rs_nucl

I think attending a different school (even for an MS) would broaden your horizons and challenge you. You could use the summer to intern in an industry segment you are interested in. I also feel that MIT, Stanford and Berkeley have a lot more interdisciplinary options that could prepare you better for a professional career.

I feel you have a good shot at all the schools. Just need to make sure you write a SOP where can project yourself as a good fit at the program. I would suggest applying to just a M.S program at a few schools on that list. Getting into the M.S program is a bit easier, you might need to support yourself for a semester or so.

You can find some discussion on this topic:

Thanks

I can give it a shot. PM me

Hi Guys I am joining CMU in the spring semester. Have been searching for an apartment online. I found a few apartments that looked nice: 1) Hempstead Properties 2) Walnut on the Park 3) Hobart Court All three are manged by Walnut Capital. I was wondering if any of these would be good choices. It seems that they will be about 2 miles from Scaife Hall. I think all of them are close to schenley park .Is the shuttle service quite regular in these parts? I dont mind walking that distance either, if the roads are kept clear. Your feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I encountered this question in all my applications (CMU, MIT, Duke and WUSTL). It tends to be a standard question. It probably is used by the university to evaluate its standing among other universities based on the calibre of students applying during the year.

thanks newms. your suggestions were valuable in improving my SOP.

Congrats Nano. I got into the mechanical engineering masters program at CMU.

I think if you can write an SOP which ties all your industry experience with the research being conducted bya specific prof/groups at those schools you would have a fair shot. Might need to improve your verbal score a bit (most of the top programs average around 580-600). You should also apply to some schools between rank 10-20. Hope that helps.

Most schools start reviewing application after the official deadline. Typically spring admission deadline is september 30 - october 15. I would think 1 month after the deadline would be fair game. I am assuming I will get some feedback after the 2nd week of november.

I am not very certain about CS programs (you need to consider if the program is conducting research that matches your interest). Based on US News stats, these are some unis to consider: Michigan State University University of Illinois--Chicago Northeastern University University at Buffalo--SUNY Syracuse University Oregon State University University of Tennessee--Knoxville University of Delaware University of Connecticut Some one pursuing masters in CS or with undergraduate background would be better equipped to handle this question.

I looked at the thread. Not a whole lot spring 10 info there. I did notice that Duke and CMU were quite good with notifications. Penn State and MIT might take their sweet time. Thanks

Tentatively when do you think I would start recieving accept/reject notifications for the Spring 2011 session? What is longest delay you would expect. Schools I am applying to have deadlines around the oct 15. Thanks

If you are applying to the MS program, I think you would have a good chance at: NCSU University of Arizona University of Irvine North Dakota State University As you are aware, the economy in the US is slow at this time. Therefore, a number of qualified applicants (with work experience or professional aspirations after college) will be a lot greater. Just something to consider.

It would serve you well to take the gre again. I think you would have a strong profile due to your work experience. But you can check with admissions dept about min. requirements for the program you are applying to. If you just took the GRE recently, it should not be too hard maintain the verbal and math scores, and you could just concentrate on the analytical writing. Should take 15-20 days tops to prepare. The topics for the analytical are also on the ets website.

You should check the admission criteria. Some universities specify a minimum of 4.0 on analytical writing (example penn state, u.maryland requires 4.5 and 1200<). Your GRE score is fine for engineering schools. But I think you should practice analytical section and get 4.0+. There is a grading software on the ETS website that you can use to practice. It is the same software used to score your writing section of the real test. The charge is 15$. It is fairly accurate.

I think your stats match up well with applicants who are typically accepted at these schools. You have some advantages: 1) Pursued your studies at highly rated institutions 2) Had overseas experience (Broader Perspective) I think the key will be to present some of your unique experiences in the SOP. One weak point in your application is that you have not published results in a journal (which might raise questions regarding your research potential). You should also try to address that in your SOP especially if you are applying to a PHD program. Be sure to know all the programs well and tailor the SOP as applicable. Try not to make generic statements. I think you would get into at least one of the top 6 programs. Any reasons why your quant gre score went down so drastically? Being a economics major I would have thought your math score would not have been affected even if you were concentrating on analytical writing.

Thanks newms. Good luck with your applications as well.

Thanks.

1) I think it should be ok to list teaching high school students, especially if the subjects were related/necessary prepration to pursue your graduate degree . It would show case that you are comfortable or have had the experience presenting material in front of students and that you have already attained a level of proficiency in your desired concentration. 2) Most undergraduates research projects do not lead to publications. So it should not deter you from listing the research experience. Hope this helps. newms I think you have provided some excellent feedback to a number participants on this forum. If you have some time could you please review my profile. Thanks.

Your GPA is below par. However, this could be offset by a stellar SOP (that showcases your passion). You may even want to explain how you overcame challenges you faced in college. The improvements in your grades later on could be used bolster those claims. In addition, try to get recs that back your academic potential.

Hi guys would really appreicate your feedback: Here is my profile: Intended Program: M.E (Course work option) Mechanical Engineering (Concentration: Energy Systems/Thermodynamics) ACADEMIC PROFILE & SKILLS Top 20 Engineering School B.S Nuclear Engineering, Class of 2008 GPA: 3.85/4.00, Major GPA: 3.93/4.00 GRE: 780 M 600 V 4.0/6.0 A Language Skills: English. Punjabi and Hindi Computer Skills: MS Office Suite, C++, MATLAB, Minitab Nuclear Analysis Software Packages: ODYN, PANACEA, TRACG, 3KM, COBRAG PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 1) Nectar Life Sciences, Dera Bassi, India – Intern, 6 MW Cogeneration Power Plant 2) General Electric Company – Engineer (2 years) 3) General Electric Company - Intern RESEARCH EXPERIENCE 1) 2 Research Projects (1 year each). 2) Published results in good journal (MEMS) Held teaching assistant positions for 3 courses (Power Systems, Engineering Drawing and Introduction to thermodynamics) Inducted to a few honor societies. Good Recs. My personal statement is also posted, if you guys are interested: http://forum.thegrad...tory-diversity/ Please let me know if you need additionally information. I have applied to the following programs: Duke, CMU, MIT and Penn State.

Without research experience it might be hard to get into the M.S program. But due to to your prof. exp you might have a chance at a M.E (course work option) program. If your major GPA or upperclass GPA is significantly better it might help. I would still suggest that you apply to a few tier II universities. US News would be a good resource to know the average stats for most unis. Hope this helps.

I agree with newms. You should probably apply to just the M.S program that would improve your chances. Direct Phd is typically harder. You GREs are good. But the uni grades are slightly below par.