THE TOP TEN LESSONS I HAVE LEARNED BY 
BEING A MEMBER OF THE UT ASTRONOMY 
GRAD ADMISSIONS COMMITTEE:


(as presented by IUR, 01/2008)


10. A student's GPA is never representative of his or her true academic
   ability, unless that GPA is 3.9 or higher.

9. Despite UT's lack of brand marketing in China, more than 70% of Chinese
   students who major in physics have dreamt of earning a PhD in astronomy
   from UT since the age of 4.

8. The UT astronomy department is located relatively close to the NASA
   Johnson Space Flight Center, and that might be helpful in the future
   for astronomy students who want to be astronauts.

7. Like Letterman, I often found myself wondering, "Is this anything?"

6. Making references to "former Senator Larry Craig" and "airport bathroom
   stall" is the easiest way to help the admissions committee remember you.

5. Nearly all of our applicants grew up in Lake Woebegone, where all the
   men are strong, all the women are good-looking, and all the children are
   above average.

4. Any student who takes the Physics GRE in Chinese gets an automatic
   200 point bonus!

3. Sadly, even the UT football team's 2005 national championship failed to
   inspire the best astronomy undergrads from Caltech, Harvard, and
   Princeton to apply to our PhD program.

2. Apparently classes such as "Electricity and Magnetism" and "Quantum
   Mechanics" are easier than classes such as "Principles of Marxist
   Philosophy" and "Introduction to Mao Zedong's Thoughts."

1. Never ask your father for a reference letter, even if he has a PhD in
   physics.