Megumi Asada ’17, a former AWM officer, wrote the following short guide to applying to graduate school in math from Williams. They are currently teaching high school math through a teaching nonprofit called Blue Engine. The following year, they will be studying math at Cambridge on a Herchel Smith Fellowship. Feel free to contact them with questions!
I’ve found that a lot of information about applying has been word-of-mouth and can often feel like privileged information among those already in math circles or those who have “an in” at prestigious graduate departments. I thought that it might be helpful to share my experience of navigating the application process as a complete beginner.
- Creating a list & getting motivated
- Preparing for & taking the exams
- Applying & writing applications
- Costs & financing
- Visiting grad schools
4. COSTS & FINANCING
Funding Opportunities:
Within Williams
- Allison Davis/Mellon Mays:
- Can get various application fees waived (check individual school websites)
- Typically Williams funds a van for each cohort to take the GRE
- The Career Center’s Graduate School Grant
- Max $500 in funding; need to submit quick form with cost estimates
Big Academic Alliance: very quick application for fee waivers for U.S. citizens to a decent number of schools; may have priority application deadline:
Participating Schools as of Spring 2017:
- University of Chicago
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Indiana University
- University of Iowa
- University of Maryland
- University of Michigan
- Michigan State University
- University of Minnesota
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln
- Northwestern University
- Ohio State (otherwise $5 app fee)
- Pennsylvania State University
- Purdue University
- Rutgers University
Some of the schools above will ask you to individually apply to a fee waiver at their school. Some will waive based on participation in certain groups or scholarships including but by no means limited to: Gates Millennium Scholars, SACNAS, ADRF/MMURF, SMALL, MARC, McNair, Howard Hughes, COR Program; as well as students with demonstrated need on Pell Grants or via FAFSA/CSS profile.
Costs:
- GRE General Exam: $205
- GRE Math Subject Exam: $150 ($300 if you take it twice)
- Application Costs to Individual Schools: $70-90/school
Less Obvious Costs:
- Transport to and from exam sites
- Sending scores to schools