<3Brains
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Posts posted by <3Brains
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When I applied last fall, I found that average scores for top 10 engineering schools were around 550-600 verbal (for phd, slightly lower for masters) and nearly 800 quant. Seems like 550 would be ok if you're just trying to get a score that won't keep your app from being considered. I've heard that a very high verbal score can make you stand out, though....and standing out is definitely a good thing with such large and talented applicant pools!
Studying for verbal isn't too hard, even if your english isn't great, because your score can go up hundreds of points just by memorizing tons of vocab. There are free lists online of thousands of words.
Good luck!
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I'd say go with the prof. If you let him know far in advance and give him the specific deadlines for your apps, he'll get them in on time. Even the busiest profs have to write recs all the time....they know the deal. Also, on the flip side, admissions committees know that profs are busy and have (at least from what I saw this admissions round, having a flaky prof myself) realistic expectations and appropriate time lags between deadlines and evaluation time.
For the schools I applied to, it was never an option to submit the letter for your prof. He'll have to do it, but start your apps early and you'll have the chance (early!) to send him the "request" email telling him how to submit it. Most schools have systems which help you send reminders, too.
Don't lessen the strength of your app by being too careful
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Don't worry too much about your lack of "relevant" research experience. I believe that many grad programs (certainly not all, but many!) just want you to have exactly what you mentioned -- experience working in a lab, asking research questions and finding some answers, and generally completing projects. I was accepted into plenty of electrical engineering programs with the intention of doing brain-machine interface work....and I have no EE research experience, very little brain-related research experience, and a degree in physics! If your SOP clearly explains why you want to pursue the research you say you're interested in and even explains some possible research ideas, it'll be strong. Also, it won't be as hard as you think to tie in your research -- while you're reading about the research of labs you want to join (so that you can explain why you're interested and why you're a good fit), it'll probably become more and more clear to you how your past research will give you an edge in your planned research.
I can't comment on which schools you should apply to. But worry not! Just get to work early
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I agree with most of the above advice except the bit that it's too early to start thinking about grad school. While it's definitely to early to narrow your vision and only consider *one* possible future (explore your options! really! no matter how sure you are!), it's not too early to be thinking about the general future. Most grad programs will of course want a good gpa, but 3.65 isn't prohibitive, especially from a good school....so just keep up the good work in your classes, and improve if you can without killing yourself. The important things for you to focus on are things others have mentioned....summer programs/internships/REUs, research, and building relationships with professors. These are all *very* important.
Also, someone mentioned that extracurriculars won't help you get into grad school. This isn't true. While admissions committees may not care much about extracurriculars, fellowship committees do. And not only do you want fellowships to help you pay for school and for general resume-building, they can also help you get in (schools like funded students better than unfunded ones, if they're allowed to).
Sounds like you're already on a good path. Keep it up
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Hmm it seems like my friend mixed up "1 bedroom, double occupancy" and "2-bedroom efficiency". Does anyone know how 2-bedroom efficiency's like? Is it just a usual 2-bedroom apartment minus the living room? Is privacy affected at all?
I think the 2-bedroom efficiency is like you say....regular 2-bedroom with not much of a living room. Sounds better than a 1-bedroom single occupancy because both people get a door (in other words, privacy not affected....if anything you'd see your roommate less often because there's no common room).
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I have no experience personally with test prep courses or tutors. I have worked for test prep companies, though, and have definitely seen scores go up on these tests by more than 100 points per section. This is relative, though. It's easier to get from 500 to 650 than 650 to 800. If you have the money, I think the best way to guarantee improvement is a tutor who knows what they're doing. The big test prep companies offer these, and they even offer different levels of tutoring (regular, master, elite, etc.) with different levels of guarantee.
If you want to stay cheap, you can't beat studying vocab words! There are huge lists for free online
That's all I did, and it worked wonders for my verbal score. -
I got a three-year full-tuition + decent-to-big stipend fellowship with GRE 800Q/720V/5.5AW. I got several fellowship offers from other schools, but I also got rejected from several schools. I think it really depends on the place!
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Hi Robu,
First I agree with Nibor, your Verbal score is not bad at all, and your Quant won't get any better.
Nibor's comments also reminded me that there is MUCH controversy around the AW score---so much so that even top political science or English literature etc., where writing is all-important---even those programs DO NOT generally put a lot of emphasis on the AW score.
Finally, you got an 800 GRE Quant. You probably know, but you may not know, that a full 4 percent of GRE takers get an 800 Quant score.
In other words, the 800 means you are GOOD in math, but the GRE quantitative test cannot discriminate if you are good, or very good, or excellent, or Einstein.
SO, if your math is REALLY superior, you might have a better shot at a top school by taking the GMAT. The Verbal in the GMAT is a little bit easier than the GRE Verbal; and the GMAT math is quite a bit more difficult than the GRE.
In other words, you could show yourself in the very best light possible. Just a thought.
The GMAT costs a lot: $250. But for a person with skills just as I perceive yours to be, i.e., Verbal, good, Quantitative, superior---the GMAT might be a better test.
You're right: the GRE doesn't distinguish good from better when it comes to math. In fact, last fall Q800 was a 94th percentile....so that's 6%, not 4%, that get an 800. I don't know about GMAT versus GRE and what schools/depts accept what, but I do know that what I've heard about GRE scores in quant programs (being an engineering applicant myself) is that Verbal actually matters more. Most people applying to quant programs have perfect or nearly perfect quant GRE scores, but good verbal scores are mich more rare (last fall V720 = 98th percentile!). Thus a good verbal score can go a long way.
Also....as far as letting the schools know how top-notch your math skills are, if you're applying for strictly math programs (which may not accept GMAT) as well as mathematical finance (which, yeah, probably would want GMAT), you'll probably want to take the GRE Math Subject test...which is orders of magnitude more difficult than GRE Quant. It covers things you actually learn as a math major, and is a difficult test.
One last thing. Most of the programs I applied to said my GRE score had to be from the past 5 years. If that's true for your programs too, you'd have to take it again anyway. Check the admissions pages for schools you want to apply to
Best of luck!
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I agree with the others: go ahead and retake it. Your current scores may not hurt, but they won't help either. Private tutoring (Princeton Review offers good stuff, can't vouch for other companies) would probably be the quickest way to raise your scores....and also the most expensive. Cheap methods that I found useful were studying lots of vocab words (LOTS.....there are lists online of in excess of 4000 words....) and just taking free practice tests.
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I did eight months of long distance with my then-boyfriend, now-husband before he moved out to join me. It sucked. But in the long run, it was really great for our relationship. Visits were the most romantic time we've ever spent together. We realized just how much we wanted the relationship. Not that I would wish it on anyone, but in hindsight, I can see lots of positives.
This is really true! My boyfriend and I did six months (may seem like nothing to some!) of long distance when I was a senior in undergrad, and I think it did a lot to strengthen our relationship.
Everyone has given great suggestions. I wanted to add two more small things: People have talked about having even social lives. That's *really* important. And equally as important: remember to actually have a social life. I often would say no to parties or outings because staying at home and talking to my boyfriend (we did mostly phone...this was a couple years ago and I didn't have a webcam) sounded more appealing. In retrospect, this wasn't a good idea (for both my sanity and our relationship).
And the second thing...it really helped me to have a friend who was also in an LDR. Talking about things with him made me feel orders of magnitude better...he was in the same environment I was in while dealing with the long-distance stuff. Highly recommended!
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"All mid-rise apartments have one bedroom. When two single students are sharing, the living room may be converted into a second bedroom, separated from the kitchen by a privacy divider. In these cases, students often agree to switch places mid-year."
I had a friend who lived in a "second bedroom" in EV and it was just the living room with a bed in it. No privacy. Terrible - they really shouldn't do that to adults.
I thought the mid-rises were only for couples. It seems like if two single students are living there, they must have entered the housing lottery as a "couple without children." If not, it's not very nice of Stanford housing to put a non-couple in an all-couples, all one-bedroom building.
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Yay I'm going to have health insurance again.
Although that would have happened anyway. Because it has to now.
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How does health insurance work at Stanford?
google: cardinal care
Looks like Stanford health insurance (which you can decline if you have outside health insurance), is $800/quarter currently. Grad students get a 50% subsidy if they have a 25% or higher CA/RA or a stanford fellowship paying a stipend at at least the same level as a quarter-time CA/RA. If you have a 10-25% CA/RA/fellowship, you get a 25% subsidy on cardinal care.
So at least $1600/year, up to $3200/year if you don't have financial aid from Stanford. And...there's a $10 co-pay when you use Stanford health services. And...you can use other places if you want but they'll pay only a percentage, after a deductable.
Yay I'm going to have health insurance again.
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A tidbit: when I asked which grad housing option people liked best (aimed at every grad student i could find during visit weekend), pretty much everyone said rains. Also, they said "Munger is nice," which we all already know. This doesn't do me personally any good since I'll be living in couples housing (EV only....I think....), but I thought you all might want to know
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I'd have to say the EV 2bedroom townhouses would probably be my first choice. Wish I could afford Munger, but it seems to be more to be law school types anyways. What seems to be the most social? I don't wanna spend more than about $1k a month. I considered the EV studios, but they seem so much smaller for the price compared to the townhouses.
Any idea if the 2 bedroom townhouse's in EV can fit a queen bed?
One thing I've heard (and seen, from the outside at least) is that the EV studios are much nicer building-wise than the low-rises. They were built more recently and are, well, nicer and newer.
Also, as far as the bed, the only unfurnished places are couples and family housing. If you want to put your own furniture in a furnished place, I think you have to find and pay for storage for the Stanford-owned furniture! Logical, but not what it was like in my undergrad dorms. Anyway you can look at floorplans and stuff for EV here, but they don't have room dimensions or anything: http://www.stanford....grad/ev_low.htm
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I'm going for an M.A. in East Asian Studies. I think I'll definitely be living in grad student housing as I'll be driving from Massachusetts - EEK! Anyone else making the 3,000 mile life voyage?
Yes! Driving from Georgia. Hope my car makes it...
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MS/PhD EE
Pretty sure I'll be doing on-campus housing. Rates in the area don't seem low enough to be worth the commute (even though I have a car). Can't wait to get a new bike!
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On 3/5/2010 at 1:37 AM, physviti said:
I've been compiling a list of universities (in the U.S.) doing research in BCI, so I can make sure I have all the requirements when I apply next year. So far I have:
Johns Hopkins
Stanford
Berkley
U Washington
Duke
U Florida
MIT
Brown
Am I missing any schools? And which schools on my list are probably the best. I'm guessing Duke and John Hopkins.
Thanks
Also University of Pittsburgh, Washington University in St. Louis, and Caltech
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I don't know the answer to "how much do rankings matter?" -- I'd like to know more about it myself, and I suspect the answer is not clear cut at all and depends on what you want to do. One thing you should take into consideration, I think, is where you might want to work after you're done. I live in Atlanta and I know that around here, GaTech graduates are super well-respected. I think that's true generally in the south. Perhaps in the midwest the UofC name has more leverage.
About the size of the faculty, it seems that since your interests aren't solidified it'd be a significant advantage to have a large range of top-notch advisers to choose from. You may even discover interests that you wouldn't have been able to consider at UofC.
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Yup, definitely planning to visit both schools. No worries, not gonna base my decision on what anyone here says, just hoping for some other perspectives and/or information I didn't know/think of
Also, yeah, I am interested in pure EE coursework. I have always leaned towards physics/math/engineering and wasn't ready to jump into a pure neuroscience program (although maybe it would have been a better fit since I could mix in some EE).
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Hi all! I am lucky enough to be making a tough decision in the coming months. I was accepted to Stanford EE with a fellowship and to Georgia Tech ECE (Bioengineering Program) with a TA. The name (and campus...and fellowship offer...) of Stanford would be hard to turn down, but Georgia Tech's program might be a better fit for me. I'm interested in Biodevices, specifically for neuroscience research/applications.
There is one person whom I'd really like to work with at Stanford but not many others, plus the program is *only* EE with no bio focus, although I think the coursework is flexible? There are many faculty I'd be happy working with at GaTech and also the program (specifically the coursework I guess) is a better fit for my interests.
Help! There are so many factors to consider...
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Stanford EE is offering travel reimbursement for coming to visit day, so maybe they only had enough money to invite a subset of admitted students?
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I have no inside information, but judging from last year's posts (lots of people saying they suddenly got aid very close to April 15), I'd say that what they're doing is waiting for people to decline fellowships that have been offered. There are, I think, two ways this can happen:
1) people who are nominated for SGF have not yet been officially approved by the graduate school. they were offered departmental fellowships in the case that their nominations were not approved, so maybe when SGF is confirmed (March 15), other people will get those departmental fellowships.
2) people decline their offers and their fellowships are given to other people.
just speculation!
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I got an invite to GaTech admitted students visit weekend March 17-19. Is anyone else going that weekend? They must have a couple visit weekends for Bioengineering....I was admitted to the program through ECE.
When are Northwestern interviews? I haven't heard anything from them.
Stanford 2010
in 2010 Archive
Posted
Got my first choice too! EV 1BR (couple w/o children)....it was either that or Munger, so yay not having to pay out the wazoo (though man a dishwasher would have been nice....)
Anyone else in EV? I want to know whether I'm in the low or mid rises....hoping for mids.