free_radical

You seem to be doing well in your current career path - is there anyway to somehow keep that and pursue your interests? Like maybe get into strategy and business aspects of the aerospace industry, where you can be exposed to the technical aspects of building planes. If you love flying small planes, it's also quite possible to pursue that as a hobby on top of your already successful career - there are probably competitions or events in that area you could attend, with or without a formal engineering degree. As an engineer myself, I might also add that many engineers are technically brilliant, but do not understand the business aspects of scientific research, i.e. the economic factors that might drive the aerospace industry. It is not all about being scientifically brilliant, you also need to understand economic, political, and cultural factors that affect scientific innovation. So don't underestimate the power of your business training - even if your passion seems to be more technical.

I'm not sure what you're interested in, but if you're interested in Computer Integrated Surgery at all, Hopkins is the way to go. This is partially because Johns Hopkins is so strong in medical research and there are opportunities for collaboration with the medical school, but also just because the professor who does it is pretty amazing (Russell Taylor). I'm not a Computer Scientist, and can't really comment much about the programs in general. Good luck making a decision!

I applied for PhD programs after working for some time in industry. I would say the hardest part was getting recommendation letters - not that people were unwilling to provide them, but it felt slightly awkward emailing professors from a few years ago, re-introducing myself, and asking for recommendations. Other than that, I don't think it was much different than applying as a traditional BS graduate - although there were several times when I wish I had an academic advisor who could help me with my personal statements, give advice on which programs were a good fit, etc. On my visit weekends to campuses, there were several people who were currently working...all of whom had varying degrees of comfort in telling their employers they were applying to graduate school. If you're wary about telling your employer, then obviously there's that challenge. In summary - yes, it was intimidating coming back to academia after being in industry, but very well worth it. I'm happy with my application cycle, and I think I have a MUCH better idea of what I want to do then when I was a BS graduate.

Did you visit either of the schools? If they are both well-ranked, then you should probably choose the place you'll be happiest living. Regarding rankings though, I believe Georgia Tech is consistently ranked in the Top 10 programs for Materials Science and Engineering, but not UMass Amherst.

Your question is a bit too broad to be answered, as I'm sure it depends on many factors - your school's reputation, geographical location, and personal connections your professors have will affect the ease with which you get a job. For what it's worth, I was able to find work after earning a Masters degree. I came from a pretty well-known university, and I think that did help. Job searching is hard, especially when you're fresh out of school. It took me 3 months to find my last job. I've heard of people taking 6 months. It's just a nature of the job search, don't be too upset over what your degree taught and didn't teach.

Haha I get the frustration. I just want to hear back so I can declare my application season over.

I have no idea, I didn't ask if their wait list was ranked or anything. All I know is that everyone should hear by late March/early April (I know, vague and not comforting, but don't hate the messenger ). I imagine it might partially have to do with your research interests - i.e. if all the people in your research area decide to go somewhere else, that would help your chances. Sorry I can't be more helpful - if you're still seriously interested in Berkeley maybe call and see if the wait list is ranked, and where you are on it.

For anyone still waiting for Berkeley, I just called them. If you haven't heard by now it probably means you're on a waitlist.

I think everyone has strengths and weaknesses in their respective research fields, no one is good at everything needed to become a good researcher. It sounds like you're just struggling with one thing - writing. One weakness doesn't mean you can't do research, it just means you should address that one weakness. Don't forget about the strengths you have too! For me personally, writing is one of my strengths, but trust me, I have my fair share of weaknesses in other areas! I also think being aware of my weaknesses has helped me overcome them, or at least manage them effectively.

My background makes me rather easily identifiable, so unfortunately I don't feel comfortable putting my exact stats up. But to answer your question as best as possible - My GPA was 3.6-3.8ish (lower than many people here it seems, haha), my GREs were pretty high though. I definitely did not have connections due to a slightly untraditional background - hence the discomfort in putting my stats up. I'm domestic, my Northwestern acceptance came early Feb.

Have you checked the results page? For what it's worth, I got into one place on March 1st, so late news is not necessarily always bad.

Anyone still at "submitted" for Berkeley? I'm fortunate to have gotten into some other great places, but would like some closure...