebraic or Analytic),you should definitely NOT go to Michigan.Almost the whole NT faculty(Brian Conrad and Soundararajan have left for Stanford,Skinner has left for Princeton and Wooley for Bristol and Gopal Prasad is going to retire in a few years) has left Michigan.If you are interested in the elementary Number Theory,there is Lagarias and Hugh Montogomery there.But if you are interested in Algebraic Geometry,Michigan is very good and a better option than Berkeley with Fulton,Dolgachev,..........Because of the high (students:faculty) ratio in Berkeley and also because of the growing inactivity of majority of faculty members there,I have heard that every student interested in Algebra-oriented student somehow tries to get under Poonen and in the recent past,under Martin Ossolon.Ribet has turned 60 and Eisenbud is going to retire next year from Berkeley.So for any modern kind of Number Theory(NT),Michigan is hopeless and Bekeley is OK(you must perform well in the first two years to get the supervisor of your choice,remember,make sure that you are not compelled to choose another field because of lack of active NTists there ).Nowadays,hardly anybody does research in Pure Algebra,it's usually used as a tool in other fields,but I guess you know that too.
So,to summarize,if you are Number Theory-oriented,go to Berkeley and if you are Algebraic Geometry-oriented,go to Michigan.

[mathgrad]

Errata:Nori is from Chicago,not from Michigan.You can also consider working with Paul Vojta in Berkeley.

[mathgrad]

Whatever I said above is through the point of view of a certain quite universally well-respected Number Theorist,whom I don't want to name here.

[fayfay]

Thank you very much for the info mathgrad.

[ficsur]

Hi guys,

I am a student interested in complex analysis(several complex variables/dynamics/geometric function theory).

I have been admitted to four schools. To Indiana University, Purdue, UIUC and Stony-Brook. (with TA support, all of them)

All of these universities have respected faculty members in the mentioned areas.

Does anyone know some info about these four schools(concerning complex analysis if possible, but I appreciate any other information)?

Thanks ...