shinigamiasuka
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Posts posted by shinigamiasuka
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shinigamiasuka, why do you think competition can be a little less for Spring? Sure, there will be fewer applicants, but they might have way way less openings.
Because less people apply. If the seats are far fewer, then it would be tougher, so it depends.
Okay, so yesterday I followed up with the two professors I contacted and stated that I plan on visiting the campus next week and asked if they have some time to chat and that I would like to visit them in their office hours. One professor replied "
Paul:
Unfortunately, I shall not be able to meeet with you next week.
That's all he wrote. I don't know if this means he doesn't want to meet with me ever, or just busy next week. Should I reply and ask him what time would he be available? I can reschedule my visit just for a chance to meet him.
Now, if he actually meant he doesn't want to meet with me ever, then of course I wouldn't want to keep on pressing it.
Please advise, thanks
He's either out of town or too busy. Reply him asking when he can. I hardly suppose it's anything to fret over. If he wasn't interested, he wouldn't have responded.
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NOTEBOOKS: I was wondering, do people still use hand-written notebooks frequently? It seems like laptops are how everyone would take notes, but I really like hand writing things out, especially while I'm reading books. Is it not prudent to write this all down like that? I'm worried I'll be frustrated that my notes aren't searchable...
I find taking handwritten notes more convenient than typing them. It's also easier to draw diagrams and write down equations--but of course, this is field-specific.
Someone on this forum suggested scanning and running an OCR on the notes.
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Any sort of work/research/study you did as an EE graduate (or still undergrad) working in/studying about the petroleum field that made you decide on getting a graduate/professional degree in petroleum engineering, I guess?
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Update: Finally settled on this bag for myself.
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It really depends. Do hold on and wait for the reply from the department. Chances are they might not consider the grades from the abnormal psych and nursing majors, but they will see them. Explaining your situation on the SOP should help, as should your (stellar!) research experience and (hopefully awesome?) current grades. It doesn't hurt to try.
Include a bit more than 3 schools this application season; 5-6 ought to be good.
Good luck!
Edit: Since this is the SOP forum, I should add that you shouldn't make what didn't work out the focus of your SOP, but rather how it helped build you and your interests right now + how <insert institution/program here> fits into the picture.
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Your new scores are awesome. Hopefully you'll do just fine. Also--in case this was the error in your apps the last time--talk more about your research and current research interests on your SOP, and highlight them on your CV/resume.
If applicable: Try to weave in how your current work experience will help you as a future researcher on the SOP.
Unrelated: You're working as a software engineer? Isn't that more of a CSE work? That's cool though. I have an old friend who's also an EE graduate working as a software engineer for Visa at SF.
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Was it $1,000/month for a studio through the university's housing system, or outside of it?
I managed to swing a 1 bedroom for $1100/month in the Bronx which is reasonable considering costs in the rest of NYC. I have a job at the school that pays me $5,000/semester and I'm going to have help from family, so it's totally feasible, but major city schools are a bitch when it comes to housing costs.
I was honestly astounded by how much Fordham charged for grad student housing. I mean, I get that it's in Manhattan, but the cost of a 1 bedroom apartment for the semester's length was MORE than my tuition.
Yep, it was on campus. ~$11k a year or something IIRC.
That's cool and reasonable for NYC. I know someone who lives at ~$1200 for a studio in Columbia U's housing.
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How much RAM do you think is necessary for an engineering PhD student? I'm looking at the Dell XPS 13 and the max it comes with is 8gb (not upgradable). I don't want to get a very large laptop because I'll be walking to and from campus. My other option is to deal with my 4 year old Mac for another semester and wait for the new XPS 15, which should be the same size as a normal 13" laptop. Thoughts?
It depends on the kind of software, simulations, and coding you'd need to run. It's better that you take advice from current students and from your advisor. Some universities allow remote access to the PCs on campus, in which case you wouldn't need more than 8GB.
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What is the cost of grad student housing at U of Chicago? I'm going to Fordham and I looked into their housing for grad students, but it was around $13,000 per semester for a studio— that's about $1,000 a week. YIKES. Granted, their housing for graduates is located in Manhattan, so that explains some of it. Depending on what the cost is at the U of Chicago, it may or may not be worth looking into. I don't know what rent prices are like in Chicago, but we all know they're high in New York. I was able to find a place in a building two blocks from Fordham's Bronx campus that is mainly occupied by Fordham students. I didn't even have to get a broker as it was listed by the owner, who was an elderly old-school Italian man.
Well I looked up housing when I got accepted to UIC, and it seemed that >=$1k /month is the usual for a studio. Yes, Chicago is pretty expensive too.
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I tried, and I do not.
Bummer. Your institution must have turned it off.
Same.
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Could be UChicago.
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I started a research based company 2 years ago and has a patent. My first product has gotten pre orders and it won honorable mentions in a invention competition. Can that count as research?
That's amazing! Makes for a great deal of experience for a recent graduate/current undergrad! Best of luck on the applications!
Edit: Since you edited the post and talked a bit more:
Can I write this in my SOP? Although it's usually not a good idea to talk about high school achievement, I feel this tells a consistent story, and really tells me who I am and what a comeback I've made. Granted I'm no longer applying as an undergrad, and the dean that knows me is not in charge of graduate admissions, but still...Your SOP is your story.
I wonder if going down to UIUC and talking with the department head/dean there about my situation might help me in this regard?It's always a good idea to visit if you can as I said in another post. If it makes way for better opportunities/chances, then all the merrier.
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The following statements are based on this info:
If your cGPA is > 3.5, improve other sections of your application e.g. adding more research experience, apart from a stellar SOP. Your GRE scores are already terrific.
If your cGPA without withdrawing from the said bad semester is < 3.5, then that makes it a little worrisome.
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1. An AWA 4 is sufficient in most cases. Like eyepod said, you're in the safe zone.
2. Achieving an average of 3.8 in the last 2 years proves that you can do well and understand the higher level courses. However, competition is tough--could be a little less for Spring, but still. Make your SOP strong and hope for the best.
Random 2: The first PI I mentioned in my previous post was an old friend of my undergrad thesis advisor (I mentioned him in my email). Sometimes connections help. I now wonder if it was because of that that he replied to such an early email of mine. Anyway, it is a very good idea to visit school to get a feel of them before applying; helps in building a better tailored SOP as opposed to a general one. And yes, you'll likely make some connections too which could help later when you're admitted.Random 3: I see a lot of funded UIUC ECE Master's admits in GradCafe's results search. They're all either RAs or TAs.
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While no one can possibly say if you will, but you might, given that low GRE scores tend to reduce your chances. Good luck on your retake though!
As for TOEFL, it's fine as long as it's above the minimum. A good score could help with your chances in getting a TA, and could help redeem a poor AWA score (from what I know). And since the TOEFL is already easy, it helps to practise the your pacing and note-taking for a good score.
Hope that helps.
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I tried contacting before and after my applications, and after I got acceptances. Got one reply from a PI after I applied, and he asked me to contact him after I get accepted. Unfortunately, I was rejected from that uni. None of the other professors I contacted before acceptance bothered replying. One PI from the uni I'm going to replied when I contacted him after acceptance, and he said he could consider me, but he'll decide on that after I arrive on campus. None of the other professors here whom I contacted replied when I asked them about possible research opportunities. So yeah, that's how my experience was; yours could be a lot different. In fact, it could be much better.
But to answer your question, no, you're not required to contact professors for a Master's degree. You could possibly land yourself an RA if you do, but that's better done after your acceptance (from my experience).
I'm not sure about UIUC, but at UM we'll be assigned our "academic advisors" at our department orientation, and the research advisor is to be chosen later (if an RA isn't secured before the start of the program).
Your GPA and GRE scores are all excellent. Good luck!
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If you're already studying at CSUDH, shouldn't you know better about your own school? That's half of your questions answered.
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The beginning
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They're all 2-year programs.
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Any chance you can get yourself a research assistantship? Have you contacted any professors asking if they're taking any students? A lot of students manage some form of an assistantship after they arrive on campus.
Have you considered a PhD?
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I know how you feel because I also went to Cal Poly SLO for undergrad. You have nothing to worry about! Like shingamiasuka mentioned, the success of your graduate application mainly depends on what you did and how you performed at school. I can assure you that you have a fair chance of getting into any of the top 10 engineering school as long as you have a relatively competitive application (GPA, GRE score, LORs, SOP, etc.). Keep in mind that I only applied to Master's programs. Just to give you a little more background, I applied and got into the MS programs of the following schools: Stanford (EE), Duke (Bioe), UPenn (Bioe), UMich (Bioe), Georgia Tech (EE), USC (Bioe), and UCLA (Bioe).
Good luck!
I come from a small, international school that's probably almost unknown in the US; that should give you some hope.
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UMich has a greater focus on sensing, RF and micro/mm-wave circuits, and RF MEMS than comp. EM as far as I know. However, Professor Leung Tsang, previously in U of Washington--Seattle, has recently joined UMich and his research is primarily in comp. EM. You also might want to look into (or ask him if he takes students or not, since his site doesn't reveal much) Prof. Eric Michielssen. Prof. Mark Kushner is in computational plasma research.
That said, I haven't arrived at the university yet. When I do, I could probably give you a better idea.
**If you are an international student, here's a note on the universities list that someone else on this forum mentioned: there's a relatively higher probability of getting accepted into private universities compared to public ones, so it's good to have them in the list as well (e.g. Stanford, Caltech, Northwestern, etc.).
Good luck with your apps!
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If I understood your question right: yes, some countries require embarkation/disembarkation paperwork to be filled (like my country, Bangladesh). For the US, you might need to fill a customs declaration form if asked by the officers. If you're carrying >=$10k, you'll need to report that as well in another form. They also might want to check your luggage. The main things required are
How to get over the imposter syndrome
in Officially Grads
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Just came back to the GradCafe because the feeling has been overwhelming today.