Columbia University
Physics
RejectedPhDAmerican
Application Details
- Institution
- Columbia University
- Program
- Physics
- Degree Type
- PhD
- Degree's Country of Origin
- American
- Decision
- Rejected
- Notification
- on 13/03/2025 via E-mail
- Undergrad GPA
- 3.97
- GRE General
- Not provided
- GRE Verbal
- Not provided
- Analytical Writing
- 0.00
- Notes
- Email to check portal. Year three. Three full cycles of rejections. Every single program, every single application—denied. Again. I graduated two years ago from a T10 university with a B.Sc. in physics and mathematics with a minor in physical chemistry. Eight years of research experience in high-energy theory and experiment—two at a university while still in high school, four during undergrad, and two more post-graduation. I took two semesters of graduate-level coursework as an undergrad. Spent summers in three NSF REU programs, attended a summer school in high-energy theory, and another in experimental particle physics. Completed a year-long senior thesis on top of my ongoing research at my home university. Published multiple papers, five first author. Presented at three undergraduate research symposia, two mixed symposia, and two major conferences. Three years as a teaching assistant in undergrad. The last year spent as a physics instructor at a community college. Like an 880 on the PGRE. This cycle, I changed everything. New essays, a reworked CV, three entirely different recommenders, a new fourth recommender. It didn’t matter. The outcome was the same. I have no idea what else I could have done. No idea what I’m missing. No idea if there was ever a path forward in the first place, or if I was just clinging to the illusion of one. Physics doesn’t want me. I get it now. Good luck to everyone else. If you aren't Vishnu himself you evidently aren't good enough for physics.
Institution Statistics
Acceptance Rate
40.3%
Avg. Notification Date
March 15
This data is estimated based on applicant submissions at The GradCafe.
Timeline
Received notification of Rejection