Q&A for Fall 2025 Physics PhD Applicants

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1	Fall 2025 UW-Madison Physics PhD Applicant Q&A Feel free to enter questions in Column A; Sharon will enter answers in Column B (updated and new responses will be entered at least once a week, usually on Fridays)
2	Questions	Answers
3	Can I apply to both PhD and MSPQC? How are those applications handled?	Admissions for PhD and MSPQC are considered separately as the two programs are very different in nature. Decisions are made independently. You are welcome to apply to up to 3 programs for the same ($75) application fee.
4	How much GPA is weighed in the admission process?	Applications are reviewed holistically and no single data point is weighted more or less than another. Multiple reviewers read each application, thus insuring that we maintain this holistic approach.

5	Is it possible for students to start doing research right in the first-year ?	Students start research once they connect with an advisor, although much of the first 2 years is often taken up with coursework.
6		Now, please!
7	Should I reach out to a prospective advisor beforehand?	You can definitely reach out to faculty beforehand. We recommend being specific in that communication so that they don't just ignore it.
8	Is it okay to switch research interest once you are in the program?	Absolutely! The research area that you indicate you're interested in on your application is not a committment in any way.
9	Any advice about the Statement of Purpose?	The Statement of Purpose serves many functions. It's your only opportunity to "talk" to the admissions commitee. (Transcripts are dry and letters of recommendation are someone else's voice!) Use that opportunity to express your enthusiasm for Physics and your reasons for wanting to pursue a PhD. Talk about your past research experiences and your plans/interest for future research. You'll have an opportunity in the application to indicate faculty who share your research interests, but it doesn't hurt to mention them in the statement, too. It also serves as a writing sample. While we have no formal page limit, we recommend not exceeding 2 pages.
10	Does it help to have the recommendation letters submitted before the deadline?	Yes. Not only does it help, but your application will otherwise be considered incomplete and won't be reviewed. All materials should be submitted by 15 December. Remind your recommenders as often as you need to get those in on time.
11	How many reference letters does the admissions committee read?	We require 3 so reviewers will at least read three. We don't recommend it, but you can submit four. We can't promise they will read all four. Do not submit more than that.
12	Do GRE scores have to be sent officially?	If you are submitting subject GRE scores (they are optional), we DO need official scores.
13	What's the timing like for the admissions process?	Applications are due 15 December. Faculty will begin reviewing them very soon after. We hope to have decisions out by the end of January. Admitted applicants are invited to visit campus in early March. Decisions are due April 15.
14	Does the Physics department provide application fee waivers?	The Department of Physics is not able to provide application fee waivers, but we encourage you to apply for a fee grant from the Graduate School if you qualify. You can learn about the Graduate School fee grants here: https://grad.wisc.edu/apply/fee-grant/
15	For international graduate students, are there any implicit additional English proficiency requirements set by the Department of Physics beyond the minimum scores established by the graduate school (TOEFL iBT: 92, IELTS: 7.0, IELTS Indicator: 7.0, Duolingo English Test: 125), such as a specific speaking subscore?	Yes - it's not hard and fast (i.e., we don't automatically reject any application!), but we look for a TOEFL Speak score >24.
16	Will the Department of Physics assign Teaching Assistant (TA) positions to students immediately upon entering the university, or recommend that they complete a specific training program beforehand?	We provide TA training in the 2 weeks prior to the start of the fall semester. International students also have access to a summer International TA training course.
17	What background knowledge does the Department of Physics expect students to have? Are there any recommended textbook references available?	The most successful graduate students enter the PhD program with a solid foundation in undergraduate level Physics, particularly in Classical Mechanics, Statistical Mechanics, Electricity & Magnetism and Quantum Mechanics.
18	How much time before the deadline of December 15 should a PhD-program candidate submit the application so that it can be checked for completeness, as mentioned in the Open House?	Sharon usually checks applications for completeness right around Thanksgiving (late Nov).
19	The university I previously attended offers multiple required courses (I & II) in Quantum Mechanics, Classical Mechanics, Statistical Mechanics, and Electricity and Magnetism. How should I fill out the background knowledge section for these subjects in the application system?	The background knowledge section is intended to gather information about your advanced undergraduate coursework. Does that help?
20	The Statment of Purpose and the supplemental question "How have your background and life experiences, including cultural, geographical, financial, educational, or other opportunities or challenges motivated your decision to pursue a graduate degree a the University of Wisconsin-Madison?" do not have a given word limit? What is the general expectation on their length?	The question about background and life experiences is intended to give you an opportunity to tell us a bit of your story and what led you to apply for graduate work in Physics. No more than 1-2 paragraphs is a good target length for this, but write more if you need to. While we have no formal page limit for the Statement of Purpose, we recommend not exceeding 2 pages. (see above for another question about the Statement of Purpose).
21	Do I need to use a department code when submitting my TOEFL and GRE scores to the University of Wisconsin–Madison via the ETS website?	No - you simply need the institution code. The UW-Madison institution code is 1846.
22	Does holding a master’s degree in physics increase the likelihood of being admitted to the PhD program in the Department of Physics?	We review all applications holistically, reviewing each applicant's background. As a result, no one single qualification specifically increases the likelihood of admission.
23	Is it acceptable to contact multiple advisors simultaneously when inquiring about research opportunities?	Yes, it's fine to reach out to any faculty who share your research interests.
24	How many hours per week does a typical graduate student spend on teaching assistant responsibilities?	Most of our TAs hold 50% appointments, which average 20 hours per week. Note that this is an average and some weeks are more TA-work-intensive than others.
25	What is the Department of Physics’ perspective on generative AI? Does the department view it as a tool to enhance students' studies and research careers, or does it believe it may hinder learning opportunities?	https://it.wisc.edu/generative-ai-uw-madison-use-policies/
26	What is the crime rate like around the University of Wisconsin–Madison campus?	I recommend that you take a look at the UW Police website - https://uwpd.wisc.edu/
27	Is there a specific limit on the number of students admitted to each research area?	No specific limits. Every year, we work to get a solid sense of where there are research opportunities and aim to admit to areas proportional to that need. That said, students quite frequently change their research focus from what was indicated in the application, so it's an imperfect exercise, at best!
28		While these two statements can be similar, they are intended to provide slightly different avenues for applicants to “talk” to the committee. The document upload for the Statement of Purpose is intended to be a more traditional “here’s my background in physics and why I’m excited about doing this sort of physics in the future”. The text box on the Physics PhD tab is intended to provide an opportunity for more personal reflection on the general life experiences that have led you to want to come to grad school. In other words, the former is more about your science and the latter is more about other experiences that have influenced your decision
29	Is the 3.0 GPA an absolute limit, or would you consider people with lower GPAs who are otherwise well qualified?	We review all applications holistically, reviewing each applicant's background. As a result, no one single qualification automatically disqualifies an applicant. That said, the Department would be required by the Graduate School to make a case for admitting a student with a GPA<3.0 as that is a Graduate School admission requirement.
30	Approximately how long would you prefer the SoP to be?	While we have no formal page limit, we recommend not exceeding 2 pages.
31	My name on official English transcript as well as offical Korean transcript is 'Surname + Given name'. Should I ask to the office in my university and change the order of the name into U.S. style, 'Given name + Surname'?	No need to change your documents.
32	Are there PhD students that did not have physics background as undergrad? How are gaps in knowledge/instruction handled?	We do not require a formal physics background and every student has some gaps in knowledge. Our goal is to admit applicants who, from their application, appear to have a potential to succeed in graduate school. If the gaps in knowledge and instruction appear to be too great, we encourage applicants to complete additional coursework and apply again in a future cycle when they are better prepared.
33	Do I need to include my experience of being a visiting research student in an institution where I did not take courses (in the education background)?	In the education background, you only need to include institutions where you have a transcript.
34	Could the potential advisor access all applicants that express interest with them in the SoP? Or they can only see a shortlist of applications that are selected by the admissions committee?	All Physics faculty have access to all applications. I encourage you to not only mention faculty of interest in your SoP, but also in the Physics PhD portion of the application where you are invited to list faculty of interest.
35	Is an early submitted application reviewed earlier?	Early submissions are only reviewed for completeness. All complete applications are reviewed for content only after the December 15 deadline.
36	How do I check whether or not I need to provide proof of English proficiency?	https://grad.wisc.edu/apply/requirements/
37	How flexible is the curriculum in terms of electives and interdisciplinary courses?	Students have the option to take a wide range of courses from across campus. That said, the required coursework in Physics keeps students fairly busy in the first 2 years.
38	What is the university’s association with the IceCUBE collaboration? Do grad students actively participate in this?	https://wipac.wisc.edu/ https://wipac.wisc.edu/science/projects/icecube/
39	When we apply to multiple programs, are our recommenders going to have to submit their letters multiple times?	Submitted recommendations do not carry over from one application to the next. If applying to multiple programs that require recommendations, your recommender(s) will need to upload a new recommendation for each application you submit.
40	When would we get our decisions for admissions by?	We try to have decisions sent by early February.
41	Is there anything that would have an application ignored or thrown out?	All applications that are complete by December 15 will be reviewed by the Admissions Committee.
42	What active research does UW-Madison Physics do concerning (fill in the blank!)?	You can learn about all of the different research areas that are active in the Physics Department at UW-Madison here: https://www.physics.wisc.edu/research/
43	Would you consider waiving GRE test?	The Department of Physics does not require the subject GRE for admission. However, if students submit the score, the admissions committee will review it as part of the application. The general GRE will not be considered even if submitted. The subject GRE is recommended in these circumstances: Your transcript does not accurately reflect your academic strengths If including the score would significantly strengthen your application You are particularly interested in pursuing Physics Theory as a research focus
44	In case that I am accepted, and have chosen a PhD research advisor, but the advisor left the university. How would the Physics Department accommodate me?	The Physics Dept admits students to the program - not to work directly with a specific research advisor. In all cases, we work with students to help connect with a research advisor who shares your research interests.
45	Applications with TOEFL score 80-91 are allowed/admitted?	The Graduate School requires a TOEFL score of 92 or higher. We are discouraged from admitting applicants with a lower TOEFL score.
46	In our graduate application, we mention about our research interests and the professors we wish to work with. Could you clarify if the availability of funding with those professors affect our application or if it is addressed later when the student completes their courseworks?	The faculty you list in your application do not represent a committment on either side - yours or the faculty member's. Once students connect with individual faculty, they discuss funding specifics. All admitted applicants are guaranteed 5 years of funding. Depending on faculty research funds, some of those semesters might be RA and some might be TA.
47	Do you recommend including a transcript for a USPAS graduate level course taken as an undergraduate where my GPA was lower?	It's helpful to have transcripts for all post-secondary work.
48	Are there lab rotations?	No, students in the Physics PhD program do not formally rotate through labs. That said, many do rotate informally as they explore their research options.
49	What courses do you offer in Astronomy and how many can I take?	https://www.astro.wisc.edu/
50	Do we have faulty member working on 2D materials and application?	https://www.physics.wisc.edu/research/
51	How does the physics faculty support women-identified PhD students? What are some initiatives/ organizations available?	The Department works hard to support ALL students in the program but we recognize that there are unique challenges to being a minoritized group. The Department supports (both financially and otherwise) a graduate student organization that focuses on this: GMaWiP is the Gender Minorities and Women in Physics group - https://gmawip.physics.wisc.edu/
52	How much of our statement of purpose should we talk about things on our CV?	See above for advice on the Statement of Purpose.
53	Information about physics program and research facilities	https://www.physics.wisc.edu/research/
54	If we are applying to both the physics and astronomy programs, should we indicate that in our personal statements?	You are welcome to indicate it, although we'll see that you've applied to both programs from our side, too.
55	What kind of person will thrive at UW-Madison? What is like to live in the Madison area? Do different groups collaborate?	https://gradlife.wisc.edu/
56	Can we just self-report GRE subject score?	Yes, self-reported scores are fine for the application. We will request official scores from those applicants who are offered admission.
57	I would like to knwo whether the unofficial transcripts are accepted for the application.	Yes, unofficial transcripts are fine for the application. Those applicants who are offered admission will be required to submit official transcripts before the Graduate School can finalize admission.
58	The most recent virtual session recording is locked behind a password. What is the password, or can you remove it?	please try it again! If you still have trouble, please email me (smkahn@wisc.edu) so I can help troubleshoot.
59	My GRE subject score (officially sent by ETS) thus not appear on the 'MyStatus' page, even after a few weeks of report. Should I need to email to the department?	If you submitted your GRE and are not seeing it, please do email us (physgrad@physics.wisc.edu). We'll be able to look into it and see where your score is.
60	If my fall semester grades do not appear on my transcript, should I upload a new version once they're finalized?	Given that none of our applicants will have fall grades on the transcript they submit, we are not looking for this information initially.
61	where do we submit responses to the supplemental question?	Applicants should find these in the application in the Physics PhD-specific section. If you are a current graduate student, see Sharon's instructional PDF for a link.
62	"Machine Learning and AI" is not in the dropdown list for research area choices on the 'Physics PhD' tab of the application. How do I indicate this as one of my choices?	Pick the area that most relates to your interests and discuss ML and AI in your Statement.
63	Will a recommender see if I choose to exclude them after they submitted?	Not sure of the question - are you concerned that the admissions committee will see that you included and then, later, excluded a recommender? If you're concerned about the recommender, I'm not sure what would prompt them to re-visit the system - and they might not be able to if they have been removed as a recommender.
64	Does "Are you applying for loans or work study?" include financial support like TAship?	We consider all applicants for TA/RA support.
65	Should I address the one or two bad grades I have due to external circumstances in my statement of purpose, given my grades in other core courses are decent?	It's often wise to remove questions by addressing/acknowledging things like a few bad grades. Without any explanation, admissions committee members are left to draw their own conclusions . Providing context can improve the accuracy of these conclusions.
66	For international graduate students, are there any implicit additional English proficiency requirements set by the Department of Physics beyond the minimum scores established by the graduate school (TOEFL iBT: 92, IELTS: 7.0, IELTS Indicator: 7.0, Duolingo English Test: 125), such as a specific speaking subscore?	Our goal is to admit students who can succeed in the Physics PhD program at UW-Madison which is entirely in English. Applicants with a TOEFl < 92 and Speak subscore < 24 (and the IELTS/Duolingo equivalents) have commonly struggled in this program. While these are not hard minima, we do use them as very influential guidelines when making admissions decisions.
67	Can I submit my final grades for the Fall 2024 semester even after I have already submitted my application? My final grades come out after the application deadline	This is true for nearly every applicant. If we select you for admission, we'll require an updated, official transcript at that time.
68	Can we submit the online application before recommender submit the recommendation letters?	Yes, you can submit your application before your recommenders submit their letters.
69	How many complete applications have you receivced?	900+
70	Is there any chance the application gets reviewed if the recommendation letters are submitted after the deadline?
71	How many students will be admitted for fall 2025?
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