electrifice

Got waitlisted at Harvard EE... found out via snail mail today.

Would anyone care to comment on the general atmosphere and environment of Princeton? If you can comment specifically on the engineering departments that would be especially helpful (though don't hesitate to share your comments if otherwise). What is the overall research attitude... are people generally happy with their work (discounting the seasonal ups and downs of research)? How is life at Princeton if one doesn't care too much for typical nightlife/partying? From previous posts, it seems there isn't much to do in the area? How are the outdoors? And how are the people? I'm used to a fairly laid-back environment, and so I'm concerned whether attending Princeton means having to deal with some level of snobbery (it being an Ivy and all...)?

Anyone here into Italo-disco? A great track just popped up on my playlist and I thought I should share it with you all: It might just help cheer someone up out there! (How can I embed this?)

Losing hope here. Seen a few rejections on the results page (and admits to masters program)... we should probably brace ourselves for bad news.

I''m visiting the town in early March... what kind of clothing should I bring with? I guess I can bring along gloves and a hat, but would a big coat be necessary (I don't have any...)? And what kind of shoes are appropriate? I've lived in a warm climate my whole life so I'm absolutely clueless about this!

What do you all plan on bringing with you (in terms of clothing) to these visitations in March? I've never lived in cold/snowy places so I have no clue how to dress for this.

I saw a few admits on the results page last night. Just wondering if all decisions are already out... Also, can the admits please post their stats?

In that case, GA Tech may be the better choice. However, if you really want to go to Berkeley, $1500 is doable if you're able to find a cheap solution to housing... I think sharing a room in an apartment ranges from $500-900, leaving at least $500 (roughly) for all other expenses. It will be tight but doable. Is there any chance you may be able to get a better stipend for the following years?

$19k per year for 9 months? Like $2100 a month? IMO, that's not really really bad. Certainly, GATech's $24k offer is better, and especially when considering the COL but it's not like you'd be uncomfortable at Berkeley with that much. It wouldn't make sense for Berkeley to give you $44k...the COL calculations can be a bit misleading in that sense. I'm not from the Berkeley area but I'm familiar with CA's COL and $2100 is enough to get by reasonably well on (if you live like a grad student is expected to... bascially, nothing glamorous). I would be somewhat worried, however, if this was 19k for a year. While still doable, that would not be as comfortable.

I was recently waitlisted at a school I consider to be a "reach" school. This school is also a top school in the field, so it is very competitive. Now I am aware that the chances of getting in off of the waitlist are infinitesimally small, so I'm wondering how much "better" is it to be waitlisted than outright rejected? Being waitlisted must mean that the... waitlistee?... is a stronger candidate than those that got rejected, right? Of course, the waitlist is realistically only marginally better than being rejected because the chances of getting in are so slim. But I'm wondering what this means in terms of other schools that have not yet responded. I mean, if one is good enough to be waitlisted at a top school, is it too much to hope that one has a reasonably good chance at other top (but not tippy-top) schools? I'm not too concerned about this as I have some other good options, but I just want to see what you guys think (plus it can never hurt to dream, right?)... so have at it!

I'm from a large school and what you describe (smaller classes, expected to engage, less tests and more constructive work) is a departure from MY undergrad experience. And I like what you've said so far.. classes that are focused more on learning and engaging than on grades, competition, curves, and workload. That's what I meant by the "attitude" of classes. I think this is how it should be. Classes make much more sense when there is a reason to be there, and not just for a requirement to graduate. The way it is in undergrad, what you do (or don't) learn in classes just never seems to have any serious consequences. All the things that I've used in my research/experiments I've had to re-learn (even though I did well in those classes), and the same goes for everything else too. Story of my life!

After coming back from a midterm in my last year of undergraduate education, I couldn't help but think about what the importance of class is like in graduate school. I am aware that the material is far tougher but what is the overall attitude of graduate students and professors towards class and grades? I have always done best and learned the most in those classes where the material is presented in an "it is what it is" manner. And some of these courses (...plasma physics, for example) were very tough but I enjoyed them thoroughly, studied for them as necessary, and did well. It felt like a good work-out where I needed to push myself but was easily motivated to do so because I could feel the difference this would make. These classes, although very challenging, felt straightforward and the grades always took care of themselves. On the other hand, I've had various classes (too many) that were not quite as hard in subject matter but were taught carelessly (serious lack of enthusiasm), and "made" harder than they needed to be... to the point that one would just trudge through a heap of mindless equations and numbers to get an answer that neither made sense nor helped your understanding in any way. Not to mention, this would immediately cause you to lose interest in that topic. And the professors had no problem doing this to the students because the classes were large and a good number of people would always end up complying without any reservations, severing all feedback between students and professor. So my question is... are classes more personal in graduate school? Do students have more control in that the professors are more sensitive of the requirements of the students? Or is class again bound to be an experience no one really likes but everyone voluntarily subjects themselves to? To those trying to read too hard between the lines, this isn't about whether grad school is easy or hard... it ought to be challenging, but does it also become more useful? It's just that I can't help but feel that a lot of my undergraduate classes were a waste of time.

Thanks guys. I've looked into it more and this professor is indeed my initial point of contact. He is to help me select classes and plan the first year or so of my studies... I guess, until I select a permanent advisor, he is the interim.

I have an acceptance from a school I'm very interested in, but I was contacted by a professor that I didn't list as a preferred choice. I was never interviewed or asked who I want to work with (outside of what I listed in my SOP)... the department seems to have just handed me a professor. The professor's area of research is the same as what I'm interested in and some of my past experience correlates with his work but I haven't seriously considered further work on the topics he is involved with. Officially, I believe I have a year to select an advisor but this makes me wonder why I was offered admission but not put in touch with professors I'm interested in working with. The professor is relatively new, so I'm wondering whether it could be that he intends to explore a new research direction similar to my interests? I really haven't even spoken with him so I'm just wondering whether, as far as the school is concerned, have I been seriously paired with this professor or is it just a random initial point of contact in roughly the right area?

SCENARIO 1 Person: Oh, you're in college? What are you studying? Me: Electrical Engineering Person: Wow! So can you fix my toaster/laptop/lamp/dishwasher or other mundane electrical device? SCENARIO 2 Person: I heard you're doing engineering? What kind? Me: Electrical... Person: Oh, so you're pretty good at, like, wiring up things around the house, right? Me: Err... no, that would be an electrician! SCENARIO 3 This time with a more "knowledgable" person who thinks they know it all... Person: Why electrical engineering? Me: Because I love studying one of the most diverse fields of study, allowing me to combine my interest in basic science and modern technology Person: But you'll be obsolete before you know it... the semiconductor industry is expected to decline soon! Me: Uhh... not really. Person: But I read it in *insert random science magazine here* Me: Yeah... about that... (At this point I usually agree and extract myself from the conversation because this couldn't end well) SCENARIO 4 With a person not too sensitive to the finer qualities of life... Person: I heard you're pretty smart... and studying engineering? Me: Yeah, electrical engineering Person *In a hushed voice*: Listen, take some advice from someone who's been around. You're a smart guy, don't waste your life... go to law school or business school! Me: Why would I do that? Person: Engineers are just tools... you're a smart guy, you'll make a lot more money in business or law (and you won't have to work as hard either *wink-wink*) Me: *Rolls eyes and walks away* I sometimes feel very lonely after hearing these responses... Do other people not have legitimate genuine interests in things that they want to learn/study just because they want to learn/study them?

Thanks for the replies! Space-cat, I was thinking along the same lines too. Perhaps touch base with POI for tips on who to meet and what to look into during the department visit. Also, how do you expect to "prepare" for the department visit? What is expected from potential graduate students? Should I drown myself in my department's research before attending and is it going to be anything like an interview where you may need to prove your worth (beyond just being generally competent, of course)? I ask because I did not expect to hear back affirmatively from this school and I'm not as up to date with their research as some of the other schools I applied to. Excited nonetheless, although the department visit falls right before finals!

This is the month we've all been waiting for and pretty soon we'll start hearing back from the schools we applied to. In fact, I already heard back from one school (PhD programs) and I'm wondering what to do until all my acceptances are in. I mean... what to do about the acceptances I already have? I spoke with the potential advisor once briefly and he seemed eager to meet me when I visit. Is there something I should be doing before I visit the college beyond reading and learning about the research at this school? I'm just wondering whether potential PIs expect their potential students to keep in touch after getting accepted. Please share your thoughts!

Hey, This is my first post here and I'm looking forward to all your replies/advice. Feel free to toss in your 2c. I am currently a junior in EE, thinking strongly about applying to EE graduate schools and I'm having trouble coming up with good sources of LOR. I am working with a well-known professor in my field of interest who will likely write a strong LOR for me. But I'm at a loss about what to do for the other two letters. Ideally, I would like to work/research with some other professors but my hands are tied working with my current professor (with high likelihood of getting a publication). So what can I do over the remaining few months to strengthen my ties with some other professors? Basically, I need some strategies for getting to know professors without necessarily having to do research... is this possible? I know a couple of professors who will remember me (I did well in their classes), so I want to try and engage them somehow but just don't know how. What do you guys suggest?