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jimmy_01

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Everything posted by jimmy_01

  1. Don't be discouraged by the rejections from the so called "brand name" schools...Usually, entry into these schools is extremely tough, and you usually have to know someone/have connections with someone in the inside to get in. But just remember this, it's not where you go that matters, it's what YOU make out of the education and research experience. Brand name schools just help you get in the door, but the rest is on YOU. The education you receive from the top 200 universities is essentially identical. I know this because I have friends who have attended Harvard and Stanford, and they use THE EXACT SAME textbooks that low ranked universities used....It's all a big business...
  2. Just thought I should share some of the stats for you MIT applicants out there...Note that this data is for the entire grad department from 2012, and not for any specific department...so take this info with a grain of salt... Applications for graduate study were received from 22,588 candidates. Admission was offered to 3,504 candidates, of whom 2,229 (64 percent) registered in advanced degree programs. So it looks like the acceptance rate is 3504/22588 ≈ 15.5% source: http://web.mit.edu/facts/admission.html
  3. Yes it is possible to be admitted without being interviewed. It depends if the POI is the type to interview before an admit or not. Obviously, the stronger your application, the less your POI will feel the need to interview you before he/she admits you. That being said, some departments require interviews, while others do not.
  4. Make a Pugh matrix to make your decision....it helped me
  5. Yea apps were already due (for most departments at least)...
  6. Caltech seems to require a GRE score (for essentially every department). But on their application this year, I noticed something very strange....In the GRE reports section, there is an option which states: "I do not plan to take the GRE" You can actually choose this option... What is this madness??? Some sort of reverse psychology?
  7. So I'm currently pursuing a PhD university in Europe (for EE), and was wondering if it's worth switching to another program if the opportunity arises...Here are some stats of the university I'm at right now: - QS University ranks this university in the top 10 for Engineering (Top 20 for general rankings) - ARWU ranks it in the top 20 for Engineering - My advisor is pretty good...He has an h-index between 20 and 30. I just recently started the program. I'm pretty happy right now...But I applied to MIT and Caltech, and was wondering if it's worth switching to one of these institutions if an offer is made....Research compatibility with POI's at these institutions is quite good. Any suggestions?
  8. bumping this! QS World University Rankings has now ranked EPFL 8th in the world for engineering...any thoughts?
  9. This may seem like a very dumb question to most of you, but I wanted to clarify the notion of what exactly a fellowship is... I've been looking around in this site, and people assert that they got "NSF fellowships" or "2 week fellowship at a university". I mean what exactly constitutes as a fellowship (or fellowship award)? According to Google, a fellowship is basically a financial award that is given to an individual as part of a graduate/work program. If that's the case, then does being accepted into a fully funded PhD program constitute as a fellowship?
  10. You guys are making it sound like it's almost impossible to get a good job in academia, that you need "lots of luck" and need to be "at the right place at the right time".....I mean, if that's the case, then getting a PhD with aspirations of getting an academic job after graduation is basically a huge gamble, and IMO not worth the effort....Mind you, I'm strictly talking about academic related jobs (Associate Prof, Prof, etc...). Obviously, if one is interested in working for an industry in research after a PhD, then thats a completely different scenario...
  11. In your opinion, how important is it to get a Ms or PhD at a big name school, like Stanford, MIT, Harvard, Berkeley, Cornell, etc.....? I was looking at Prof's from some of these institutions, and about 98% of them have degrees from one of the institutions mentioned above...So it looks like if you want to become a professor at MIT (for example), you have to either be an MIT grad, or a grad from a top 5 institution....I guess that you form special connections at these schools that open more doors...
  12. Imperial and ETH are definitely superior in terms of name recognition and international exposure (over the other institutions your considering). But I would choose Imperial....The connections you get from this university will help you in securing a nice job after graduation. My brother went to ETH for his Msc and Imperial/Oxford for this PhD (collaborated with both universities), and he told me that you get a lot more connections at Imperial, which is really important since the job market in Europe isn't going too good.
  13. I agree, you should apply now and see how things go. Worst case scenario is that you get rejected from every school, and in that case you re-apply next year. Schools don't look down on students who re-apply for admission...typically, it's actually the opposite; admissions committees admire students you persist and who provide a better quailty application on the second try.
  14. you have no chance.....just kidding But really, with top tier schools in the USA, getting in is really a crapshoot.....I know people with 4.0 GPA, perfect GRE's, publications, work experience, etc etc, and still got rejected by schools like MIT and Harvard. The trick with getting in these types of schools is to try to publish stuff with professors from the universities you want to go to. Contact them via email and get involved with their research. Gain their trust by showing them that you are at the top of your game. But keep in mind that getting into schools like MIT, Stanford, and the like will NOT guarentee you a successfull career...They will definitely help you get in the door, but the rest is on you....It's what YOU make out of your education, no matter what rank the university has.....especially with research
  15. So I'm an American that got my undergrad and masters degrees (in Engineering) in US State institutions. I now want to go for a PhD. I wanted to experience my PhD in Europe, as I heard that the style of research and learning there is different, and I think would benefit me in terms of expanding my intellectual horizon. The school in Europe that I got into is pretty well known in Engineering... My question is, if I do my PhD in Europe, will this hurt my chances of getting a good position (either as a professor or research related job) back in the USA? I've done some research on this, and a lot of people say, if you want to work in Europe after your PhD, then do your PhD in Europe...if you want to work in the US, then do your PhD in the US. But why would that matter? A PhD is a PhD in my eyes....Any opinions/suggestions on this?
  16. A reputable employer/industry will not know that....Generally, a department is ranked as a whole, not by sub-research catagories....QS world universities and US News ranks based on departments....So no, this poll is not "worthless."
  17. Rankings are nice, but I'm looking for an answer from someone that has attended (or is familiar with) this institution.
  18. Is anyone familiar with the reputation of this school in the USA? Is it recognized among employers? I'd love to go to EPFL, but am just worried that when I get back to the USA, won't be able to get a job (in research of course) very easily.... Note that I am not against US schools....just wanted to experience something different, and heard that EPFL is awesome for EE.
  19. Had a friend who went here....He never really complained about it. Overall, CSU is not a nationally recognized university...If your intentions are to stay withing the Cleveland area after your PhD, go for it...If your plans are to work outside of Cleveland after graduation, I would think twice about CSU.
  20. Both have good CS programs and both are reputable universities....If your goal is a PhD, then see which university matches closest with your research interests...
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