nieran

I heard from UCSD on Jan 22nd. The chair of the Graduate Admissions Committee sent an email nominating me for admission to the PhD program and inviting me to attend a recruitment weekend from Feb 25th-26th. Not an official admission yet though (and nothing updated on my online application) but it sounds promising. I'm sorry, I hate to be the one to tell you. Although I really don't know much at all about these admissions processes and would be surprised if they've already sent out all the admissions (or nominations) that they have to offer. Don't lose hope! And congratulations on ASU, that's great that they want you out there for a recruitment weekend. Best of luck to you. Thank you!! So much. Congratulations on YOUR success! And your SO, that's pretty incredible that you both secured spots in such a competitive program. I'll bet you two breathed a huge collective sigh of relief last week. Hope to see you in March!

Yep, I am for a few schools. I just posted my profile, check it out. Congrats! I was accepted yesterday too and I'm still reeling. I had gotten an email from a professor (that I didn't mention in my SOP) around 2 weeks ago and he expressed interest in giving me research support. But of course nothing was set in stone and I couldn't know for sure until I heard officially yesterday. I also applied for physical electronic devices, thinking I'd aim for optoelectronics-focused research. However, the professor that wants to fund me is a huge MEMS guy, so it looks like I might be shifting my focus somewhat. Which is both exciting and terrifying at once! My email came from the Vice-Chair for EECS Graduate Matters, but I am fairly certain it was official. Although it's worth mentioning that my application portal on the website hasn't been updated. I am technically a CA resident (though I've been going to school in PA for ~5 years now). My offer comes with full funding guaranteed for at least the first year (plus a salary/stipend). The email stated this funding would come from either department fellowships, a GSR appointment, or a combination of the two. Anyways, I've been lurking on these forums for a couple of months now, but my moderate success so far has finally given me the motivation to join the discussion. Obviously my application isn't a shoe-in for any (esp. top 10) programs, noting my lack of research/publications. So let that be a beacon of hope to those fretting over their qualifications! I feel extremely fortunate so far and hope I can help some of you guys the way others have helped me.

Undergrad Institution: University of Pittsburgh Major(s): Electrical Engineering Minor(s): N/A GPA in Major: 3.99 Overall GPA: 3.9 Position in Class: School didn't rank, but I assume somewhere near the top? Type of Student: Domestic white male GRE Scores (revised/old version): Q: 168 (95%) V: 162 (90%) W: 5.0 (93%) Research Experience: Some research for ~2 years, nothing extremely substantial, no publications Awards/Honors/Recognitions: First place in Engineering Senior Design Expo, Dean's list, summa cum laude, etc. Tau Beta Pi scholarship. Pertinent Activities or Jobs: President of Eta Kappa Nu (helped revive our chapter), Tau Beta Pi, student grader/TA. Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Some (I think) solid work experience: three semesters working for a prominent safety/tech company in the area, a year working full-time for tiny electronic design company. Active member in student radio (held several leadership positions). Special Bonus Points: Honestly none, I don't think any of my recommenders had any contacts at any of the schools I applied to. Any Other Info That Shows Up On Your App and Might Matter: Applying to Where: UC Berkeley - EECS - Physical Electronics/MEMS Caltech - EE - Photonics/Optoelectronics CMU - ECE- Post-CMOS/MEMS UT Austin - ECE- Quantum optics/photonics UCSD - EE - Photonics UCSB - ECE- Photonics & nanoelectronics