cookd2

I just got notified of my acceptance a few days ago as well. Congrats! Are you planning on enrolling?

I responded to a rejection email that I got last spring stating something along these lines: "Not that I'm challenging the decision, but could you tell me why my application was rejected? I'd like to know for my reference." I got an email back stating that the admission comities don't release specific information, but there were "over 1000 applications for only 150 spots." I don't think there's any harm in asking, but I wouldn't expect much.

Well, according to lasts year's stats, it appears that they sent out acceptances with a few rejections in late Feb, early march. Followed by rejections in the middle of march and then acceptances at the end of march/slowly through april. Seems to me that they accept the "first choice candidates" in late Feb, reject the "definitely no" candidates in mid March. and then admit the wait listed candidates towards the end of march or in april depending on the responses they got from the "first choice candidates" so stressful!

Obviously, if you have to choose between two schools that both do research that is interesting to you, you should choose the school with the better reputation. However, If the decision comes down to a school with professors/research that you really like, and a school with a better reputation but less interesting research/professors I think the choice should definitely be the first school. College (as I'm sure you know) only rewards you with as much as you put into it - so finding a school where you can be intellectually stimulated the most should be the top priority. After all, the schools reputation will likely only help you for the first few years after graduation. Once you start comparing job candidates with 5+ years of real work experience, where you went to school suddenly starts to take a back seat. So, choose the school that you think will keep your brain the most interested. If it comes down to two schools that you think are a match for the level of your interest, choose between them based on school rankings.

I don't, but I'm pretty sure MIT has one of the highest matriculation rates of accepted applicants, so the acceptance rate for wait listed applicants is probably rather low :/

MIT M.Sc. MechE applicant waiting here as well (I got a reject letter last year when I applied for Fall 2010 on March 2nd). I Still have not heard anything from the school. I suppose the longer we wait the more likely it is we got wait listed. Which is better than a flat out reject . Also waiting on the MIT M.Eng Manufacturing program (but they say those results wont come out until mid-March).

Well, Harvard may have a good international reputation, but as far as engineering goes (especially mechanical engineering), I wouldn't say Harvard is at the top (in fact, there are many many other schools that probably have a better mechanical program). MIT tops most mechanical engineering lists (and most other engineering fields as well). From my experience, out of the schools you named, Caltech, MIT Cornell, and GIT would probably be best for mechanical/aero (but thats merely an opinion). Other schools to consider: Purdue, University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (shameless plug for my undergraduate school), U Michigan... Anyway, best of luck!

It would help to know where your school in Germany ranks amongst other German schools. As far as what schools you have potential for, most US schools look for: Research experience, good GPA, good GRE (although the general feeling is that the GRE is meerly a test to weed out people who perform poorly on it - it cant really improve your application as many applicants submit perfect scores (in quantitative, at least), good recommendations and a strong statement of purpose. You have the research experience, excellent GPA, and it sounds like the makings of a strong statement of purpose. Back that up with good recommendations from professors (perhaps talking to them about what is expected in a recommendation letter for US schools would "help" them write good things about you), and a strong GRE score and I think you'd have chances at most any school in The States.

When I was looking into which school to attend about this time last year, I didnt find any real information about RWTH's Master of Science English taught programs. I've put together an overview of everything I've noticed so far. Hopefully this will help people make their decisions in the future. RWTH Aachen International Academy - Aachen, Germany Master Program – M.Sc. Production System Engineering – Review My Background: I graduated from a technical school in the US with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. I finished in the top 35% of my class and showed consistent improvement of my GPA throughout my studies there. Upon graduation I applied to a few graduate programs for my M.Sc. in mechanical engineering. I was admitted to RWTH’s M.Sc. Production Systems Engineering program and decided to attend. In addition to my studies, I completed a 6 month full time internship, and a subsequent 18 month part time internship (while attending classes) at a machine tool design firm. After graduation I also completed a 9 week full time internship at a laboratory equipment design firm. Program Overview: The information presented about the program framed it as a program to teach various manufacturing management methods, and also some technical aspects of manufacturing (equipment design as well as process design). Overall I would say this is true. These classes are focused on tools to help modern engineers solve problems, as well as increasing their technical knowledge of manufacturing (namely machining and machine design). Cost: The cost of the program is EUR3700 per semester. While this is quite inexpensive compared to US standards, I was surprised to find out that German students (who take the same courses we do) pay only EUR500 per semester. The argument is that the International Academy assists its students in a way that RWTH does not assist the German students. Aside from the occasional help with some bureaucratic issues with the city or the university, I don’t see where (all) this extra money goes. Perhaps a semester fee of EUR1000 is more appropriate. First Impressions: I was quite surprised when I first found out how German classes were taught. The semester is about 15 weeks long (in total, you will probably have 13-14 lectures for each class). During the semester, there are no mid terms, no homework, no projects, and no group projects. Your entire grade is based on one final exam per class. Additionally, there are three main courses in the PSE program that are split up into two parts over two semesters. The (single) exam for each of these courses covers both semesters of material. To be honest, this was disappointing to me. I have always been someone who learns more from practical experience mixed in with lectures or theory. This was the main reason I decided to leave the program and transfer my credits to another school. The problem with the single-exam system that is set up in these classes is that you end up being required to “learn to take the exam” and not being required to “learn to understand.” It is especially apparent during the examination months. I was fortunate enough to have my exams spread out over a month with at least a few days in between each exam. However, what I noticed is that while I’m studying and memorizing everything I can for one exam, the second I leave the exam room, my mind switches focus to the next exam – and nearly all from the previous exam is forgotten. Teaching: RWTH is full of smart people and smart professors. This was never an issue during lectures. The professors know the material well and can answer any questions you have about the topic in great detail. It is clear that they are passionate about what they are teaching. There are, however, occasions where the professors will not show up to a lecture and you’ll be left to learn from an assistant. While they, understandably, cannot be expected to have the same level of knowledge as a senior professor, it is still disappointing when we pay eight times more than the regular German students, that the professors are not required to show up to all lectures. Level of difficulty: The classes taught as part of the PSE program seem to be on the Bachelor’s level. Although they are not easy per say, they tend to teach towards memorization rather than understanding. Since this is my only experience in graduate school, take this next statement with a grain of salt, however: It has been my understanding that the major difference between graduate school and undergraduate school is supposed to be the level at which the professors expect you to understand the material being taught. Bachelor students need to be able to recite the material, more or less, and master students need to be able to explain the theory behind the material. I did not/have not seen this distinction in courses at RWTH. Notes/Lecture material: All the classes are accompanied by PowerPoint slides with notes written underneath them explaining the content of the slide. These are translations from German material, but there have only been (quite literally) maybe 10-15 slides (out of hundreds) where the translation was an issue. Although I would prefer to have a course accompanied by a text book, as it tends to provide a more organized solution to accompany lectures, the PowerPoint slides suffice. Administration: The Master office is in charge of helping you be successful during your stay at RWTH Aachen. And as far as I can tell, they are the sole reason that you pay an additional EUR3200 per semester. Needless to say, they are more than willing to help you with any issues you have – be it Visas, residence permits, finding an apartment or anything else associated with studying abroad. There is also a course coordinator for each of the four master programs. They serve as the people who tell you what courses you need to take, what electives are appropriate, and I assume they can also help you find a thesis when it comes time to write one. Concluding Thoughts: Obviously, since I have decided to transfer to another school, I am unhappy with this program. There is too much of a focus on strictly theory and academics that I’m afraid I cannot say this is a practical degree for someone to pursue unless they are planning on continuing towards their Ph.D. For someone (like myself) who was, and is, planning on entering industry after master studies, a more practical, hands on program would be much more appropriate. So, if you’re the kind of person that enjoys studying and learning strictly from lectures and reading, and plans to continue on to doctoral studies, then this program is for you. However, if you’re looking for a terminal degree to “bridge the gap” between your bachelor studies and industry, I would definitely suggest looking at M.Eng. programs or other similar programs at other schools. They tend to be project based, and will ultimately be more beneficial for your career.

Not as bad as this, but I woke up to an email today and checked it on my phone (which only shows the first word or two of the subject line). It was from some name I had never heard of and all I saw on the subject line was "Interview with..." Turns out it was spam from Monster.com for an interview with..... Aflac.

I think we can all be certain that the way the GRE computers grade essays is by looking for the following points: -intro paragraph that has 1-2 general/background sentences, followed by a thesis, followed by a statement giving 3 examples supporting said thesis. -3 body paragraphs that (in the order that they were listed in the intro) support the thesis using the examples previously mentioned. Should be 4-6 sentences each. -A conclusion that states something like "It has been shown that ...., ....., and ..... prove that ....[insert thesis here]. and then provides 1-2 wrap up sentinces, but does NOT raise any further questions. It's a computer - It's not looking for style, grace or anything other than simple (programmable) points to decide how well you can write a structured paper. Arguments where people say how they've gotten writing awards are irrelevant - because chances are, "creative" writing styles will probably not register to the computer as well as a boiler-plate high school style 5 paragraph essay. Anyway, just my $0.02

I grew up in the setauket/stony brook area, so here's what I can tell you about the city itself: a huge (I mean strangely large) number of the students there are commuters. This means that they live at home and just come onto campus to go to class then go back home. Even though the school has 10000+ students there, you'll be hard pressed to find something going on during the weekends. The campus is incredibly large and poorly laid out, but I'm not sure how well the public transportation system works. The surroundings of stony brook are almost all suburbs. There are plenty of restaurants, but dont expect any clubs/bars nearby. There are a few, but none within walking distance (unless there are some actually on campus). All that aside, it is a good school, and they are well connected with the Brookhaven National Lab - which can yield some pretty interesting research projects I'd imagine. So, if you're OK with just having a close nit group of friends, and not being dependent on your surroundings (bars, clubs) to have a good time, I think You'll enjoy it.

I'll trade my 5 AW for your 650V any day. Q720 V530 AW5 (engineering)

FWIW, I just recently went to school abroad and left my girlfriend of two years back in the states. I guess it's a combination of a few things, but I strongly regret the decision I made. I've done a lot of thinking on the subject, and here's what I've concluded: Think about it. There are two main things in life that will inherently make you happy - your significant other, and your job. There is nothing else in the world that I can think of that dictates your "happiness level" more than those two things. So before you decide to go to another country like I did, sit down and REALLY, I mean REALLY evaluate the program you're signing up for. Be that kid that the administrators hate because you're sending them 5 emails a day asking different questions about the program. Make sure that you know for sure that you will achieve your learning objective within the program you have signed up for. I, unfortunately, did not do this extensive homework and just went on what other people had to say about the program. I came here knowing embarrassingly little about what the program was all about. My reasoning was more or less "I know I'll learn something, and if not at least I'll gain the international experience." Flash forward 6 months, and I hate it here. Me and my girlfriend are still together and I'll likely be transferring back to the states after a year to finish my Masters there. So, to the contrary of what everyone else has said here: Yes, if you give up that one job/program offer for a SO that you can live without - you'll resent it for the rest of your life. But, if you give up that one special SO for a job/program that ends up not benefiting you much more than a program that is closer to home, you'll regret that as well. SO! think about which one you're more in love with: the program (and future jobs), or your SO

I'd have to agree with that. In my experience, unless you're working for a company that's heavy on R&D, employers hear "Masters..." and stop listening after that. I think in terms of the curriculum, a M.Eng is much more appropriate for going into industry as well. Even though you may not be "educated to the same level" as someone with a M.Sc., what you lack in technical knowledge, you'll make up for in practical knowledge from management, and teamwork skills you built during your M.Eng.

Has anyone on here applied (either for the Fall 2011 or for previous semesters) to the MIT M.Eng in Manufacturing degree? I have not been able to find any admissions results here or at Edulix. Care to share your profile? Here's mine: Undergrad Institution: top tier engineering Major(s): Mechanical Engineering Overall GPA: 3.36 Length of Degree: 4 years Position in Class: top 35% Type of Student: Domestic male GRE Scores: Q: 720 V: 530 W: 5.0 TOEFL Total: Research Experience: Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Deans list Pertinent Activities or Jobs: 6 month full time Mech Eng co op, continued for 18 months after co op on a part time basis while I finished my degree Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Attending classes for two semesters at top engineering school in Germany while I wait for grad school decisions Applying for [ MS ] or [ PhD ] at: MIT - M.Eng Manufacturing - Waiting MIT - MS Mech Eng - Waiting (not expecting to get in - much more hopeful for the M.Eng program)