This is the second part in a series about applying to (mathematics) graduate school. You can follow this link to part 1 if you would like to start reading from the beginning.
The Application
You can be certain that every school you apply to will ask for a transcript and at least the General GRE. Some schools however, will require you to take the subject test, which is no joke. How many of you remember everything from your multivariable class? Or all the little tricks to go along with it. Then for the more advanced topics covered on the test you might not have taken a class. However, these are few such questions and they are usually pretty simple (take that with a very very large grain of salt).
My advice would be to not overlook the standardized test, since they are part of your application and do matter to some extent.
One last thing, don't forget that most schools will have some sort of application fee, so you should set aside some money to cover this.
Personal Statement:
Remember when you were applying to your undergraduate program how they made you write those essays on the most annoying topics? Well I have some good and bad news for you. The bad news is that you still have to write an essay. However, the good news is that the topic is actually relevant.
Since the word essay is such an undergraduate term, it is now called the personal statement. When you think about it, this is in fact a much better term to describe what you are being asked to write. In your personal statement you are asked to discuss why you wish to pursue a graduate degree in mathematics. So this generally involves talking about why you got interested in math, what you did as an undergrad. and then what you wish to accomplish after grad. school. Also if at all possible you would mention why you wish to attend the school to which this personal statement will be sent.
It should go without saying that you will want to write many versions of you personal statement. There should be no spelling or grammar errors, you have at least 2 months to work on it, so any errors reflect poorly upon you (especially if you misspell a faculty member's name). You should also try to have as many people read your statement as possible, and provide you with actual criticism. The worst that can happen is that they find a mistake or suggest a way to improve your statement.
By this point you should understand that the personal statement is quite important. And you most likely don't have any experience writing one. I mean sure you have written papers for classes before, but how many of those would you be willing to rest you hopes of admission upon? Well here is a site that can help point you in the right direction.
Recommendation Letters:
I doubt that there is a single accredited program that won't ask for recommendation letters. And if you manage to find one...then I suggest you take a much much closer look.
Well this is your last year as an undergraduate, and you have hopefully talked to a faculty member or two (understatement) in you time. Well this is where it finally pays off (just kidding, having a relationship with past professors is always a good thing).
Don't underestimate the importance of a strong recommendation. Some admissions personnel say that this is the most important part of the application. The opinion of one's peers can go a long way. Suppose there are two students both who are almost identical in all other areas. However, in one student's recommendation letters their profess says
"This student is as talented as Gauss was at their age."
While the other student was only described as
"A wonderful student with great potential."
Who do you think will be more likely to get acceptance letter?
That being said, it is obvious that you should ask professors with whom you feel will be able to provide strong recommendation letters. If you've made it to you last year and you can't think of any professor that meets this requirement, then you should really consider why you are even applying to graduate school.
Additional FundingWouldn't it be nice to have a little money for living expenses? This is where fellowships come into play. The simplest (though incorrect) way to describe fellowships is that they are basically scholarships for graduate and post-graduate students.
The process for applying for fellowships is more or less the same as that for applying to schools, well most of the time. Therefore, I won't say anything about applying for them. But you will find
this site provided by NYU useful in your fellowship search. One thing that should be mentioned, in most cases fellowships are more competitive than schools, no disrespect to any school out there.
Well that's it for part 2, stay tuned for part 3.
