Omar S.

Hey everyone, first post here! I tried searching for an answer, but haven't had much luck. Sorry if the topic's been beaten to death somewhere. So, I'd like to apply to some EE PhD programs next year, and want to get a realistic idea of what schools I should be aiming for. Here's some information about me: Georgia Tech BSEE - 2.9 GPAJohns Hopkins MSEE - 3.8 GPA - focus on digital design & DSPLockheed Martin - 3.5 years experienceI don't have any research experience at the places listed above. No (serious) lab experience, papers, etc. I have experience working on independent projects, but that does not extend beyond a hobby of designing circuits and building (random) things at home. Does my low undergraduate GPA, combined with my lack of research experience bar me from the top 20 or so schools? I have a few areas I'm currently interested in, but I could use this information to look further into realistic school options. The reason I ask is because I've been reading the forums, and it looks like a lot of people applying to these schools have papers published already :-O. Thanks! Omar