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I'll chime in to say that my classes are definitely taking more of my time than I had anticipated. A lot more homework problems are assigned, collected, and graded than I remember being the case as an undergraduate. It takes me anywhere from 12 to 20 hours per week to finish the homework for one class in particular, and normally there are one or two problems that I still don't have figured out. I'm taking three classes altogether, and I'd say I spend somewhere around 30-35 hours studying and doing homework for those classes. On top of that I'm working 20 hours a week in industry. I'm liking the challenge, but it is definitely easy to feel overwhelmed at times (or much of the time). Part of the reason I take so much time is because this is my first semester back to school since finishing my master's degree about six years ago. I spend a fair amount of time reviewing things that are probably more fresh in other students' minds, and it's been a while since I've had to really read and understand highly mathematical texts. I'm also adjusting to a new school that I think is a bit more rigorous than where I studied previously.

Thanks, I think that's good advice. It was about five years ago that I finished my masters program, and I've been in touch with some profs since then, so hopefully the LOR won't be any trouble.

It's hard to believe I've been out of school long enough to consider myself a "non-traditional applicant," but after reading the other posts in this forum I get the sense that I'm a bit beyond the average age. I'd love to hear from others who are in a similar situation, and get to know what kinds of issues you are dealing with as you're trying to apply to grad school. As for my own story, I'm thirty years old and hope to pursue a Ph.D. in electrical/computer engineering. I have a masters degree and two bachelors degrees from a relatively average state school, and while I did very well in classes, had teaching experience, and worked at a job most of the way through college, I never had a chance to do academic research. As the first person in my family to graduate from college, I didn't even know what grad school was until I was in college. I applied to Ph.D. programs when I was finishing my M.S. five years ago, but I aimed too high and was disappointed by mostly rejections. I decided to work for a while to save some money and get some experience. Now, I have a wife, a house, and a decent job in my field, but I still want the Ph.D. and I still want to be in a more research-oriented role. I'm re-taking the GRE next month, and I plan to apply to mostly local schools this coming fall. Once the GRE is out of the way, I've got to get recommendation letters (from whom?), write a statement of purpose, possibly take the CS subject GRE, and all the while hope that my work experience somehow makes up for my lack of publications and academic research. I've had informal discussions with my employer and they've expressed some willingness to help pay for the Ph.D., but with the stipulation that I study what they want me to study and that I stay with them for some amount of time. Sounds like a great opportunity, but for me the reason to pursue the Ph.D. is the chance to study in depth an area of my field that I'm passionate about. I do what someone else wants me to do at work every day. So I'm concerned about things like what I'll do with my current job, whether my age/experience will be a liability in applying, how I can get the research experience universities want, and whether it even makes sense with the economy in its current state to leave a well-paying job to pursue a degree that will probably reduce the number of jobs for which I'm qualified. I know at this point that I'm going to have to "settle" for a less prestigious school (because of qualifications as well as geographical location). But I've known for years that I wanted to pursue the Ph.D., and I have to try it again. So what are your stories? How are other "non-traditional" applications handling the application process? What keeps you motivated?

This sounds familiar, and I posted a very similar question not long ago (). Based on what I've read and discussions I've had with friends with Ph.D.s, work experience in engineering is certainly an asset when applying. However, it's not a substitute for academic research. My plan, and maybe a suggestion for you, is to study as much as possible about my research interest, getting to know the big names in the field and corresponding with them to make contacts. I am taking some classes to brush up and get to know professors. And of course I hope to do well on the GRE. I would certainly not get discouraged. People always talk so pessimistically about the grad school admissions process. You've already got a masters, and your several years of experience in industry will give you confidence and savvy that most incoming graduate students lack. The key for people like us is to use the skills we've learned in industry to seek out potential advisors and important contacts, and get involved in academic research that will lead to publications and some degree of notoriety. While it can seem like a daunting task (and it's a lot of work), I'm optimistic about it. Good luck!

Five years ago, I finished my masters in Computer Engineering and applied to Ph.D. programs at five schools. I had a good GPA (3.9 undergrad, 4.0 graduate), work experience, college teaching experience, high general GRE scores and an acceptable subject test score (the CS test). When I was only accepted at the two lowest-ranking schools to which I applied, I was dejected. I decided to take some time off from school to work in industry, gaining experience and saving money with the intention to try again later. The time has come that in the next year or two, I would like to reapply. I believe the reason I was rejected by the top schools is that at the time, I did not have a lot of research experience. Since then I've worked in research and development at a Fortune 1000 company, where I've been quite successful. I'm sure my managers would write me excellent recommendation letters, and there is lots I can talk about in my SOP. Nonetheless, the work I've done has all been trade secrets and nothing published or patented. My question is this: Will my work experience in industry R&D make me competitive with others who have university research experience? What suggestions do you have for things I can do in the next two years to gain the kind of research experience admissions committees are seeking? How can a "nontraditional" student get involved in research? Since I'll be leaving my job to go to school, I want to do everything I can to increase my chances of being accepted by a good program. I understand that requirements and expectations vary widely from one school to the next, and that's why I'm hoping to hear the thoughts and advice of the people on the forum. Thanks!