thefrightfulmuse

Letters, your statement, and your research are definitely the most important factors in getting admitted. However, GRE scores are probably the most important factor in *not* getting admitted. As long as your scores aren't disqualifying, they don't matter much, but if they are out of whack, then it can be a major problem. I'll reiterate... students tend to think nothing of being out of balance, especially those of the scientific persuasion. If they can get an 800 quantitative, they think it shouldn't matter if they walk around drooling on themselves and if they can't form complete sentences. That 1460 with a 3.5 analytic writing is a problem. Admissions committees don't think like students... they'll think either there's something severely out of balance with your personality/mental state or they'll think you cheated on the V&Q but couldn't pull of a cheat plan on the AW. You don't need super high scores, but you do need a sense of balance in those scores.

I'll definitely second Portland. In fact, even if there's no school there you like, you should go anyways and forget about school. Portland is really that great.

Your GRE scores I find a bit out of whack. You got a 1460 combined and a 3.5 analytic writing, if I'm reading correctly. That would mean you couldn't have scored anything less than 660 on the verbal section. And a 660 verbal is a very high score - equivalent to 93rd percentile. But a 3.5 analytic writing is only equivalent to the 15th percentile. I find it very strange someone could beat at least 93% of test takers on the verbal section, but only 15% on writing. Perhaps you should request a regrade on your writing sample. Something is amiss here and I think any admissions counselor would think the same. Admissions committees like to see at least some sense of balance in an applicant's record which is why on the SAT, an 800 math and 400 verbal will get you rejected by almost any decent college, even if you're majoring in math. High and obvious imbalances suggest something more than "he's good at math, but not so much at verbal." When the balance is way off like that, it usually suggests a whole array of hidden problems - something a college would rather not deal with. I would advise you to do two things: 1) request a regrade or retake the GRE. Try to get a more balanced set of scores. A 1300 combined with a 4.5 analytic writing would be FAR better than your 1460 and a 3.5... 2) Apply to a few easy schools so at least you have a jumping point if you have no other options. Good luck.

Agree with other people. For top schools, test scores are just weed out factors so the admissions committee will actually have time left to eat, go home and see their children, and have a life outside the admissions office. After all is said and done with test scores, their pile of applicants is still going to be 10x larger than the number of students they can admit. If scores are your best trait, you might as well not apply. You've gotta have things that makes you stand out as a person, a researcher, and someone that exudes success. Your statement of purpose and letters of recommendation weigh heavy... more weight than most people think. I think sometimes applicants forget that people, not machines, evaluate applications and the human factor is immensely important. If your statement of purpose starts off dry and boring like, "Hi my name is Dave Smith and I have a strong interest in condensed matter physics" then tear it up and rewrite it. If you don't have good relationships with the professors that write your letters, then go get to know them better, ask what else you can get involved in, etc. The admissions committee knows a very compelling fact that most applicants don't give much thought to - and that is, intellect and potential don't mean a damn thing without passion, drive, dedication, focus, humility, and ethics. They'll turn down a 4.0 with high GRE scores and admit someone with a 3.5 and average scores if the latter person shows more promise of those latter attributes. Those are the things that will ultimately determine success and admissions committees know it. Too many intelligent people these days try to wing it, have sloppy attitudes, and end up flunking out. It does a school no good to admit that kind of person. So make sure you are demonstrating the good qualities that the committees really want to see.

The weather is better in Georgia than New York, too.

Georgia Tech recently started a Ph.D. program in Robotics. Give it a look.

Don't take it. Just apply to places that don't require it. A 10 year lapse in background is going to make that test almost impossible to succeed at. It's not that the material on the test is very advanced, but that many of the questions are subtle. Consider a person that takes 4 years of a foreign language in HS, then goes 10 years without speaking it, and then is dropped in a conversation with a latin country's top government officials on policy and budget restructuring. You'll be lost. You need time to get back up to speed and I don't care how much you study, you won't redevelop the deep intuitive grasp you'll need in less than 6 months-1 year. That's just my opinion.

I would just make sure I could get there in an hour or less without a car. Don't live anywhere where you can't get to campus without your car. As a grad student, if your car breaks, you may not be able to afford to fix it. More power to you if you can hit up your parents, but if not, then just make sure you're on a bus line or you've got a bike or some alternative means.

Get the lightest thing you can get, seriously. I use to haul a 14" around campus and it got old fast...and it was a light 14 incher...under 5lbs. If you need more computer power for anything, I'd recommend a desktop in combination with that lightweight laptop. I didn't even have to take mine to class. If that was mandatory, GOOD GRIEF...get a 10". Although I did notice women didn't seem to mind baggage as much. The large jock guys would walk around with those nike string bags with maybe one spiral bound book inside. Then you'd see little miss 5 foot nothing with her Northface Megasack, reaching 2 feet out from her back, packed full with the zippers splitting at the tangs, while she's hunched over like a logger carrying everything she'll ever learn in college all at once.

I use to live in GaTech Housing. I'd recommend living off campus, especially as a grad student. Normal real-world leases are easier to deal with.

I'd have to disagree with the OP revealing this to anyone. The OP gave their word not to tell and then broke that word. I personally find the op's actions more detestable than the person forging letters. Not only did they give their word and go against it, but they did so as a coward, behind the person's back. If someone is going to break their word, they should at least have the courage to tell the person up front and give them a chance to turn themselves in. The forged letters is definitely no bueno. Putting someone else's name on something they did not write is a direct assault on that person's character. Nevertheless, I still stand by my above statement. Personally, I've always thought the process of recommendation letters was idiotic. When a person applies to grad school, it should be just that person applying...not that person and three other people. I think it's terribly inconsiderate for institutions to expect potential applicants to inconvenience other people by requesting they take time out of their day to type up letters for programs they themselves aren't applying to. They should accept names, phone numbers, and email addresses of three references and then get off their butts and contact those people if they so desire. That would be far more ethical.