URAP Proposal - Mitsch
ResearchConfirm submission or log the follow-up outcome.
May 2026
CDM Research Symposium
NetworkingAttend, collect names, and add two follow-up notes.
Transfer requirements audit
TransferFinish one-page audit for every school and major path.
June 2026
Start AoPS Number Theory
Putnam signalStart the number theory block that supports Putnam and quant puzzles.
One-page resume v1
BuildQuant/SWE/research versions share one clean base.
Transfer narrative outline
TransferDraft the first version of the application story.
GitHub and LinkedIn cleanup
BuildPinned repos, clear readmes, no stale confusing profile copy.
July 2026
Start AoPS Counting and Probability
Putnam signalStart counting/probability bridge work for interviews and Putnam.
Personal statement draft
TransferComplete a full draft while revision time is still cheap.
August 2026
UC application portal opens
TransferOpen UCLA and Berkeley files immediately.
Start past Putnam problems
Putnam signalBegin A1/B1/A2 style archive attempts.
C++ mini project shipped
BuildSmall but real systems artifact before fall recruiting.
UC activities and awards drafted
TransferDraft activities, honors, and PIQ raw material.
September 2026
Final recommender list locked
TransferPick letter writers and prepare packets.
Jane Street FTTP application watch
ApplicationsCheck the official page and apply if eligible.
Motorola Solutions - watch Handshake
ApplicationsCheck DePaul Handshake and save any matching roles.
Quant research notebook v1
BuildBacktest, probability simulation, or market-data notebook with reproducible output.
Ask recommenders formally
TransferGive each recommender the packet and deadline list.
Interview packet ready
BuildResume, project blurbs, behavioral stories, application tracker, and outreach list.
October 2026
FAFSA opens for 2027-28
TransferSubmit early if the federal calendar stays on schedule.
Akuna Capital application watch
ApplicationsCheck the official careers page and apply if open.
Belvedere Trading application watch
ApplicationsCheck the official careers page and apply if open.
DRW Trading application watch
ApplicationsCheck the official university page and apply if open.
Citadel Data Open
CompetitionUse it as a public quant/data signal if running.
First complete UC application draft
TransferFinish the full application six weeks before the deadline.
November 2026
Submit FAFSA and aid forms
TransferPrevent financial-aid slippage while applications are live.
Private-school essay drafts
TransferComplete first drafts for all private-school supplements.
UC application deadline
TransferSubmit UCLA and Berkeley. No exceptions.
December 2026
Putnam exam - first real attempt
Putnam signalBank accessible points and capture honest attempt data.
REU packet ready
ResearchStatement, transcript, research description, and recommender packets.
January 2027
Reconnect with Liechty
ResearchRestart research conversation after the winter course sequence.
Common App transfer finalized
TransferFinalize the base application before school-specific polishing.
NSF REU applications x8-10
ResearchSubmit a broad research batch before the main January-March wave.
UC Transfer Academic Update
TransferMandatory UCLA/Berkeley update.
February 2027
Submit Cornell and UChicago if ready
TransferEarly submission helps with rolling behavior where relevant.
Carnegie Mellon transfer deadline
TransferSubmit Mellon College of Science mathematics file.
March 2027
Northwestern ED, Columbia, Brown, UChicago, Princeton due
TransferMain first-wave private deadline cluster.
Penn, Stanford, Cornell due
TransferMain second-wave private deadline cluster.
Send Putnam score update
TransferSend same day results become available; date is a planning placeholder.
June 2027
Enrollment deposit / intent deadline
TransferFinal commitment point if admitted.
August 2027
Junior quant target list and referral map
ApplicationsLock the firm list, alumni/referral names, role variants, and application links before postings move.
Junior quant resume and project packet
ApplicationsFreeze resume, GitHub pins, project blurbs, transcript PDF, and role-specific cover notes.
September 2027
Junior quant first-wave applications
ApplicationsApply early to Jane Street, IMC, Optiver, HRT, Jump, SIG, Citadel Securities, Two Sigma, DE Shaw, and DRW as postings open.
Citadel Securities application watch
ApplicationsCheck Citadel Securities separately from Citadel LLC; apply to trading, quant, and SWE tracks that match.
Citadel LLC application watch
ApplicationsCheck Citadel hedge-fund-side roles separately and apply early if eligible.
Quant interview repair sprint
ApplicationsUse failed screens and open assessments to patch probability, mental math, C++, and LeetCode weaknesses.
October 2027
Goldwater nomination conversation
ScholarshipAsk the campus scholarship office and faculty mentors about nomination timing before internal deadlines arrive.
Junior quant second-wave/referral pass
ApplicationsSend second wave, follow up referrals, and apply to Chicago/local targets that opened late.
Junior quant tracker reconciled
ApplicationsEvery application is marked applied, rejected, interview, offer, or deferred with next action.
November 2027
Goldwater internal packet ready
ScholarshipResearch essay, resume, transcript, and recommender plan ready for campus nomination.
December 2027
2028 REU target list locked
ResearchBuild the exact REU list, portals, prompts, faculty fits, and deadline calendar.
2028 REU letter packets sent
ResearchGive recommenders transcripts, project summaries, deadlines, and draft statements before winter break.
January 2028
Goldwater final submission watch
ScholarshipSubmit through the campus process; verify the exact official and internal dates each cycle.
2028 REU first wave submitted
ResearchSubmit the most competitive math/applied math REU applications first.
February 2028
2028 REU main wave submitted
ResearchFinish the remaining REU batch while January feedback is still fresh.
June 2028
Math GRE / program-test requirements verified
Grad schoolCheck applied math PhD and MFE requirements, then decide whether a Math GRE attempt is worth the time.
July 2028
Applied math PhD/MFE program list locked
Grad schoolLock reach/target/safety list, faculty fits, funding notes, prerequisites, and exact portal links.
August 2028
Grad-school statement drafts complete
Grad schoolComplete SOP, personal statement, research statement, and one tailored version for each top target.
September 2028
Grad/fellowship recommenders asked
Grad schoolAsk faculty and internship/research mentors with packets and exact fall deadline table.
Fellowship essays complete
FellowshipNSF GRFP, Hertz, Rhodes/Gates/Cambridge, and Fulbright drafts are ready for outside review.
October 2028
Hertz/Rhodes/Gates application watch
FellowshipVerify exact cycle dates and submit only where the story and eligibility are real.
NSF GRFP submitted
FellowshipSubmit the graduate fellowship application with polished research and personal statements.
November 2028
Fulbright submitted
FellowshipSubmit if the international research/study plan is strong enough to justify the time.
December 2028
PhD/MFE application wave 1 submitted
Grad schoolSubmit early December programs and verify every transcript, letter, test score, and fee waiver.
PhD/MFE application wave 2 submitted
Grad schoolSubmit remaining December programs; no essays left unfinished after this date.
February 2029
Grad-school decision tracking begins
Grad schoolTrack admits, visits, funding terms, advisor fit, and unanswered applications.
April 2029
Grad-school offer decision
Grad schoolChoose the best funded offer with advisor fit and career optionality.
June 2029
Graduation and final undergraduate closeout
Grad schoolFinish CV, final transcript, research handoff, and summer-before-grad-school plan.
Grad programs — 25 on the board
| School | Program | Focus | Deadline | Tier | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Princeton | ORFE | OR / financial engineering, stochastic analysis | Dec 15 | Reach (PhD) | |
| Princeton | PACM | Applied math (separate pool from ORFE) | Dec 15 | Reach (PhD) | |
| MIT | ORC | OR / CS, stochastic optimization | Dec 1 | Reach (PhD) | |
| MIT | Mathematics | Applied math (separate pool from ORC) | Dec 1 | Reach (PhD) | |
| Stanford | CME | Applied math / CS | Dec 1 | Reach (PhD) | |
| Stanford | MS&E | OR / CS, optimization, stochastic modeling | Dec 1 | Reach (PhD) | |
| Harvard | Applied Math (SEAS) | Applied math, computing | Dec 15 | Reach (PhD) | |
| Chicago | CAM | Applied math / CS | Dec 15 | Reach (PhD) | |
| Chicago | Statistics | Measure-theoretic probability | Dec 15 | Reach (PhD) | |
| Berkeley | Statistics | Probability, statistics | Dec 15 | Reach (PhD) | |
| Berkeley | Mathematics | Applied math, probability | Dec 15 | Reach (PhD) | |
| Caltech | Applied Mathematics | Applied math, small cohort | Dec 15 | Target (PhD) | |
| NYU | Courant Mathematics | Applied math, math finance | Dec 15 | Target (PhD) | |
| UCLA | Mathematics | Applied math | Dec 15 | Target (PhD) | |
| Columbia | APAM | Computational math, probability | Dec 15 | Target (PhD) | |
| Columbia | IEOR | Financial engineering | Dec 15 | Target (PhD) | |
| Cornell | ORIE | OR, applied probability, fin eng | Jan 3 | Target (PhD) | |
| Cornell | Center for Applied Math | Applied math (separate pool from ORIE) | Jan 3 | Target (PhD) | |
| CMU | Statistics / ML Joint | Statistics / CS, ML | Dec 15 | Target (PhD) | |
| Brown | Applied Mathematics | Applied math | Dec 15 | Target (PhD) | |
| Northwestern | ESAM | Applied math, Chicago | Dec 31 | Target (PhD) | |
| Michigan | Mathematics | Applied math, probability | Dec 15 | Target (PhD) | |
| Cambridge | MASt Applied Math (Part III) | Funded floor; Gates deadline is earlier | Feb 3 | UK Master's (funded floor) | |
| Oxford | MSc Mathematical Sciences | Taught master's | Jan 24 | UK Master's (funded floor) | |
| Imperial | StatML CDT | Funded doctoral training, ML | Jan 8 | UK Master's (funded floor) |
Application packet — 0/8 components ready
Courseload spine — four phases
Phase 1 · Weeks 1-4
Proof and discrete foundation backbone
Make proofs, induction, counting, modular arithmetic, and basic discrete modeling feel normal before the main Putnam lanes accelerate.
- MIT 6.042J Mathematics for Computer Science
- Book of Proof
- AoPS Volume 1
- Putnam and Beyond, Methods of Proof (pp. 1-24)
- Trefor Bazett Discrete Math
Putnam layer: Michael Penn Putnam A1/B1 and early number-theory/combinatorics videosProfOmarMath Putnam basics and competition-proof habits
Weekly rule: 4 days proof/discrete backbone, 2 days controlled Putnam problem contact, 1 day replay and proof rewrite.
Elite bridge: OTIS Excerpts: induction, invariants, pigeonhole, inequalitiesEvan Chen proof/olympiad handouts where the weekly lane calls for them
Phase 2 · Weeks 4-12
Core Putnam family build
Build the highest-ROI Putnam families: modular arithmetic, Diophantine equations, polynomials, functional equations, inequalities, recurrences, counting, extremal combinatorics, and generating functions.
- AoPS Volume 2
- Putnam and Beyond core algebra/number theory/combinatorics chapters
- Modern Olympiad Number Theory
- Richard E. Borcherds / Berkeley Math 115 Number Theory (2022)
- OTIS Excerpts
- Evan Chen handouts on FE, inequalities, summation, polynomials
Putnam layer: Michael Penn Putnam A1/B1 then A2/B2 playlistsProfOmarMath / Mohamed Omar Putnam playlistsCMU Putnam Seminar / Po-Shen Loh lecture playlistsCezar Lupu / TTU MATH 4000DrChangMathGuitar Putnam Seminar
Weekly rule: Keep one backbone chapter lane, one bridge-rep lane, one real Putnam lane, and one proof-conversion lane every week.
Elite bridge: Po-Shen Loh combinatorics handoutsOlympiad combinatorics notes / Counting Rocks / targeted 102 and 104 problem sets
Phase 3 · Weeks 13-18
Analysis, linear algebra, probability, and selective differential-equation support
Build only the contest-useful slice of analysis, linear algebra, probability, multivariable calculus, and ODE support without drifting into full undergraduate coverage for its own sake.
- MIT 18.100B / 18.100A or Bright Side of Mathematics Real Analysis
- Tao Analysis I and Problems in Real Analysis
- MIT 18.06 / 18.06SC or Trefor Bazett Linear Algebra
- Linear Algebra Done Right
- Blitzstein & Hwang or Pishro-Nik for probability
- Trefor Bazett Calc III / Vector Calculus
- Professor Leonard or MIT 18.03SC for ODE repair only
Putnam layer: Michael Penn analysis / linear algebra / probability examples after serious attemptsCMU Putnam Seminar or TTU MATH 4000 for support-topic conversion into actual problem solving
Weekly rule: Use course backbone only until the theorem or concept is usable, then return immediately to the week's exact bridge and archive reps.
Elite bridge: Bright Side of Mathematics probability and real analysis sequencesEvan Chen expected-uses-of-probability and summation handouts
Phase 4 · Weeks 19-28
Archive conversion, seminar maturity, and score-growth
Shift from topic acquisition into archive pattern conversion, slot training, mock exams, replay systems, and proof compression.
- Kedlaya Putnam archive and the Putnam Problems/Solutions commentary volumes
- Michael Penn Putnam problem playlists by slot and difficulty
- ProfOmarMath Putnam tactics and solution comparisons
- CMU Putnam Seminar / Po-Shen Loh lecture playlists
- Cezar Lupu / TTU MATH 4000
- DrChangMathGuitar Putnam Seminar
Putnam layer: Weekly archive bundles by slot familyFull mocks, half-mocks, postmortems, and exact repair chains
Weekly rule: No broad new theory. Every extra source must be justified by a tracked miss, weak slot, or exact repair path.
Elite bridge: Return to OTIS, Evan Chen, Bright Side, or Trefor only for surgical repair tied to a live miss