tarrman

This seems a little different than "reverse academic snobbery". It sounds more like you are dealing with people who consider studying liberal arts, non-STEM, etc. a complete waste of time, and there's nothing you can do to convince them otherwise. Just do as everyone else says and ignore them. I wouldn't "write them off as idiots"; you'll most likely develop a superiority complex and a lot of cynicism if you do this often. People will always have their opinions. Why try to force something with people you have little compatibility with?

There's always violence in cities, but never in the Cambridge area. It's much worse in other areas like Dorchester. What's been going on this past week is extremely unusual and not at all common. The media has also been playing up how violent the situation is.

What's more baffling is the date of the posts... there are schools with admissions processes in the Summer???

Not all schools will be affected by the sequester. I'd say lesser known schools would be hit harder than big name schools like Duke. And as Sabdo said, there are other sources than NIH. And if you look at the numbers, you'll see that only a small fraction of grad students/applicants will be affected. Contact the PI as Sabdo said if you have any doubts.

Rank is more important than prestige. Ever hear of a Harvard engineer? Austin is also a much more affordable city. Go to UT. You sound like you like it more.

Ah, well if your reasons for disliking particular topics is based on job markets, then I second ConGrUenCy's suggestion and go for embedded systems. It's heavy in programming, is applicable to most fields in EE, and there are plenty of companies looking for people with embedded programming expertise.

Robotics is pretty heavy in control systems. Computer architecture is another good field for those who enjoy programming. Why don't you like controls? It's no more mathematical than communications.

I agree with ak48. There are geniuses all over the country at both well-known and unknown universities, but they comprise such a small percentage. It's also a little naive to think that Ivy Leagues (and similar universities) are substantially more difficult than other universities, as this is not at all true. I've actually heard stories about Ivy Leagues having major issues with grade inflation. At my undergrad institution (a state school), I've noticed so many of the other students struggle and can barely handle the workload simply because they weren't properly trained in high school. As long as her training in her Masters and undergrad programs wasn't a complete joke, she won't even notice a difference from what she's been doing. But she shouldn't be comparing herself to other students. There will always be someone out there who is smarter than you, and this can be said about anyone.

How long is the masters program? And what's the price at A for a year? The funding at school A doesn't seem that bad. While it's nice that it's guaranteed at B, I wouldn't be too concerned about it at A, especially since you've already been offered funding for the first semester. You ought to try and get in contact with grad students at A who are doing masters and ask what the funding situation is for them. It might be difficult finding a job with a degree from a university that employers haven't heard of (I'm just speculating here since you haven't given that much information.)

I like Austin in this case. It's a much better place to live than Purdue, and I think the CommNetS department is really strong. I strongly considered attending there for a while. As long as UT is giving you SOME money, I don't think it's worth turning down for a little more at Purdue.

Congrats! It's a great school, and I know you won't regret it!

It's likely that the statistics shown there include those rejected from Ph.D. but offered unfunded MS as well as those who applied to MS only. Remember Ph.D. is much more competitive. It may not be as low as 10%, but I wouldn't place it higher than 15%. UT Austin had a 10% acceptance rate in my track, and Prince ton's was 12%. UIUC has a 15% rate for MS and 7% for Ph.D. (if applying w/ MS) UMich's acceptance rate has got to be comparable.

That's definitely wrong. UMich is pretty competitive. I'd put it closer to 10%. UIUC MS has an acceptance rate of 15%. As far as Stanford goes, it seems like they offer most Ph.D. rejects an MS. I'd say it's around 10% for those who applied directly to MS.

I'd do it before work just in case. Is 4 hours really going to make a difference?

Tech's EE program is pretty reputable when it comes to industry, not so much when it comes academia. You'll definitely have a job waiting for you when you graduate, and the department is large enough the you should be able to find multiple professors you are interested in. I know your visit didn't go over too well, but it might be worth it to give it another chance. The quals are also really easy; undergraduate level problems taken from some of the undergraduate courses, but it tests you on many topics in EE.