10 Reasons to try Linux

1. Linux is FREE
2. Easy to do programming with various compilers and programming languages (e.g. Fortran, C)
3. Easy to generate plots (e.g. gnuplot, xmgr, opendx)
4. Same terminal interface with the servers and/or supercomputer used in the school
5. Easy to generate Latex documents
6. Your Boss uses it
7. No blue screen
8. Low hardware requirements for eye-candy (e.g. Beryl)
9. Better security
10. 95% of jobs you do on windows can be done on Linux too (e.g. watching movies, typing Chinese)

Tests...

Education Testing Service, ETS is a non-profit company responsible for providing standardized tests, e.g. TOEFL, GRE

Starting point to know more about graduate schools

Here are some links:

Schools' info:
www.gradschoolshopper.com

Forum:
www.physicsgre.com
www.thegradcafe.com

Comics about grad life:
www.phdcomics.com

Statistics on physicist and graduate students:
AIP Statistical Research Center


[To be continued...]