sachincp16

You can't really look at grad school as competition always between other students. Think it more as a collaboration (will you be able to interact with them?). The fear of not being able to keep up with them...well I've had that feeling and I found that it is really just baseless. Two reasons why: you would not have applied to the program if you wanted an easy ride, and two they accepted you, so the committee thinks you are definitely capable of succeeding. So ask yourself a few questions: Why are you applying to grad school, and why did you apply to either of those schools? You must taken the rigorous nature of the schools in mind and the fact that you can do it. Then ask yourself: Do you want to excel in your field and surround yourself with people who push that bar higher for you? If so, then which school do you think provides that for you? And do you really apply to grad school so you can party or care others party like you did in undergrad? Cause really, whatever school you choose, that shouldn't even be a concern. Regarding schools, they are both really good for BME..So don't doubt that one program is necessarily harder than the other. They will both be tough. Where do you think you fit in? Where do you feel comfortable? Where do you think you will succeed? Where can you see yourself attending? Regarding name brand: I err on the side of name brand usually, but in this case, they are both top schools for BME, so I probably wouldn't worry about the name too much. And finally: which one, if you did not have a choice, did you absolutely not want to get rejected from? I think the answer to that question is usually a good indicator of where your gut is telling you to go.

So I was in a similar dilemma. I had to choose between my one masters program (regionally recognized) offering me half tuition scholarship (and roughly little to no debt) and another program wasn't really offering me anything and would require me going into debt some 40k. The second option was a top 10 university in the US and top 25 internationally. I weighed the decision heavily. I ask many professors and industry people. All I kept hearing was that your job prospects at the second, more prestigious school are pretty much set and that it's a top university for a reason (i.e what you - OP- mentioned in your post: contacts, students, closer to opportunities, alumni). They also stressed though that the school has to fit you and your goals and that is what you should aim for...cause in the end that is where you will succeed and that is where the money will be worth. If in the end you expect you will be making a good deal after you graduate to cover your debt, then I'd go with NY. I, like you, do not have undergrad debt so I was a little more flexible in my options as well. I decided to go with the more prestigious university because of the reasons stated above and the fact I expect I'll be making enough to cover my debt. You also have to think of it in the long-term: that is this debt will be financed over 10-20years...and if you will be expected to make enough, it will be a relatively small investment over that period of time. Thats how saw my decision. Obviously, I am not sure about the media field, its prospects, career, etc, etc. If the debt is justifiable because of location, contact, job prospects, career advancement, etc, etc...than it might just be worth it. If not, than choose your second option. But in the end, be confident in your decision. Hope that helps.

yeah, though I respect my advisor and her advice a lot, I don't quite fully agree with her about the negotiation advice. I believe its appropriate to do so (after all its a major life decision and this is an investment in the end), though you can't push it to much, otherwise it becomes ungrateful..which is what I believe my PI was getting at.

Email is probably most appropriate. You could go meet face-to-face, but if they say no, then the meeting will end pretty quickly, and it will be sort of awkward. Is it for a PhD or masters program? I asked my PI about this before and she said if its for a PhD, then it is usually frowned upon since it shows that you'll more interested in money than the research. However, though, I have read people negotiating for this and succeeding, though a very few at that. For a masters though, I tried it myself recently and they said no. I think the issue is two fold: one masters is a money maker and two they have plenty of others willing to pay if not you; though if they really want you, they will reconsider so it doesn't hurt trying. So you should state your excitement and all (but no thank you since it is not a personal favor that they admitted you) for receiving an admissions offer and any funding thus far. State in a sentence or two what you like about the program and why you think its a great match for you. Then state why you are writing and for what reason. If you have funding from both school A and B, but B is offering more (and you are appealing to school A) state that you are torn between the two because school is A is the program you really want to attend but financials is big consideration. If it is simply financial difficulties, state that. You may mention and/or attach an offer letter from another university if you wish. Be straightforward. They will know in about a few sentences what the email will be about, so just be straight to the point. Hope that helps and good luck!

I actually just talked to a professor at my undergrad institution about this. He went to MIT for his Ph.D. in Economics so I gave some weight to his advice. I'm in a similar situation and asked him if it is worth it to go into debt for a ME masters at a prestigious school with no funding vs a good school with half-tuition funding. I asked him whether or not a the name of a prestigious university is something to consider in the scheme of all things. What they said: Depending on what you want to do, the prestigious school has its benefits. They are up there-that is well known- for a reason (rankings aside) because of the quality of their faculty, program, rigor, student body,etc, etc--and employers take notice to that. In addition, these universities are usually well-funded and they have strong industry contacts and resources..employers will come to them wanting to take their students. Also because of funding and name recognition, generally more opportunities are available to you through the university (a few professors have confirmed all this for me). If obtaining financing (loans, parents, savings) are not too much of an issue, then you should consider it, as you will have better job prospects and the debt will only be a small fraction of what you will eventually make from an ME degree in the long run as this is a long-term investment. This does come with a caveat though. If financing is an issue, and if you know where you are going to be in the future and the research you will do is specific enough to fill a need and you know it will get you into the field/position after graduation, then UC Merced might work out perfect for you. Does this all mean you will get a masters from a less prestigious school and no job offer. Of course not; a masters degree in mechanical engineering is sought after and so you'll eventually find something; it'll just be more hit or miss. There will be a lot posts suggesting otherwise and my advise is not one-size fits all. The program you choose has to be right for your goals. Even if you spend nothing to go to get a masters, and the masters program in the end is not right for you, then you lose time which is just as valuable. This is a lot to digest I suppose, but one final piece of advice. Although a little bit hard to do, consider the schools with financials aside. Include research, program, professors locations, or whatever is important to you. Obviously in the end you need to consider financials, but you also want to look at things objectively as much as possible also without much emotional influence by money. Hope that helps, good luck, and be confident in your decision!

Hi All, I am kinda stuck on trying to figure out whether I should attend a one or two year masters program in mechanical engineering. On the one hand, I have been accepted to a few M.E. programs (Boston U, Lehigh U, Drexel), some with scholarships, while on the other hand, I have been accepted to Carnegie Mellon's Dual degree masters in M.E. and engineering management program. The tuition is double at CMU b/c it is two years, so I am trying to determine if getting a dual degree is worth the investment as opposed to just a M.E. masters degree. Any thoughts on this? I would really like to go to CMU, but the cost of attending is making me think twice. Would job prospects be better going to CMU, as opposed to going to the other universities?

Hi All, I was accepted to Carnegie Mellon's Dual Degree Mechanical Engineering and Engineering&Technology Innovation Management (E&TIM) program. It is a two year program with a mandatory summer internship. Anyone have an opinion of getting a dual degree masters? Is is worth it in terms of future career opportunities and cost (roughly $90k tuition for two years with $9k scholarship offered); and more so if I just got a mechanical engineering degree?Any thoughts or opinions? Thanks!

Hi All, I was accepted to Carnegie Mellon's Dual Degree Mechanical Engineering and Engineering&Technology Innovation Management (E&TIM) program. It is a two year program with a mandatory summer internship. Anyone have an opinion of getting a dual degree masters? Is is worth it in terms of future career opportunities and cost (roughly $90k tuition for two years with $9k scholarship offered); and more so if I just got a mechanical engineering degree?Any thoughts or opinions? Thanks!

Hi All, So I received an admissions offer from CMU's dual degree program: Engineering and Technology Innovation Management (E&TIM) and Mechanical Engineering. I was pretty excited about that. The issue I have run into now is whether the cost of attending is justified. It is a two year program, so about 40k a year, plus living costs, with about a 9K scholarship. I am not finding much information about others who attended the dual degree program, so I was wondering if anyone has attended this program, or knows anyone who has, or even known anything about the E&TIM program. I have received other competing admissions offers from BU engineering with a 21k scholarship, and lehigh University no scholarship, both being one year programs. Is there a benefit to getting dual degrees, or would an engineering masters from the other schools above be competitive enough for a job hunt for a mechanical engineering position? Thanks!