FAQs for Concentrators (2024)

If you have any feedback on these questions/answers, or if you would like a new question added to this list, please contact Anna Klales

CONCENTRATION:
1. When are Howard Georgi's and Anna Klales's office hours?
2. How do I sign up to be a Physics or Chem/Phys concentrator?
3. Who are my fellow concentrators?
4. How does the Physics Dept advising system work?
5. Who approves my Crimson Cart?
6. How is the level of honors calculated for graduating seniors?
7. Can I take Astro 191r instead of Physics 191r?
8. Do cross-listed courses count for concentration credit?
9. How can I tell if a course counts for concentration credit?

SECONDARIES:
1. Which fields offer secondaries?
2. How does a secondary field affect my honors calculation?
3. How do I remove a course from counting for concentration?

MASTER'S:
1. How does the Concurrent Master's program work?
2. How does double counting work?

RESEARCH:
1. How do I find a lab to work in?
2. How do I sign up for Phys 90r or 91r?
3. Can I get paid for doing research during the academic year?
4. How do apply for summer research jobs?
5. How do I go about writing a thesis?

GRAD SCHOOL:
1. How can I study for the Physics GRE?
2. What fellowships are available for grad school?
3. Do graduate schools want me to have research experience?
4. Whom should I ask to write my rec letters?
5. How many schools should I apply to? Where should I apply?
6. Do I have to know exactly what subfield I want to pursue? <
7. What should I write about in my "personal statement"?
8. What do grad schools base their admissions on?
9. Which is more important, the overall quality of a school, or the specific professor you end up working for?
10. How important is it to visit schools that I'm admitted to?
11. Can I take year off before grad school?

JOBS:
1. Are there grading/CA positions available for undergrads?
3. How do I get paid?

MISCELLANEOUS:
1. How does study abroad work?
2. How do I go about obtaining letters of recommendation?
3. How do I cross register at MIT?

_______________________________________________________________________________

CONCENTRATION:

1. When are Howard Georgi's and Anna Klales's office hours?
   Howard Georgi's office hours are here.
   Anna Klales's office hours are here.
   David Morin's office hours are here.
   
2. How do I sign up to be a Physics or Chem/Phys concentrator?
   The deadline for choosing a concentration is in Octoberof your sophom*ore year. In September, Anna Klales will send an email to the SPS list with details about how to schedule a 20 minute meeting with her to sign up for the concentration. The signup process consists of going over the plan of study, choosing an advisor, filling out some minor paperwork, and discussing other concentration issues. Try to think of three possible advisors before the meeting.

   Upperclass students: If you want to change your concentration to Physics or Chem/Phys, just email Anna Klales to set up a meeting time (outside office hours, ideally, because those can get hectic).
   

3. Who are my fellow concentrators?
   See our Society of Physics Students (SPS) website!
   
4. How does the Physics Dept advising system work?
   All Physics and Chem/Phys concentrators automatically have Prof. Georgi (Head Tutor) and Anna Klalesas advisors. You can talk with them about anything at any time, ranging from course selection, to future plans, to lab work, to concentration requirements. In addition, all concentrators are given another faculty advisor (who may be Prof. Georgi). More information on the advising system can be found here.
   
5. Who approves my Crimson Cart?
   Your faculty advisor approves your Crimson Cart. Please take this opportunity to talk with your advisor about classes, future plans, any research you've been doing, and anything else you want to discuss. You should email your advisor a few days before registration begins to set up a meeting time.

   Note: Prof. Georgi and Anna Klalesvery much enjoy meeting with students at the beginning of the semester. However, past experience has led to this rule: To encourage students to meet with their individual advisors, Prof. Georgi and Anna Klales will lift advising holdsonly if the student has already met with his/her individual advisor. So students should stop by their offices (either to discuss things or to just get a signature) in addition to seeing their individual advisor.
   

6. How is the level of honors calculated for graduating seniors?
   Information on how the Physics and Chem/Phys departmental honors recommendations are calculated can be found here. Note that these departmental recommendations (which are given in English: honors, high honors, highest honors) are not necessarily the same as the overall college honors degrees (which are given in Latin: cum laude, magna cum laude, summa cum laude). Everything you could ever possibly want to know about honors degrees can be found in the Student Handbook.
   
7. Can I take Astro 191r instead of Physics 191r?
   Astro 191r can be substituted for Physics 191r for the Honors Physics concentration if (1) you are a joint Physics and Astro concentrator, and/or (2) you have demonstrated a strong interest in Astro. "Strong" here means that you have taken two Astro classes, or have taken one Astro class and done some research in the field.
   
8. Do cross-listed courses count for concentration credit?
   Not necessarily. The cross-listed designation in the course catalog is fairly meaningless, so it's best to ignore it. The official list of courses that count as "Physics" or "Related" is in the Physics section of the Fields of Concentration.
   
9. How can I tell if a course counts for concentration credit?
   Check the "Physics" and "Related" lists in the Physics section of the Fields of Concentration. If you think a course should count but it's not listed there, just run it by Prof. Georgi or Anna Klales.

SECONDARIES:

1. Which fields offer secondaries?
   See the secondaries section inthe Fields of Concentration.
   
2. How does a secondary field affect my honors calculation?
   For the Physics and Chem/Phys concentrations, it doesn't affect the calculation at all. We will still follow the rule that any course that can count (as listed in the Handbook) does count. For example, if you designate four CS courses for a CS secondary (and thus remove the "conc" label from three of these on your student record, because at most one course can be double counted for a concentration and a secondary), then we will still include all four CS courses in your Physics or Chem/Phys honors calculation.
   
3. How do I remove a course from counting for concentration (when dealing with secondaries or doubles)?
   You can fill out an exception in your Academic Advising Report via:Request Exception > Move Courses > Include/Exclude. Be sure to write a note that explains the exception.

MASTER'S:

1. How does the Concurrent Master's program work?
   Undergraduates who wishto apply for this degree must file an application for the graduate program in Physics just as any other student files for graduate work at Harvard (which translates to submitting the application in December of the junior year). This application should include two letters of recommendation. The GRE is not required. The Physics Master's program is quite demanding, and only a fewstudents do it each year.The requirements can be found near the bottom of this page.
   
2. How does double counting work?
   For students pursuinga concurrent master's degree, the College requires a total of 36 courses (4more than the standard 32). Officially, this is stated as32 courses for the AB, plus 8 for the AM, but 4 can be double counted, yielding a total of 32 + 8 - 4 = 36.

   For the Physics Master's degree specifically, only TWO courses can be double counted with courses that are beingused to satisfy the AB concentration requirements. So a student doing the Honors Physics track plus the Physics Master's program needs a minimum of 13 + 8 - 2 = 19 courses.

RESEARCH:

1. How do I find a lab to work in?
   The procedure is simple and informal: Look through the faculty webpages(or by research area) to see what professors are doing things you might be interested in, and then send out one or two emails (cc the Faculty Assistant listed on the faculty page)and/or knock on doors. If this doesn't yield a positive response, then send out another one or two emails, etc. (and a repeat email to the first couple prefessors is always a reasonable thing to do). It usually doesn't take long to find something. Be sure to let the professors know what your background is (include unofficialtranscript, resume, research if any, and whatever else you think is relevant).
   
2. How do I sign up for Phys 90r or 91r?
   You should sign up for 90r (research) or 91r (reading course) on my.harvardjust like any other course. Additionally, a google form is required. AnnaKlales will periodically send the form link to the SPS list. You are expected to spend about as much time in the lab as you would in a regular course, but talk with your supervisor to see exactly what theyexpect. For more info, see the 90r/91r webpage.
   
3. Can I get paid for doing research during the academic year?
   Yes, and there are various ways to get paid. The most common route is HCRP.The money can come directly from the lab you're working in if funds happen to be available. Or it can come from the Student Employment Officevia the Faculty Aide Program and Federal Work Study. Other possibilities are also listed on the SEO's website. Note that you cannot be paid and receive 90r credit at the same time
   .
4. How do apply for summer research jobs?
   There are lots and lots of summer research opportunities out there. See this page for details.
   
5. How do I go about writing a thesis?
   First, note that a thesis is not required for the Physics or Chem/Phys concentrations. About 5-10Physics and Chem/Phys students write a thesis each year (many of these fora joint concentration). If you choose to write one, stop by Lyman 238 to discuss with Anna Klales. The theses are due roughly at the end of April. A thesis can be based on Phys 90r work or on summer research. Students normally write the thesis as part of a 90r in the spring, and the thesis grade is the 90r grade. Continual feedback from your advisor is strongly encouraged on the thesis, so it is important that you take the initiative to ensure that this happens. You should view your thesis as an opportunity to improve your scientific writing.

GRAD SCHOOL:

1. How can I study for the Physics GRE?
   Note: Many schools no longer require the Physics GRE, so most students don't take it. The following information is old, but we have kept it here in case it is useful.

   Although a few students take the Physics GRE in the spring of their junior year, most take it in September or October in their senior year. Take one of the practice exams early, so you can see what topics are covered and what the problems look like. Save at least one exam for a few days before the actual test, so you can get your mind in test-taking mode. The bulk of your studying will need to be done during the summer before your senior year, because no matter how good your intentions are, you're not going to get much studying done once the fall semester starts. And even if you do, your classes will suffer for it.

   If you look at the scoring on the available practice exams, you will see that you can miss quite a few problems and still get a very good score. While there may be a few zingers on the exam, most of the problems are straightforward, and it's just a matter of whether or not you remember the things you learned in your classes, and whether you can work quickly enough. If you remembered everything, then there would still be a few obscure problems you'd miss, but you would do extremely well. Similarly, if you knew everything in a book on the level of Giancoli or Halliday-Resnick or Young-Freedman, then there would be a few harder problems you'd miss, but you would still do extremely well. You may want to look at such a book to learn about some topics that we tend to skip at Harvard, such as nuclear physics. One last note: Don't forget to sign up by the registration deadline!
   

2. What fellowships are available for grad school?
   If you are applying to grad school, some fellowships toconsider are:

   National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships
   The National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship Program
   Office of Science Graduate Fellowship
   The Fannie and John Hertz Foundation Graduate Fellowship Program
   Krell Institute
   Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship
   Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowships
   American Association of University Women

   The earliest of the deadlines is inOctober, which tends to creep up quickly as the semester gets rolling, so be sure to get started in time.

3. Do graduate schools want me to have research experience?
   Yes! There are three main reasons: First, if you have some experience in a lab, schools will know that you're more prepared and ready to make a contribution in grad school. Second, they will know that your general assertion of "I like doing physics" is actually based on concrete experience. And third, they will be able gain a great deal of information about you from the rec letter(s) written by your supervisor(s).
   
4. Whom should I ask to write my rec letters?
   At least one should be from a research supervisor. If you've done two different projects, then use both letters. If you worked mainly with a grad student or postdoc, then you can ask them to write a tag-team letter with the professor. Three letters (or sometimes four for some fellowships) are required, so the remainder should come from professors you've gotten to know well in classes. The key point here is that you should get to know at least a few professors very well! Even if you got an A+ in a class, if you didn't get to know the professor well, there's not much that he/she will be able to write in the letter except simply restating your grade.

   If you are certain that you have four extremely strong letters, but only three are required, it's generally fine to submit all four. But you can trim it down to three if two of the writers are from the same lab (say, professor and postdoc) by using the trick of a tag-team letter. The prof can simply insert a long block quote from the postdoc, so you essentially get two letters in one.
   

5. How many schools should I apply to? Where should I apply?
   As far as the number goes, somewhere between 6 and 10 is reasonable. It's risky to apply to fewer than 6, because there's always a bit of randomness involved. If it will make you sleep better at night, then by all means apply to 12 or so. It's better to spend a little more money if it gives you peace of mind. But peace of mind can (and should) also be obtained by applying to schools of various levels. Always apply to a few schools that you're fairly certain you'll get into.

   As far as the choice of places goes, it is critical that you ask professors here at Harvard their opinion on what schools you should apply to, given the subfield(s) you're interested in. These professors know all the ins and outs of who is at which school and what their research is, so it would be a very poor choice to not take advantage of this information!
   

6. Do I have to know exactly what subfield I want to pursue?
   If you do know, then that's ideal. But otherwise try to narrow it down to two possibilities. Grad schools know that you can't have your whole life figured out yet. Most schools will allow you to switch advisors in the early stages (subject to openings in a lab, of course). But a few won't, so be sure to check with the specific school.

   A potential difficulty arises if you honestly can't make the decision between experiment and theory; the schools do like to know at least this much. If this is the case, come talk with Prof. Georgi or Anna Klales, and we'll see what we can figure out. Admissions issues aside, it's usually very hard to switch from experiment to theory once you're at a place. But switching from theory to experiment is generally doable.
   

7. What should I write about in my "personal statement"?
   If you pretend you're a professor on an admissions committee who is trying to select students for his/her lab, what qualities would you be looking for? There are three basic things. You'd want students to be: (1) smart, experienced, and capable of learning new things (so they have the ability to get things done); (2) enthusiastic and hard working (so they actually do get things done); and (3) nice, personable, and able to work well with others (so they don't screw up the rest of the lab in the process).

   Your personal statement should somehow convince the admissions committee that you have these qualities. You should talk about your research project(s) and any inspiring classes, and about what accomplishments you made and what challenges you overcame. You should talk about why physics excites you and why you want to keep doing it. And you should do all this in a way that convinces the committee that you're someone they'd like to have around. This last piece is the hard part to convey in writing, so be prepared to spend some time on it! Be sure to run your statement by your advisor or another professor.
   

8. What do grad schools base their admissions on?
   They don't have many things to go on. The two main ones are course grades (along with course choice/difficulty) and recommendation letters. This is why rec letters are so important; they're roughly 50% of the info the schools have on you. A third item is GRE scores (both the Physics and the General), but different schools use these to varying degrees (not many use the Physics GRE anymore), and not nearly as much as grades and rec letters.
   
9. Which is more important, the overall quality of a school, or the specific professor you end up working for?
   Good question. If you're aiming to stay in academia afterward, then it's the work you do and the recommendation that your advisor gives you that determine where you end up. So that would suggest that it's the specific professor that matters more. However, the overall quality and enthusiasm of your fellow students will most certainly impact what you accomplish. If you're inspired and challenged by everyone around you, then there's no doubt that you'll get more done (and also be happier doing it). So the overall quality of the school definitely comes into play too. So in the end, it's some vague combination of the two, and your best strategy is to base your decision on a similarly vague combination of your gut instinct and the advice you seek out from professors here.

   If you're planning on leaving academia, then the farther away from it you end up, the more the name of the school matters. Up to a point, of course.
   

10. How important is it to visit schools that I'm admitted to?
    Very important. Schools generally pay for all or part of your travel costs, so it's mostly a matter of time. Senior spring is busy, but it's far better to spend some time traveling even if you don't have much to spare, than it is to end up spending half a dozen years in a place you don't like. Although there's no guarantee that a visit will answer all your questions and yield a certainty of making the right choice, it will definitely increase the odds.
    
11. Can I take year off before grad school?
    Yes, most schools make it easy for you to defer a year or two. There are a few schools that make you jump through some hoops, but it's generally still quite doable. In any case, check with each school for their specific rules. If you're a little burned out after four years here, a year off could be the best thing for you. And there's definitely no need to do something physics related during this year, unless of course you really want to. If you do take a year off, it's generally simpler to apply during your senior year, because it's easier to collect rec letters and such while you're on campus. But applying during your year off is doable too.

JOBS:

1. Are there grading/CA positions available for undergrads?
   Yes, there are usually jobs available, mainly in the introductory courses, but sometimes upper-level courses too. Send an email to Anna Klales if you are interested, with a list of the classes you feel qualified to grade. You can also directly contact the course instructor. But which courses need graders sometimesisn't determined until enrollments are finalized. CA positions usually involve office hours (and possiblysome grading). On rare occasions CAs teach a section.
   
2. How do I get paid?
   Students receiving pay from the Physics Department (whether for grading, being a CA, working in a lab, or anything else) must fill out a set of forms. You will recieve information from Dionne Clarke about these forms when you sign up for a job. Many jobs require you to submit yourhours worked. Please pay special attention to Dionne's instructions on how to do this.

MISCELLANEOUS:

1. How does study abroad work?
   Physics and Chem/Phys concentrators are more than welcome to take a semester or an entire year abroad. General information on study abroad can be found here, but you should see Howard Georgi or Anna Klales to discuss issues specific to the concentration. Most students choose a few of their courses to be ones that satisfy concentration credit, but other students arrange to complete all of their concentration requirements at Harvard and just take humanities courses during their time abroad.Look here forinformation on funding during your time abroad.
   
2. How do I go about obtaining letters of recommendation?
   Look here forguidelines for requesting letters of recommendation.
   
3. How do I sign up for the Society of Physics Students mailing list?
   The SPS list provides a forum for announcements of interest to the Harvard undergraduate physics community. The list is moderated, but anyone may subscribe or unsubscribe freely. You can sign up for the list via the "Join SPS"link at the top of the SPS webpage. It is critical that all Physics and Chem/Phys concentrators sign up for the SPS list.
   
4. How do I cross register at MIT?
   There are loads of courses offered at Harvard, but if you can't find what you're looking for, and if you don't mind the commute to MIT, then by all means look into cross registering for a course there. Instructions on how to do this can be foundhere.

   As far as the concentration honors grade calculation goes, we don't average in the grades of courses taken elsewhere (MIT, abroad, etc.). It's essentially just like you took the courses pass/fail here. (But this doesn't count against your two pass/fail concentration courses taken here. You can still take those, if you wish.)