I chose to this university because it has great faculty working in the area of my interest (Functional Analysis and Operator Theory). At IIT Delhi, we follow books written by authors that have worked/studied at Indiana University. In fact, my current supervisor (Prof. Hari Bercovici) at IU was my top choice because I was inspired by a book written by him. His research credentials are amazing and that’s what matters the most in PhD. The university’s math department ranks 34 and it’s situated in Bloomington which is a very pleasant place to live. I also had offers from - University of Oregon, University of California (Davis) and NYU(unfunded).
Course Curriculum :
I found the course curriculum to be very updated and enriching. There are various requirements such as breadth and depth requirements that ensure that each student knows core areas well and specialises in area of their interest. There is also a requirement to pass efficiency test in one foreign language (German/French/Russian). This is very helpful because some research papers are not written in English. Various seminars are also conducted that help students. I found their academic approach very holistic and based on learning and knowledge instead of being a race for grades. Each student is also assigned an academic mentor (a faculty) and a peer mentor (a senior PhD student) for personalised guidance throughout the program.
Exams :
The admission requirements for my university (in particular the PhD Mathematics program) was to have a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and GRE(General), GRE(Subject) and TOEFL test scores. My test scores were: GRE(General): Verbal 151, Quant 168, Writing 4 GRE(Subject-Mathematics): 730 TOEFL: 104 Apart from this, students also needed 3 letters of recommendations from their professors.
Placement :
Placement opportunities are really great at IU. I’m more aware of research opportunities though. Many of IU graduates get a post doctoral position at top ranked universities like MIT, Stanford, Princeton, Cornell, etc. Opportunities in other countries like Canada, Germany, UK, France, Switzerland, etc. are also bright.
Events :
The campus life at IU is really exciting and happening. There is something for everybody. There are clubs for different sports/activities/social issues/ethnicities, etc. A lot of attention is given to gender and racial equality, which I find very important for international students who might face a cultural shock when going to the US. There are regular sports games, theatres and cocurricular activities. All other facilities including libraries, medical care, speedy WiFi, intracampus transport, etc. are top notch. They even have a hotel inside the campus for visitors to stay. They also have access to many online libraries. Their infrastructure is modern, at the same time their campus gives a vintage feel. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful campuses in the US.
Scholarship :
Yes I have received 4 scholarships: 1. INSPIRE scholarship (2014-2019): 80,000 INR/year. I got this by virtue of performance within top 1 percentile in CBSE (12th) in 2014. 2. Fee Remission at Indiana University (2020-2025): 39,915 USD/ year. 3. Spring Graduate Fellowship at Indiana University (Jan-Aug 2021): 8400 USD (one time). This is a very competitive fellowship that is rewarded to students who show promise. 4. Top Up Fellowship at Indiana University (Jan-Dec 2021): 2000 USD (in two instalments). This is given to students whose admission application is remarkable.
Faculty :
The student to faculty ratio is 16:1. This ensures that proper attention is given to each student. Faculty (even the newly appointed post-doc fellows or assistant professors) are very well versed. They’re very helpful and approachable. Graduate students who are also Teaching Assistants, are also very involved with the students. I’m specially moved by Prof. Bartosz Langowski, Prof. Hari Bercovici and Prof. Matthias Strauch at IU. My peer mentor, Hayley Bertrand, has also left a great impression on me.
Hostel :
There are on-campus accommodation facilities. The rooms are mostly shared, but sometimes students may be allotted single rooms. However, off-campus housing is a better, more flexible and cheaper option. The average rent for a 1 bed 1 bath apartment is 600 USD/month. If you want to share your apartment with someone, the average rent for a 2 bed 1 bath apartment is 750 USD/month. This is very affordable given that the stipend is about 1800-2000 USD per month and overall cost of living is low as compared to rest of the US.
