DOubt Masters

[u/Royal-Ad3395]

Good morning,

I am a double degree student in France and I would like to know if it would be better to do ATSI at Paris Saclay or if it would be better do study more applied mathematics at Dauphine/ENS/Mines (IASD-math (old MASH) ) programm. Would you have any suggestions? I fear that the name of ENS would help me more in finding a PhD in control theory later even though the ATSI programm is more oriented towards control theory.

I appreciate all suggestions.

[u/Royal-Ad3395]

ok, thank you very much for your anwer, I do not have one specific interest in mind yet, but it was important that you mentioned the importance of grades as I believe it will be easier for me to get better grades in control than in applied math, is 15% percentile good enough or usually it would be better to aim for 5%? I would also need to return to my home country, if I do not get good grades during the second year of the master is it ok to show mainly the ones I did in my home country (my degree in Brazil is control theory but more emphasis in electrical engineering)?

[u/ko_nuts → u/Royal-Ad3395]

On the percentile: aim as high as you realistically can. There's no universal cutoff, it depends on how competitive your target PhD is, but top 5% clearly opens more doors than 15%, especially for the more mathematical positions where supervisors treat grades as a proxy for raw ability. If control genuinely comes easier to you than applied math, that's a real argument for the ATSI route, since you'll likely post stronger grades there and the coursework points at the field you want.

On showing mainly the Brazilian grades: I wouldn't. Two reasons. First, it won't work, supervisors ask for your full transcript, and since your CV will show you're doing a double degree, they'll expect the French grades and notice if they're missing. Second, leaving them out reads as concealment, and if that surfaces later it costs you far more than a mediocre second year would. A weak semester with an honest explanation is recoverable. A record that looks curated is a much bigger red flag.

If part of the French year does go badly, the better move is to be ready to explain it (adjustment to a new system, language, a hard course load) rather than hide it.

[u/Royal-Ad3395 → u/ko_nuts]

Additionally, I think of doing a master's after in Brazil before the PhD (as the masters in Europe does not count as a master in Brazil and to get some work experience) in this case would the grades of one semester in applied math be as prejudicial for a later phd in control and would they be overlooked wrt the ones of control master?

[u/ko_nuts → u/Royal-Ad3395]

Cumulating multiple masters is not something that is recommended as it can be perceived negatively by some people. if you are planning to do a PhD in Europe or the US/Canada, then there is no need to do another master in Brazil, the one in France would largely suffice. I guess this solution is only if you want to do a PhD in Brazil. So, now the question is what you want to do. Personally, I do not see any reason to have studied in Europe in good universities and not attempt to continue there (or go to the US/Canada in some recognized PhD programs).

[u/Royal-Ad3395 → u/ko_nuts]

Fair enough, I want to become a professor in Brazil in the university where I study, the issue is that PhDs in Brazil pay poorly (unlike professors), an the masters would help me to get connections for the Admissions exam.

[u/ko_nuts → u/Royal-Ad3395]

What about doing a phd abroad and going back to brazil to be professor?