BryanEhlers

I'm a junior majoring in electrical engineering and computer science minor, and have 3 semesters of undergrad left. My GPA is 3.57. I attend a university with a pretty small EE department (maybe top 75). My question is what can I do to improve my graduate school application to make myself attractive to some more top schools. I'm interested in embedded systems, electronics, etc. I'm currently a TA for an EE course. I have not done any research experience. Will having no research experience automatically put me back when applying to top programs? Also, I was wondering how important is it to graduate schools how I perform on EE and CS courses as opposed to other un-related courses? I originally was premed track but hated it. Nevertheless, I took chemistry through O-chem II and a semester of biology that I got B in Biology, and B in O-Chem I, B in my first Chem course. Will this negatively affect me? Thank you for any and all advice that you can give to me

I'm going to be starting my junior year this upcoming fall in electrical engineering and am just beginning to think about graduate school. I have heard that by getting a masters/PhD in electrical engineering it'll be easier to move up past just being a test engineer my whole career (is this true?). I have an ok GPA, 3.44. Switched majors and as a result took some classes that no longer are relevant but remain on my transcript . Question one: Will my GPA hold me back from getting into a well known competitive graduate school? Question 2: I have no research experience. What advice do you guys have for getting involved in undergraduate research? I know of a couple professors whose work is interesting to me so do I go with them and just hope it lines up with what I end up doing in graduate school or is some research better than none? Question 3: Is my geographic location going to be a problem? I am in the Midwest (USA) and am looking at schools on the West Coast as well as a couple in the Midwest region. Question 4: What should I go for MS or PhD? My career goal right now is not be in academia but in industry. So will a MS open the same doors as a PhD will in terms of industry jobs? Thanks!!