paulwece

1. I have not thrown a tantrum to her directly. I've been very respectful to her so far. (why is everyone here so biased toward the professors and automatically assume things?) 2. Even though it's only 10 pages, it's highly compressed and is not to be taken lightly. She wants it to have a chance of getting published. Project C is outside my interest area, is something I need to start from scratch, requires carrying out an experiment that's outside my experience, and very likely to not get decent results. There is too much of a risk of all efforts for nothing. I told her that. 3. Yes, there is a failure in communication, due to her not replying my emails. A simple "you can only do C because I won't sign off on A or B" would suffice and make my decision making easier, and bring closure. I understand professors have the right to determine what they want you to work on. 4. I cannot hurt her tenure. Only the department can. If only students have that kind of power... The fact that I brought it up here to get some other opinions means that I don't want to take that route. But I do feel mistreated and I need to vent.

First, of all, it's a Masters thesis, not a Phd thesis. Most Masters thesis in our department are around 10 pages, much like a paper. We did agree on a topic early in the spring (Project A..), and I took her class. She mentioned I can work on that project for the class and then my thesis would be half finished. Problem is, she teamed me up with a group and one group member wanted to work on a different project (Project B..) She told me I can do Project B also, and shouldn't feel obligated that I have to do project A. At the end of the semester, before she left, we had a meeting. I mentioned the possibility of doing project A or B as my thesis, she did not object. She also mentioned another project (C). Later I sent a proposal on A, she said no. She said C is better. I have no interest in C. I asked why A isn't okay anymore, got no reply. I then proposed B, still no reply. Asked for a short meeting when she's back (this week), still no reply. Look, at this point I don't care if I end up not writing a thesis, and just get the course only degree. My only issue is her not replying. That's completely rude. She could tell me something like "hey, I don't feel we are a right fit" or "I can't agree to anything unless...blah blah blah" or whatever and I'd still appreciate that. But for me to propose all those and ask her questions and not get a response is rude beyond belief. It's basically saying "5 minutes of my time is more important than your summer." That's what I want to file a complaint for, not whether she changed her mind on the thesis or whatever. Even on Slack, she never responds to me. The fact that I had to have one of her Phd student send her a message basically tells me she can't communicate and is completely poor in character. I understand Phd students get higher priority but seriously? How about some basic human decency? At this point, even if she agrees to my original topic, I don't think I want to work with her anymore. I've talked to my grad adviser and I already registered for couple of courses next semester. I'm outta here this year no matter what. But her not replying brings no closure to this. It's like breaking up with someone by just ignoring them and hoping they get the hint. I feel the department should know that because that's bad for future students. I have not done anything except sending proposals, asking questions, trying to set up a phone call/meeting, all weeks apart, and got nada. That's what pisses me off.

I got a professor who agreed to be my MS. thesis adviser (no funding). We agreed on a thesis topic. This summer, she left for abroad and before leaving we discussed thesis topic again, and I mentioned 3 possibilities. She did not object. Later I sent her a proposal and she rejected it. This is something we've been discussing all along so it's kind of a surprise. She wanted me to work on another project for one of her PhD student. It's not in my interest area, nor expertise. I mentioned this and never got any response from her again, be it email, Slack, whatever. I had to have her PhD student get my words through to her somehow. It's not the end of the world for me. I can always go on a course only option and get my Masters, but that'll take one more semester. I guess I'm just really frustrated at her lack of care, total unprofessional-ism, and lack of communication. She's an assistant professor and is always away on trips, giving talks, etc...At this point I doubt I want to work with her anymore but I'm so angry at the unequal relationship and utter disrespect she's shown by totally ignoring me, even to small requests like setting up a short meeting when she comes back ( for closure, if anything). I want to file a complaint on her. Will this affect her chance of getting tenure?

I applied for a summer internship. I originally planned on taking a 2 week vacation after school is out, and then begin my internship. I planned on just making my "starting date" 2 weeks after school is over. But this offer I got wanted me to start part time in April, which I agreed. They also want me to continue part time thru the fall, which I also agreed. It's a good opportunity and I want to do well. So it's essentially a co-op now.But that would require me to ask for a break if I want a vacation. Should I? I want to go back to my home country and 1 week is not enough. Thanks

I'm in an ECE curriculum and I want to take 3 courses (12 hours) in fall. Problem is, I got a internship for the summer and they want me to continue on a part time basis in fall as well (20 hours/week). The internship would really help my career and the company is located in a research park near campus. The courses are mostly theory (one stat course, one on mathematical optimization in vector space, and another on information theory). I want to get in touch with the professors next week and find out more about the course material and buy the textbooks now so I can self study. By fall, I would've familiarized with most of the course materials (hopefully) which should save me some time during the semester. Is this a good strategy? Aren't you supposed to do most of the study yourself anyway in grad school (or even college)? From my experience, the brain learns new materials the slowest the first time around. The 2nd time becomes easier and your mastery of the material goes up each subsequent time you review the material. The way I look at it, this is like decreasing the difficulty level of the courses which should save time. Thanks

I decided to stick with the stat class. It's very useful and I need to be confident in my abilities. The class also doesn't seem as hard as I thought. On the other hand, I really want to impress the professor in that 500 level of mine. What's the best way of doing that? (aside from doing well in the class obviously).

I'm Masters student at UIUC and this is my first semester. In addition to a 500 level course in my field, I'm also taking a 400 level statistics course as elective. I'm told that "B" is a poor grade in grad school because most people get As and Bs in grad classes. Well, this stat course is NOT graded that way, it is graded like a conventional college/high school class where the average grade is a C, and to get an A requires a 90% or above, B (80% to 90%), etc... The professor told us on the first day that there will be no curve and everyone is graded on the scale (so this means everyone can get As). I'm a smart guy and I'm going to work hard, but there is always a risk of a screw up/brain freeze during exams that might get me a B. And I would hate to get anything less than a 4.0 in my first semester. Should I drop that class and take another one? Should I talk to my professor about my concern? Most ppl in that class are undergrad. Do you think the prof will grade graduate student differently since anything lower than 3.0 means probation in grad college? thanks

Thanks, but keep in mind that I have already submitted my application on 9/1. All my LORs were in by 9/29, which is the day I visited the school and met with POI. I don't want to be seen as trying to "gain advantage" in the admission process by contacting POI at this time. Perhaps this is why some ppl on Gradcafe discourage it. I guess I can wait until the end of the month/ early Nov as that's when all will be notified. But the earlier I find out, the better it is for me, as I have some backup plans as well. I just want to be really sure before I go ahead with this. I don't want to sabotage my application, but I also don't want to miss out on something in case a follow up from me can help. I also read a lot of people had "bad luck" when they ask the admissions office of their application status, although in my case, I'm not planning to contact admissions, but my POI.

Thanks, It's been 2 weeks since I visited (and since my LORs were all in), still haven't heard anything. Should I follow up with my POI and ask about the status? Or is this too soon/inappropriate? From reading Gradcafe, it seems one is discouraged from contacting POI in this stage, so I'm not sure I should. But wouldn't it be an indication of interest and shows you care if you followed up? For example, it's typically encouraged to follow up after job interviews...

It lasted about 30 min. I can't remember everything said, but here is the gist... <shake hand> POI: Thanks for coming down here. I really appreciate it. Me: Thank you for taking the time to meet with me. POI: Where else are you applying to? Me: I'm only applying to <this school> not only because it has a top program, but also because I'd like to stay in state. I also like the Spring admission, which very few schools offer. POI: <smiles> I see in your email that you are interested in innovation, I want you to know that most of what I do is theoretical. I want to make sure our research interests are aligned. Me: When I speak of "innovation," I don't mean just product innovation, but new ways of doing things from a theoretical perspective, and I believe most of the innovations in this field will be in software/new methods. I was especially impressed with <this article> of yours that <did this and that> and I feel my <whatever background> would do well in this field. <I also mentioned something specific to his lab, such as an one of a kind device his lab has> POI:That's good. I really appreciate you reading the article of mine. Are you going to go for a PhD after you get your masters? Because I'm more interested in PhD candidates. However, you can join my group and just write a MS thesis and take 2 courses of mine, but you have to get admitted first. Me: DGS told me that admission is not by a committee, but by faculty. Currently, I'm applying for MS, but I wouldn't rule out a Phd. POI: I see, how are your grades? Me: TBH, I feel my GPA are the weakest part of my application, due to <briefly explains my setback> and mentions how great I'm doing now. I also have a very strong background in mathematics and problem solving in general, which I believe which be of benefit in this field. POI: It's okay, I'm more interested in the courses you've taken than grades. It's good that you are gifted in math. A lot of our members are good at math. (something like that). Now, do you think you'll get a PhD later (2nd time he asks me this)? Me: While I can say for certain I will get a Phd later, I am very passionate about research. This is why I applied for MS (with thesis) as opposed to the M.Eng program the department is starting. POI: Oh yeah, the M.Eng is not for you ... can't remember anything else, I also asked what I can do in the mean time to better prepare myself (like skills to pick up etc...) but it ended with him saying he'll look over my file and if he likes what he sees then he'll recommend me for admission. How did I do overall? At least I told him the strength/weakness of my application so he won't be surprised when he see it. Sorry, had to post this and ask. This is what happens when you are in the dreadful waiting period, just want to hear different opinions. It's interesting he brought up the PhD thing twice. But I think I might've shot myself in the foot by saying no to the question "will you continue on to a Phd after getting MS" in my application. Ouch. I thought admission standard would be more strict if I included PhD, and also I wasn't sure at the time. However, my SOP is very research oriented and I did not rule out PhD in my SOP, only saying "upon the completion of the graduate program...blah blah blah..." I'm also surprised the DGS told me there is no admissions committee.

Many top programs have an automatic cutoff at 90 percentile for GRE quant, which means 165. I know for sure this is how UIUC ECE do it, and I imagine that's the case for many others. Some of the programs you listed might not be too competitive, but I would take the GRE again if you want to get into Ann Arbor or Madison. Competition for international students are higher than domestic.

From what I've gathered, it's best to apply to private schools if you are international . At some public schools, admit rates for domestic students can be 3 or 4 times higher than international, and many public schools have a budget crunch now.

I guess I should refine my question a bit more. Basically, I'm planning to meet this professor in a week. I'm trying to read a few of his articles to better understand his research. I plan to really understand 2 articles. Problem is, it's not easy and I'm not sure I will be able to completely understand every technical detail in the articles. Is that necessary to understand it perfectly before meeting? Thanks

I've submitted all parts of my application. But before the wait game starts, there is one more thing to do: visit professors that I made contacts with in August. How can I (or should I even) tell them that I want to work under them for my MS? "I hope I can work in your group." or "I hope you can be my thesis adviser?" My ultimate goal is to impress them so that they'll bat for me in the 2nd stage of the admission process. I will read a few of their articles beforehand, but if you have any other advice, it'll be highly appreciated. Thank

I emailed another person at the department and she told me I'm alright. She also told me the real deadline is 10/1 and she can see my profs are already working on it, and another has just submitted. Thanks

I called the school in Aug (prior to the application deadline, 9/1) and was told that they would wait for LORs until end of Sept. Last Friday (9/11), I received an email from the dept saying they need everything by 9/18. I replied back asking for clarification and the person (Laurie) was out for the day. I called the dept and was told by another adviser that it was just a generic email they sent, and that they would indeed wait till Oct 1st for the LORs. I was happy at the time since I didn't have to rush my professors. And then Monday (9/13), Laurie replied and said they need the LORs by 9/18 because that's "when they'll start making decisions." So I had to notify and apologize to two professors. They said they'll do it "tomorrow" and "right away" respectively. Well, now it's Wed and they still haven't submitted the LOR. (the third LOR was submitted awhile ago) Now I'm faced with a choice: should I risk annoying my professors by politely reminding them again merely days after I talked to them (and telling them the deadline is merely 48 hours away), or should I count on the possibility that the dept will indeed wait until Oct 1st, that the 9/18 date is not really a "hard" deadline? I'm afraid I'll piss off the professors and they'll see me in a negative light, as if I'm irresponsible by putting them on such a short notice. This might negatively affect my LORs. But I've always thought the deadline is end of month. But if i give them more time, I'm afraid by next week, when they "start making decisions", they'll see that I'm missing 2 LORs and throw my application out. My strongest LOR was submitted long ago. This is such an unfortunate situation. Right now it seems they haven't even started looking at applications yet. When I look in my profile, the applications status is "submitted", not "under review" or anything. Please advise on the best course to take. Email the professors again or wait?

Where are you applying to? I'm kinda of in your situation but my GPA is not as low as yours. How are your research experience and LORs? I think your chance is decent unless you are applying to top5

I have one really really strong letter of recommendation from someone who is not only a professor, but also a Dean. This is someone who has known me for years and he told me that he doesn't want me to go the schools I'm applying to, and prefers that I stay at my current university. But he said he'll respect my choices and will put his thoughts in the letter. I'm sure he'll put me as "top 1%" on the form. But my other 2 letters won't be as strong. They are merely from professors I have taken classes with and got the highest grade in the class. I'm sure the letter will still be decently strong, but probably not spectacular. They are probably the kind of letters all decent candidates will have. To me, they are just "fillers" in order to satisfy the 3 LOR requirements. They might put me in the "1%" category, but they also might put me at the "10%" category, who knows. I wonder if the fact that I have one very strong LOR might make a difference? Or does grad schools expect all 3 letters to be very strong?

I heard many ppl say GRE are not important, or that it's only used to weed out those who score very low. But I've always thought that a high GRE can help. According to Gatech, the average quant score is 167, and that scoring above that would help the application. This means someone who scores a 170 would get noticed. In fact, according to data, 2% of all test takers get 170, and only 6% of engineering majors get 170. Furthermore, I was told by UIUC ECE that they weed out ppl that score lower than 165. That means if you scored 163, don't even apply before retaking the test. UIUC also said that a high verbal score would help one get TA positions, so unlike popular belief, verbal score is not completely insignificant for admission into engineering. I have also heard that a high verbal score, while not as important as quant for engineering and science, would still help simply because so few ppl score well on the verbal, and a high score would stand out. Obviously every program is a bit different, but I found this from Gatech's site: Graduate Record Examination (GRE)The GRE is required of all applicants. All applicants must submit scores for the following three parts: Verbal, Quantitative, and Analytical Writing. Your GRE test scores are an important part of your application and you should strive to submit the best possible scores. The average GRE scores for applicants accepted into our graduate program for fall 2014 under the previous grading system are: New FormatOld FormatVerbal: 158Verbal: 580Quantitative: 167Quantitative: 800Analytical Writing: 3.8Analytical Writing: 3.8The admission committee considers several factors when making admission decisions, your academic performance at prior institutions (GPAs), your GRE test scores, your statement of purpose, and your letters of recommendation. All of these factors are important, and your application will be strengthened if your GRE scores are at or above these average values. If your GRE scores are lower than these averages, your chances for admission will be reduced. The minimum scores that are needed to be considered for the program are 146/V, 155/Q, and 3.5/AW under the new format and 400/V,700/Q, and 3.5/AW under the old format. Furthermore, meeting or exceeding these average numbers for GRE scores does not guarantee admission.

Thanks for the great advice. Now, would they tell you at the end if they want you or will recommend you for admission? Should you ask for this? BTW, only one professor replied to me so far and he just retired. He is a very distinguished professor and since he agreed to meet me in 3 weeks, I'm assuming he is still able to help me or be my adviser for my MS. Otherwise, why would he agree to meet me? Having said that, the application asks me to fill in any contacts I've made, and I'm allowed to write about it in my SOP. Since only one prof. agreed to meet me and I can't meet before the application is due, I'm guessing I should be more general in my SOP rather than specifically targeting him and his work. Or would it be better to put "all egg in one basket" to make a stronger SOP and pray I make a good impression when I see him?

Thanks. Now, let' say I go down there to meet with this professor (or some other professors), what should I expect in the meeting? I obviously should bring documents about me and tell them about myself, skill, and goals. But will it be like a job interview? Specifically, should I expect them to "test" me on highly technical material? I just would like to know the best ways to prepare. Thanks

I've contacted a few professors and have a few questions. This is the last phase of my application and probably one of the most important. The answers I get might be of use to others so I want to ask it here in a new thread. So far, I contacted 4 professors by sending targeted emails. I browsed through every professor in the department and finalized my choice to four. Many people have warned against spamming too many professors, and I think that's important. BTW, I'm applying for MS in ECE. I essentially asked for a meeting in my emails, and said I planned on visiting campus. I got 3 replies. One person asked me to email him in 2 weeks to schedule a meeting. Another said he is at sabbatical in Vietnam, and couldn't meet. Another said he doesn't have opening for next year. Question 1: How should I email back the latter two? Just a simple thanks or something that can keep possibilities open? Question 2: Should I try to contact more professors? Someone told me I should try for a few more, even if their research is not exactly what I want, as long as it's "close". He said for MS, it's not too important that their research fit your interest exactly. Question 3: Should I be happy with the result so far? I mean, I understand that contacting professors is a numbers game, but I have no idea what to expect. Question 4: I was told by a student there that the professor who agreed to meet me just retired. He is a very distinguished professor. However, the student also said just because the professor retired, doesn't mean he can't help me or even be my adviser. Based on my situation, what are your suggestions and thoughts? Much appreciated it. Thanks

What about GPA? Is that something that keeps you out or is that something that get you in? I was told that admission occurs in 2 rounds. The first round they weed you out based on GPA and GRE. Once you make it to the 2nd round, it's all about "fit" and things like SOP and LOR. But does this mean they'll completely overlook the GPA and GRE in the 2nd round though? And what if you failed to find a professor (you tried to contact a few, but either they were full or didn't respond), are you screwed?

...a little update on contacting professors. I emailed four professors because their research area is closest to what I want to do. I actually checked out every professor in the ECE department before finalizing my choices down to four. Then, I went through their research and wrote a targeted email to each. I feel this is the correct way, as opposed to spamming a lot of professors in the department, because you never know who is going to be on the admission committee. Three professors replied. One agreed to meet me in 3 weeks. Another told me he doesn't have any positions open for next year. The third professor told me he's on sabbatical in Vietnam now. Is this a pretty good result? I plan to thank the professor that said he doesn't have positions, just to be courteous. As for the professor on sabbatical, should I reply in a way that leaves future opportunities open? thanks

Thanks fuzzylogician, much appreciated.