What's after undergrad? Advice needed.

Question

I'm currently a rising senior at a small, yet well ranked liberal arts college studying Pure Mathematics. I've taken multiple high level mathematics courses and plan on doing a few more independent studies before graduating.

I'm not sure where to go next. I don't think I qualify for a PhD program, as I only have a 3.5 major GPA (3.3 cumulative) and do not feel that I will do well enough on the GRE. Similarly, I have no research experience (even though I applied for REUs).

I'm thinking of applying to an Applied Math program at a larger university to segway myself into an industry job.

My adviser seems to think I could easily get some sort of math based government job, but I am highly doubtful. Also, it seems to me that having a masters degree would make me much more marketable.

I could really use some advise here. Thank you.

Edit: I think there has been some good advice given to me. I'm just not sure what to do at this point.

Edit #2: The most disheartening thing is that one of my advisers hinted that he does not think graduate school is for me. This has really upset me and has really killed my confidence.

Answer 1

It is hard to give very specific advice when we don't know you that well. You say that your GPA is 3.5. That certainly is not the wall that separates you from a graduate program in mathematics. Remember that there are smaller graduate programs out there that do not require high GPA.

It sounds a bit like you just need to believe in your self. If you don't take the GRE because you don't think you will do well, then you have already failed. Some times you have to trust that the academic advisors if they believe in you. If you advisor says that you probably can get a government job, then believe it and work for it. Don't let your doubts in yourself stand in the way of trying. And if you try and fail, then don't give up. How do you think the Allied won the Second World War?

IMO the key things that you need to figure out are

1) Do you like doing mathematics?

In my experience your you have to like mathematics for what it is to enjoy graduate school. You can, of course, not like it and just be so highly motivated by something else, but in general I would say that you have to see the value in math itself.

2) Are you lazy?

Completing a graduate program requires hard work for most people. Are you willing to put in the hours. If you doubt your talents, then that just means that you might need to work harder than other people. When I see people fail in graduate school it is rarely because they are not smart enough. It is usually because they were not willing to put in the hours.

3) What do you want do end up doing?

It sounds like you might be interested in working in industry. You might go to some career fairs and have a chat with various companies. Investment firms and bank all hire mathematicians. The oil and gas industry as well. Could you see yourself as a teacher? What level? The answer to this question will say a bit about what direction in mathematics you might want to take. It sounds like you are leaning towards applied mathematics.

Answer 2

First, don't write off the Ph.D. so casually. I know plenty of successful Ph.D.s whose undergraduate GPA was far lower than yours, whose transcripts included "C"s and "D"s. If you're interested enough in math to think you want a Ph.D., then there's probably a way to do it. Second, doing the master's thing can be a good idea to help you sort all this out. You'll have a year or two to learn more math, learn more about how academia works, and make connections which can help with furthering your grad and post-grad career. Choose a school carefully, and look into funding options. You might want to consider a bigger place--say a state university somewhere--where there are more likely to be people connected to the world of math at large. Such connections can help with furthering you career, whether it be industrial, academic, or ??? Finally, learn to program in several important languages: C, C++, Java, PHP, Python etc. You can probably start taking programming classes right now, and segue into more advanced stuff in grad school. Programmers are now in great demand and will be for some time, I'll warrant. And, I think, being able to program as well as understand deeper mathemtatics is a good combination.

Best of luck with these tough decisions. If you have any questions, leave a comment and I'll try to get back to you.

Note added Friday 27 June 2014 10:58 AM PST: I thought a lot about your situation and my response while I was at work yesterday and today, and I'd like to add a few more remarks. First of all, I think it behooves one in your position to know that there are a great many ways to approach graduate school, both in terms of program and funding. And I think more options will open up for you if you can get yourself into a big school in urban area with lots of work available, both on and off campus. I live near UC Berkeley, and this area is sort of a model for what I have in mind: there are many colleges and tech businesses in the area that can provide work for grad students; you might also take into consideration that, having been at a small school in (what appears to me to be) an isolated place, the change of pace/lifestyle provided by a more urban environment might serve to expand your horizons and open your mind to new experiences which you can exploit to further your academic/intellectual goals. As for funding: this is an extremely important aspect of graduate study, a fact of which you seem to be aware, judging by your post and comments.

NB: I must hurry now since the closure demons are hovering over this question. So think on a scenario like this one: get a job in industry in an area with a good school; get in an M.S. program part time, often your company will help pay for this; use what you learn to make connections, look for and carefully plan your nest move. Might be fun! You can email me if you want to hear more. Check my user page for the address. Best of Luck, and Let your Love of Mathematics be your Guide!

Hope this helps. Cheers,

and as always,

Fiat Lux!!!