diogenes

I happen to agree with the above and the referenced post. My current advisor (lead editor of a top flight Math journal and many other things) mentioned that it is better to go to a school that supports you and allows you to get started in research as soon as possible then to go to hostile school that stymies your research. He also noted that those who do mediocre work from the very best schools will have image issues, while those from lesser schools and with a solid output record will be viewed more highly. Of course this in the realm of mathematics, but might be something interesting?

For what it is worth, I think Michigan has a graduate certificate in Complexity for Ph.D. students. Depending on if you like what the Santa Fe Institute etc is doing then that might make it worthwhile. However, are you certain you want to discount New School?

I would not worry about the class numbers, as the numbering system is decided by the university, e.g., what might be a 7000 level class at one school could be a 6000 level class at different school.

Assuming you have funding for both programs etc, I would go with JHU as the program seems more inline with my interests. It is never too early to start looking for thesis advisors. So, which school has people doing things you are interested in?

Nicely put! [clap]

From what I know the department keeps most of the funds and not the universities.

Yes, I am waiting on two. However, I found out today, nonetheless, that my application is considered incomplete at one of the schools and that all aid for this year had been awarded. So, at best I could get a polite rejection (admit w/ no aid). Therefore, I think I might pull my application there.

Well, I think bottom 100 schools might be a reach; yet you do need to dream, right? Also, you should give Northern-Southern U a try.

Perhaps you have a different idea about what a "decent job" means, but I am willing to be beat that you will do just fine with a Ph.D from Brown. On the other hand, I would go with what program has people doing work you find interesting. I would assume that your interest will be strong enough to keep you interested in finishing the degree and would hopefully, in turn, give you a few a ideas to (try) publish. For a department that is not so interesting to you, you might become "bored" etc and thus do medicore.

The only issue with being a T.A. is that, well for me anyway, the first semester is tiring.

Interesting topic. What questions are you fellows asking? Any pro/con reasons on contacting recent grads?

In my experince, they (adcoms) do not seem to mind a M.S. in math. ;)

Sure, check my post on page 4. Yet, you might want to take a look a Rudin if you can at your library. It might speak to you, but you might want something with a bit more examples etc.

Just a fyi: Rudin while concise might not be the best thing to start with. It has been around for a bit. ;)

The book you are using for introduction to proofs might have a small analysis chapter at the end. For analysis...Bartle's book might work, so might Strichartz's "Way of Analysis." Yet, a book such as "Mathematical Economics" by Lancaster might be just fine, too.

Do you happen to the book each course will be using? If we assume that the courses I took would be similar to the ones you listed and you want to take real analysis/advanced calculus, then numerical analysis might serve as a nice "stepping-stone" class. I consider this to be the case since there are epsilon-delta (e-d) proofs in the course, but they are not the whole course. Also, Brower's Fixed Point theorem will come up. While game theory was talked about in my combinatorics class (grad level if that matters), the class does not seem to have the applicability that N. analysis offers. Finally, Complex Analysis contains e-d proofs and deal with topology (algebraic in my case). Yet, why not scan a book or two on the subject and see if anyone grips you?

Hmmm... more heterodox fellows, great! Congratulations on the admit. What other schools did you apply to?

Haha... Congrats on the admit![clap]