Howdy, I'm an undergraduate Math student, I graduate Spring 2023. Because of COVID, I was entirely unable to get any research, internships, or professional experience over the past two years, and I have no network of professors or even peers. I'd like to get a Masters in Math, or possibly some natural science like Oceanography, and then work in the natural sciences in some way.
But I am reasonably worried about what to do about applications to grad schools. I have a competitive GPA, \~3.8, and have taken courses covering most major fields of math. I'm confident in my skills in problem solving, and have experience with multiple programming languages (C,C++,Python). But without research or anything of the such to show for it, I'm just not sure it's competitive enough to get me into a "good" program (I've been looking at mostly state schools such as Texas A&M, University of Washington, but will likely also apply to reach programs like MIT, Stanford, etc.).
Lastly, is a Masters in Math even the right choice? I love doing math, I've enjoyed most of my undergraduate courses (Abstract Algebra threw me for a loop, but I survived). But would it make more sense to go straight for a PhD, or a Masters in some other science?
tl;dr: COVID left me high and dry, and now I need to make decisions with very little social currency.