Questions Frequently Asked by Graduate-level Physics Degree Program Applicants

Before consulting this FAQ page, prospective students should have read the main information page for Graduate Program Applicants

General Questions What fraction of admitted applicants receive Assistantships? Is my chance of admission improved if I don't request an Assistantship?

How can I know if I will receive full-time or half-time support during the summer?

What is the level of first-year graduate classes? Since I already have a Master's degree in physics, can I skip some of the first-year graduate classes?

I have passed the Candidacy Exam at another US university, but now I want to transfer to Kent State. Do I need to take the Candidacy Exam again?

Questions about Application Process What is the advantage of using the Online Application?

How do I get a PIN number for the Online Application?

I have tried repeatedly to access the "Apply Now" Online Application page without success.

May I submit photocopies or scanned copies of my transcript or of my GRE or TOEFL scores?

When instructing ETS about sending scores directly to Kent State, what Department Code and Institution Code should I use?

What is the minimum score you require on the Physics GRE?

I have been granted a waiver of the application fee, but the Online Application system still prompts me to pay the fee by credit card.

I need to use the paper-based application method, and I have been granted a waiver of the application fee. Do I need to enclose a note to indicate that fact?

There are seemingly contradictory instruction in various places on what postal address to use for hardcopy application materials, and also different lists of application materials required by the physics department.

A paper application form for all of Kent State University gives an earlier deadline than the physics website. My GRE and one of my letters of recommendation will not arrive before the deadline. Will I still be considered?

Letters of Recommendation How do I tell the Online System to e-mail my recommenders and prompt them to submit their letters?

To what e-mail address should e-letters of recommendation be sent?

What is the physics department's policy on use of the Kent State Letter of Recommendation form?

International only How soon can I come if I apply immediately and I am accepted?

I have looked over the Kent State Physics website, and I'm very interested in the research done by Prof. X. I would like to apply immediately to begin PhD research in Prof. X's group. Is this possible?

The university where I did my bachelor's degree does not use GPA, and does not convert our marks into equivalent GPA. Is this a problem?

Is my 3-year B.Sc. degree accepted as equivalent to a Bachelors degree from a US university?

What are the guidelines for filling out the Financial Information Worksheet?

I took the TOEFL some years ago. Do I need to take it again?

I am a foreign applicant, but I have already completed a Master's degree at a university in the US. Do I still need to take the TOEFL?

 

General Questions

What fraction of admitted applicants receive Assistantships? Is my chance of admission improved if I don't request an Assistantship? Normally, we do not offer admission to US or international applicants unless we are able to provide an Assistantship and a full tuition scholarship. Sometimes an applicant already has a special fellowship or has an agreement with an employer who will support the applicant's graduate education either part-time or full-time. Of course, we look very favorably on applications of this kind, and we will "go the extra mile" to help such applicants to meet our academic criteria for admission into our graduate-level physics degree programs. Applicants in this particular situation are normally not required to have taken the Physics GRE exam.   How can I know if I will receive full-time or half-time support during the summer? The physics department provides every student on a teaching assistantship with support for 1.5 months during the summer. That means every student gets at least $21,000 for the 12 months beginning September 2009. Many of our students get the full three months of support in the summer, bringing their stipend to $24,000 for 12 months. In order for a first-year student to get 12 months of support rather than the minimum of 10.5 months, he/she needs to have an individual agreement with a professor who has grant funding and is seeking to recruit a new student in his/her group. In this scenario, the first-year student would do introductory research half-time in this professor's group during the summer. It is up to the initiative of the individual student to arrange this, and it typically would be arranged during spring preceding the summer term in question.   What is the level of first-year graduate classes? Since I already have a Master's degree in physics, can I skip some of the first-year graduate classes? The level of first-year graduate classes is intended for physics majors who have graduated with a BS degree from a typical US college or university. Admitted applicants who already have a Master's degree and are seeking a PhD Physics degree, are invited and encouraged to take our diagnostic Candidacy Exam in late August, immediately upon entering our program. Based on the results of this exam, an entering student and his/her curriculum advisor will normally tailor an appropriately shortened schedule of classes.   I have passed the Candidacy Exam at another US university, but now I want to transfer to Kent State. Do I need to take the Candidacy Exam again? Beginning in fall 2007, our department adopted a new policy whereby we will consider accepting the Candidacy Exam results from another US university on a case-by-case basis.

 

Questions about Application Process

What is the advantage of using the Online Application? The online system is faster and more convenient for most applicants. The first step of the online application is for you to create a Login ID and a password (in the form of a 6-digit PIN code). Once you have done this, you can login any time and enter information. This avoids the need to enter all information in a single session. Also, after you complete the on-line application, you can login later to check the status of your file, and the website will let you know when paper documents have been received. The online system also sends you automatic e-mail reminders every couple of weeks to let you know if some expected documents are still missing.   How do I get a PIN number for the Online Application? The first time you visit the Online Application webpage, you choose a PIN number for yourself   I have tried repeatedly to access the "Apply Now" Online Application page without success. We understand that in the past, applicants using computers on certain university campuses in Asia experienced problems caused by firewall security settings on their campus. We believe that this problem is now fixed. If you click on the "Apply Now" button and always get an error message, please notify us immediately by e-mail to physgradprogram.   May I submit photocopies or scanned copies of my transcript or of my GRE or TOEFL scores? University rules require official hardcopy transcripts to be sent by postal mail. University rules also require GRE and TOEFL scores to be sent directly to us from ETS. Please be aware that it can take 4 to 6 weeks for delivery of scores from ETS to us. If your application is mostly complete and the main missing item is GRE (or TOEFL for foreign applicants), the Admissions Committee of the Kent State physics department wants to be informed of your scores (via physgradprogram) as soon as you know them.   When instructing ETS about sending scores directly to Kent State, what Department Code and Institution Code should I use? The Department Code you specify should not matter, but if you are forced to pick something, use 0808. The Institution Code for Kent State University is 1367 (to minimize the chance of a mistake, if possible select by name rather than number).   What is the minimum score you require on the Physics GRE? There is no definite minimum score. We take many factors into account when interpreting an applicant's Physics GRE score.   I have been granted a waiver of the application fee, but the Online Application system still prompts me to pay the fee by credit card. Make sure that all pages have been completely filled-out and that you have gone as far as possible with your online application. Then logout when you are prompted to pay.   I need to use the paper-based application method, and I have been granted a waiver of the application fee. Do I need to enclose a note to indicate that fact? It is a good idea to do this. Note that if you submit an application for a graduate-level physics degree program on paper forms and request a waiver of the application fee via a letter included with your application (instead of by e-mail), then your request will generally not be seen by the physics department, and in that case, your waiver request cannot be considered.   There are seemingly contradictory instruction in various places on what postal address to use for hardcopy application materials, and also different lists of application materials required by the physics department. The definitive list of Physics Degree Program requirements is the one on the physics website. Please ignore out-of-date information that might still be found somewhere else, especially on older paper application forms. If you apply online using this link, you can be assured that the instructions are current, and this is the recommended way to apply. If you cannot apply online and need to use the paper-based application method, we recommend that you download the most up-to-date version of the forms. However, the bottom line is that if you accidentally mail materials to somewhere other than the recommended address on our campus (e.g., send international materials to the address for US citizens), there is no need to worry or to send again; the worst that will happen is a short delay in getting your documents to the correct office.   A paper application form for all of Kent State University gives a different deadline than the physics website. My GRE and one of my letters of recommendation will not arrive before the deadline. Will I still be considered? The only relevant information about when physics degree program applicants need to submit their materials is the information given on the physics website. It is not required that all items for inclusion in the file (like letters of recommendation) must arrive before the given date. However, if some of the missing materials add significant strength to your application and if they are delayed too long, your chance to be offered admission might be reduced.

 

Letters of Recommendation

How do I tell the Online System to e-mail my recommenders and prompt them to submit their letters? The system we used prior to fall 2007 incorporated this feature, but our present newer system requires you to request your recommenders to send us their letters. They may send letters electronically or they may send hardcopy letters to the same address where you send your transcript. At two-week intervals, you will receive an automatic e-mail reminder to let you know if any expected documents are still missing, and if one of your expected letters is missing, you will be notified which one. You may also login with your ID and PIN to check this status at any time.   To what e-mail address should e-letters of recommendation be sent? Gradapps@kent.edu for US citizens and residents, and oia@kent.edu for international applicants.   What is the physics department's policy on use of the Kent State Letter of Recommendation form? If your recommender plans to send a paper letter, he/she is free to use the form or not, whichever is preferred by you and/or the recommender. If your recommender plans to send an e-letter, the form should definitely be ignored.

 

International Only

How soon can I come if I apply immediately and I am accepted? International applications are initially processed by our university-wide Office of International Affairs.  When all the required documents have been received and the application file is complete, it is forwarded to the Admissions Committee of the physics department for a decision on admission.  Most admitted PhD students start in our program at the beginning of the Fall semester each year (August).  Students who begin in August typically have submitted their application documents around January that year.   I have looked over the Kent State Physics website, and I'm very interested in the research done by Prof. X. I would like to apply immediately to begin PhD research in Prof. X's group. Is this possible? The Master's and PhD physics programs in some countries do indeed work this way. However, physics departments at US universities normally do not admit new students into a specific research group. Like at nearly every university in the US, the physics students we admit at Kent State do mostly course work in their first year, and do not choose an official PhD advisor until their second year. However, there are possibilities to do some research "on the side" during the first year if a student wishes to do that. When the time comes for a student to select a PhD research advisor, a specific professor might, or might not, be in a position to take on a new PhD advisee in his/her group. However, at any point in time, a student seeking a PhD research advisor can expect to have a good variety options, including options in the same research area as the original "Professor X".   The university where I did my bachelor's degree does not use GPA, and does not convert our marks into equivalent GPA. Is this a problem? No problem. Our Office of International Affairs is very knowledgeable about grading and assessment at universities around the world. You do not need to convert your marks to equivalent GPA. Just send your official transcript to us, and we will assess your record according to the standards used at your home university.   Is my 3-year B.Sc. degree accepted as equivalent to a Bachelors degree from a US university? Three-year B.Sc. degrees from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and from certain Canadian institutions are not accepted by the State of Ohio as equivalent, and an applicant holding one of these B.Sc. degrees is required to also have a Master's degree in order to qualify for graduate admission.   What are the guidelines for filling out the Financial Information Worksheet? The university requires this worksheet mostly because some departments offer admission without much financial aid. Since physics offers everyone who is admitted an Assistantship and a full tuition scholarship, the worksheet numbers are not so important for our applicants. However, you still need to submit this form. Original documents are not needed, and you may submit e-mail attachments. Applicants should demonstrate that they have (or can borrow) enough to pay for their travel to come to Kent, Ohio. When new students arrive, they receive $500 almost immediately and then their first assistantship payment comes on September 15. Applicants should demonstrate that they have sufficient financial resources to handle this situation.   I took the TOEFL some years ago. Do I need to take it again? If more than two years have passed since you took the TOEFL test, university rules require you to take it again. However, see also the answer to the next question.   I am a foreign applicant, but I have already completed a Master's degree at a university in the US. Do I still need to take the TOEFL? If you will have completed two or more years of study in the US at the time of your requested enrollment at Kent State University, then you are exempt from the TOEFL requirement.

Last Updated:  September 16, 2008