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Want info on more recent graduate physics admissions bootcamps? Click here.

A good score on the Physics GRE is an important ingredient in applying to graduate school. To help prepare for the test, the CPAPC organizes Physics GRE Boot Camps alternately for students from northern and southern California. [Click to see sites from earlier bootcamps: Feb 2011 (CSU Long Beach); Sep 2011 (UC Davis); May 2012 (CSU Long Beach); Sep 2012 (UC Davis).] Below are pictures and information from the August 2013 Southern California Bootcamp.


80 students attended the boot camp.



Kurt Tummel presented his research work during dinner.



Tom Baker discusses a problem with a student group.



Group studies of the GRE test.



Drs. D. Berenstein (UCSB), A. Burgasser (UCSD), J. Ellison (UCR), R. Kalia (USC), M. McNitt-Gray (UCLA, in the picture) and T. Tait (UCI) presented their graduate programs.



Faculties (here Dr. Berenstein, UCSB) discuss their admissions criteria and other questions on the graduate program with students.



TAs T.E. Baker (UCI), D. Martin (Whittier College), D. Masters (UCR, in the picture), A. Moke (CSULB/UCLA) and K. Tummel (UCI) discuss physics and success strategies for the physics GRE test.

The following documents were compiled and presented by TAs at the Phyiscs CSULB boot camp:
"Physics GRE: If you have to solve it, you're (probably) doing it wrong!" Text by Daniel Masters.
"Strategies and Approaches to GRE test problems." Text by Damien Martin.
"A few useful formulae that were needed in almost all GRE tests." Text by Kurt Tummel.

Please also copy and paste the text and links at the very end of the webpage for the February 2011 southern CA GRE Boot Camp:
Some useful sites about the GRE

    •  ETS GRE for test takers (test centers and dates) http://www.ets.org/gre/subject/register/centers_dates/
    •  ETS GRE - Physics test http://www.ets.org/gre/subject/about/content/physics
    •  Preparing the GRE Physics test - site at Ohio State University http://www.physics.ohio-state.edu/undergrad/ugs_gre.php
    •  GRE Physics.net - Exams and solutions http://grephysics.net/ans/

Below is the original Bootcamp Registration Announcement

Southern California
PHYSICS GRE BOOTCAMP

August 23-24, 2013

California State University Long Beach
 

Event
 
The CPAPC GRE Boot camp is intended for students from Southern California.
The boot camp primarily targets students underrepresented in Physics from CSU campuses, but is open to all students at local CSU and UC campuses.

Lodging for Friday night, August 23, 2013 is provided for students identified as belonging to underrepresented groups in Physics and come from farther away.  Contact Andreas Bill for information on lodging once you have registered.  We can only guarantee lodging if you register by August 16, 2013. Other students may qualify depending on available funding.
(Underrepresented groups in Physics as identified by the American Physical Society are women and members of Hispanic-, African-, or Native American ethnic groups/races).
 

Registration

Registration Link Here

Please register by August 16, 2013.

Late registration will be allowed in exceptional cases.

 

Location

California State University Long Beach (see maps information)
Hall of Science (HSCI) – rooms 100-107 (across from the bookstore)
Meals will be taken on site near the Hall of Science.

  

Contact

Dr. Andreas Bill, Department of Physics and Astronomy
Email: abill@csulb.edu, Tel: 562-985-8616, Hall of Science, room 262 or 220



Boot Camp Agenda

Sessions are held in the new Hall of Sciences

Friday

Time  Activity Room
13:30 Registration, Donuts & coffee HSCI-100
14:00 Take full GRE exam under realistic exam conditions HSCI-100
17:00 LunchBreak (drinks & donuts)
17:30 Self-score the exam, Introduce TAs & form groups HSCI-100
18:00 Dinner & Grad Student Talk HSCI-224
19:00 Group work I HSCI-100
20:15 End first day

Saturday

Time Activity Room
8:00        Donuts and coffee TBA
8:30 Group work II                
9:35 Break
9:45 Group work III
10:45 Break
11:00 Applying to physics graduate programs
(by UC faculty members of southern California)
12:45 Lunch with UC faculty members
14:00 Group work IV
15:15 Break
15:30 TA feedback and strategies to succeed at the physics GRE.
17:00 Wrap up, Adjourn, Faculty available for individual advice.

The Boot camp is organized by the California Professoriate for Access to Physics Careers (www.physics.ucdavis.edu/cpapc) and generously funded by the UC Davis Office of Graduate Studies and by the College of Natural Sciences & Mathematics at CSU Long Beach.