eeee1923

1) Yes that would be helpful 2) ditto 3) Apply to about 10 schools - no need to apply to 15 (it's sort of a numbers game but it will hurt your wallet) 4) Work on your statement of purpose early - have it reviewed by your past PI's + profs (maybe one of them sits/sat on an adcomm and could give you pointers)

Some programs may have a list of PI's that have available slots for rotation. Either way contact the program DGS or email potential PI's - the worst they can say is no.

plane hanger

freshwater amphibian

Coursera (and things like MIT OpenCourseware) is very good - however it is highly dependent on the motivation of the individual. There are plenty of free course classes online but you will need to be self-motivated to make this drastic transition. That means actually following the instructions of the courses and following them all the way through. Classrooms @ colleges are helpful in their expense in that they give students a bit more of an incentive to learn the material - i.e. "I paid so much money for this course that I better learn this material". I've done both but I can tell you that free + go-at-your-pace = very difficult to follow all the way through. I would also contact the graduate departments at a few of the programs you're thinking about attending and explain your situation. They may have better advise than anything I could tell you anyhow. Good luck though!

hammerhead shark

tiger shark

As someone coming from an engineering background (ChE but I took a few civil courses), I'll tell you this - you will not be ready to apply by this winter (according to the info you provided, though your GRE scores are good enough). Here are the following courses (from what I remember from talking to my civil friends) you will need for civil engineering: 1. Math: Calculus I-III, Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, Calculus-based Statistics 2. Science: University Physics I-II, General Chemistry I-II, Material Science 3. Programming: This can vary but getting familiar with MATLAB or some object oriented language would be useful; Also a GIS (Geographic Info Systems) program would be helpful 4. General Engineering: Statics, Dynamics, Basics of Electrical Engineering, Mechanics of Materials, Thermodynamics 5. Civil Engineering: Surveying, Engineering Design, Transportation Engineering, Hydraulic Engineering, Codes & Regulation, Water Resources Engineering, Steel Design, Environmental Engineering Then you have to do well (GPA = 3.7+) in the aforementioned courses in order to prove to the adcomm that you are a viable candidate. Good luck with this transition - it won't be an easy route but it is doable.

Generally at the grad level, since the focus is on research - a lot of emphasis is not placed into grading course work. Usually the cohort has a sufficient enough background that most of the material is review - which means that most students tend to get B's or higher. Now it would be possible to get a C+, but you would have to really be putting very little effort into your work - plus most grad programs have limits on the minimum passing grade one can receive and still be on good academic standing.

avoid traps

coffee obsession

The usual rule of thumb that I was told was not to do every degree at the same institute as a budding scientist. You need to allow yourself to explore the different projects and experiences out there. If you have acceptances at top ranked programs - what is an extra 2 yrs to complete a degree?

tv series

You cannot quantify research interest (it depends on the PI's and applicant's interests). However, you can quantify research facilities, PI productivity, NIH grant funding, and things of that nature - and that is what leads to rankings. If you weren't able to get into "higher" ranked programs then you weren't a 'fit' for that program (it can be a subjective process). You can choose to work for a few years and retry again (after you have a better idea of what research entails) or you can accept the offer you have right now and get the best training you can (program ranking doesn't necessarily dictate the quality of training). Now I'll warn you - if you don't like the program, research or town that the program is in - then don't attend since someone else will enjoy taking that spot. Everyone works hard to get into grad school and it is not your birthright, therefore the concept of 'deserving' doesn't make a lot of sense.

How many upsets this year's NCAA March Madness tournament has had - my bracket just continued breaking after each round.

network administrator

It really depends on what your future plans. From what you've described it may be beneficial to attend OU (I have a friend in their ChemE PhD program who says it's fine) since they have projects you're interested in/resources and that would help in your training. If you need to you can use your potential PI's connections to get a really good postdoc which would help you get into industry, academia or whatever you feel like. Honestly, rankings matter to a degree but you should enjoy your PhD training - and if that means attending a slightly lower ranked program, I say do it. If it bothers you too much, you could just try for the next application cycle but if you'd like living in Athens, OH and you like your research I wouldn't sweat the rankings that much.

hospital network

Honestly, you have to ask yourself what your future goals are. What area would you like to work in? Would expertise in one of the chemistry sub-fields or chemE sub-fields set you up better? I did my BS in Chemical Engineering and MS in Chemistry, so I'm kind of the opposite of you. But what I can say is that the research goals/approaches are quite different between the two fields.

They waitlist since they tier their applicants - basically the strongest applicants will get offers, with the fact that some of the strongest will probably not choose to attend that institute. Those on the waitlist would typically be applicants that would fit the program but probably less so than the top set of applicants that are offered admission.

Just remember clinical research and basic science research are quite different from one another - basically keep that in mind for when you go for your PhD programs.

If you do end up going - try stopping by the smaller workshops and attending some of the social hour events. People tend to be more relaxed during those events and more receptive to having longer conversations.

1. I basically started scheduling items more rigorously so that I wasn't overly stressed about due dates and what not. 2. Cut out one hr of TV/netflix and go workout (nothing too serious, but it helps) 3. Made some time to just relax (go for a walk or just think, etc)

I've had an idea of what I wanted to do when I was an undergrad but wanted to solidify my plans so I joined the BS/MS program. Now that I'm finishing off the MS part I know that finishing off the PhD will allow me to go down the career path I want instead of working for 15 yrs to gain enough experience.

self doubt