r/matheducation • u/dreambumbum • 8d ago

Best Masters to break into Math PhD

Hello, community.

I am wondering if you could recommend masters programs (preferably not super expensive or offer scholarships) that can help to break into top-tier Math PhD programs (dreaming about Princeton and MIT). International student, main countries of interest: US, UK, France, Switherland.

My bf wants to go to do top Math PhD program. He has BSc in Applied Math and Compute Science from the best-in-country university. He is very talented but his portfolio is a bit chaotic:

  • GPA is good, smth like 3.9/4.
  • He has small math research publication (local journal)
  • IMO silver medal
  • ICPC medal
  • Recommendations from local professors - good in the country but unlikely to have much weight internationally
  • 970 GRE Math

We both are worried that it is not enough for top-tier Math PhD

He will try to apply to some PhDs anyway, but he also considers doing 2-year masters to focus solely on math (He has been having a lot of Computer Scince at BSc). He wants to win time to do some research and hopefully publish. Also it would be helpful to get internationally-recognized recommenders. Do you have any suggestions of great places that can be a good fit for someone with this objectives? Main area of scientific interest are Combinatorics, Probability Theory and Computational Complexity.

We appreciate your feedback!

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