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Hey guys, First important to say that this forum feels like home! Thanks for sharing your opinions, it's good to know there are out there as many people having similar situations to yours. My situation is the following: I am an international ECE PhD student at a university ranked ~25 in the US. I have a tuition waiver for the first year but no RA. It would be possible for me to afford the expenses of the Spring and Summer terms but I definitely want an RA or TA for next year. My problem is that i cant find a research match as the one who has the closest research interests to mine is not taking PhD students anymore. I am left with one of the below choices: 1. Change my research interest and work with an available professor (not sure about this since i dont wanna rush decision) 2. Try to transfer to another university, this way i may hit 3 at a time (Better univ - RA - Research match) but will have to apply again (recommendations..) 3. Try to arrange some internship in the summer term from which i can earn like 5k to help myself financially (although this does not entirely solve the pb) 4. Wait until done with my coursework (end of this year) and then search for an advisor Please share your opinions. For 2, is it frequent for universities to accept transferring PhDs? Does this undermine my chances of being accepted? (there's a little info concerning that on the web) Thanks! FreeStyle

Hey Guys, I am in desperate need for help! You can tell from the number of questions i have:) Please advise. I have been accepted for PhD in Penn State (no funding) and Florida (~40% tuition waiver) and i am confused which one to choose as Penn State is ranked higher for ECE graduate programs. I'll be really grateful for any answer/advice concerning the below quesions: - How easy is it to get an RA in the second semester for both universities? - Is there any chance i can remain without funding (RA) for three semesters or more? - Which is more prestigious: Penn State or Florida? (Rankings do overrate some schools and can be misleading) - Is it worth going to Penn State despite the zero-funding proposal, betting on the second semester? - Can i find off-campus residence in UFL for ~400 a month? I guess there's a long waiting list for on-campus residency. - Should i apply for insurance before arriving to the US? What are the options. - Is it possible to shift my SEVIS record from a university to another AFTER i receive my VISA? Or should i simply wait for decisions from TU Delft/KTH/Toronto/OhioState/USC? Will be really thankfull for any help... FreeStyle