Shake

Hi there!, Another Spaniard from Madrid here. I am currently doing a PhD at North Carolina State University so maybe I can shed some light. While it is true that the tech boom happened in the west, the area I am in, the Triangle in North Carolina is also a high tech area and lots of big companies have headquarters or branch offices here (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Research_Triangle_Park) so the opportunities do exist. Now, I don't know if when you say East coast you are just thinking of NY or Boston (which are obviously good places for job search) or you are willing to go to less known places like, for instance, Raleigh, home of North Carolina State University from what I've heard a great school for computer science. I am not sure about OPT with a certificate but I would also say than in most places you will be competing against the zillion graduates with MS or Professional MS degrees. I would look into Professional Masters. They usually last just one year and I think they do provide OPT (although, once again, I'm not totally sure about that. Make sure to check that out). Good luck!

Hi!. I am struggling to make some big decisions and wanted to see if the 'experts committee' here had any advice or ideas I haven't consider myself. I am in my 3rd semester of a PhD program in Civil Engineering (water resources) and I am feeling more and more convinced that I should quit it. Main reasons are that: a. I don't think that research is for me. I don't really enjoy it and it doesn't enjoy me b. I am truly convinced that for the kinds of jobs I want, having a PhD will actually hurt me. I never even consider academia and thought I may enjoy research. I am now way more inclined to consulting. c. I am really burnt already and I truly don't see myself enduring about 3 more years of this plus the added stress of quals, prelimns and whatnot. d. My family is struggling financially back home and I need to start making real money in order to help them out, e. I'm in my late 30s and I really feel like it is time for me to live life and stop this school nonsense. Obviously, at this point I would really like to at least get the Masters but not sure how to proceed next while covering all my bases at the same time. The problem is that I am an international student and would like to stay in the US after getting the degree but that creates some troubles that I wouldn't have if I were a citizen. Let me also add that I have an American boyfriend which makes wanting to stay even more important. I am just 6 credits (two classes) away from being able to get the MS if we count research hours towards the degree. My advisor, with whom I think I have a fantastic relationship, just had a baby and I feel like her priorities have changed enormously. So much that she was actually thinking of taking a leave of absence next year but now seems like she will just not be teaching and only doing research. Obviously that feels like it is perfect timing for me to address my desire to leave with an MS and that she will be understanding of my personal life choices. Oh and I already do have a BS and a MS in another engineering discipline from my home institution in western Europe. So, my options with pros and cons are the following: - I talk to her now and I take the remaining classes next semester while doing my Thesis. Cons are that she is not happy at all and says that I can do that but I will not be funded next semester. Given that I cannot work on my visa and cannot even get a loan because I am not a citizen that would mean that I can't stay nor finish the degree. Despite she being cool and getting along well with me, I would be the 4th person to 'abandon' her and that may make this a more sensitive subject. Also, personally supporting my life choices does not necessarily mean she has to fund them. - I don't say anything, I take the two classes we already agreed on for next semester (she doesn't want me to take more so I can do more research). Next fall I take two other classes, tell her I want to leave at the end of the semester and I leave with a Professional Master of Civil Engineering (research hours don't count for this). Cons are that I would much rather not lie or conceal information and I would be getting a MCE instead of a MS but I don't think that really matters for Civil Engineers (and remember that I already have a MS anyway). The other con is that the school does not necessarily have to grant me the degree even if I have all the necessary coursework but I have talked to the administrator in that department and she says that even in much worst scenarios (people lying, blantly not caring, they were always granted the degree). This option would also prevent me from having to write a Thesis. On the other hand they will want me to take the quals that next Fall semester which I can only imagine how miserable that will feel, especially knowing that I intend to leave. I can always just fail them miserably and use that as an excuse to leave!. This option just feels really sketchy and shady. - Both prior options are followed by the job search after graduation and not sure recommendation letters will be happening after either scenarios. I assume OPT will be the way to go because it feels like getting H1 visa is sort of wining the lottery. This is obviously a decision I need to make by myself but again, wondered if you guys think of something I haven't consider. Thanks a lot for reading and for listening to my academic/life woes.

In this time of unexpected utter indecision just want to hear what others have to comment. NCSU: CEE - Focus on Water Resources AND Systems and Computing - Better career opportunities?. Big school. Apparently, VERY initense research group. No related background so lots of uncertainty. Purdue: Interdisciplinary Ecological Sciences & Engineering program.- More oriented towards 'ecology' than infrastructural aspects. Huge school - Very diversified research group with lots of post-docs. MTech: CEE - They have interesting projects although mine is the one I liked the less.Still ok and interesting project - Small school. More one on one attention. Villanova: CEE - Interesting project. Small school and lots of personal attention. Little experience with PhDs (they just started) and infimal cohort. (I forgot to put Villanova in the title, sorry) At every school POIs are supossed to be great, well known and respected and funding packages are pretty similar. In terms of location I wanted more country and less urban environment and I like the cold better than the heat so believe it or not, West Lafayette would probably be my favorite location but I am confident I can make myself happy wherever I go. No car though..... Thoughts? Thank you very much for your help and best of luck to everyone!

I hate to say this and I really hope it's not the case here but something similar did actually happen to me last year. Was recommended by the department but admitted on probation by the grad school (= couldn't receive any funding/ = no chance to attend). If I were you, I would call the grad school and ask them At least you will know what's going on which is always better than drive yourself crazy trying to guess what's your status. Also, if the worst was to happen, you would still have time to contact your proffesor and see if he can 'convince' the admissions team to admitt you. Again, I really hope it was just a mistake and that everything works out fine. Best of luck!!!,

As you can see (from my signature) I have been incredibly lucky and find myself having to choose among several options. (in a million years I though I'd be in this position!). I applied to programs in Civil & Environmental Engineering and interdisciplinary Hydrology/Water Resources programs. Although I have a background mostly in forestry and environmental sciences I find myself more interested in matters related to the urban environment (infrastructure/management) and the impacts of increased urbanization and population. In terms of research most of my options will basically have to do with watershed assesment, floor risk and impacts and will involve the use of GIS, remote sensing and hydrologic modeling (SWAT, HEC models, etc). I feel comfortable with that, although I do not get all that super super excited about it. On the other hand, the one program I keep going back to feels very different from all the others and much less related to my background. It also deals with hydrology and hydraulics but is also very focused on systems dynamics and computing (Complex adaptive systems, Evolutionary algorithms, genetic programming, parallel computing, etc). I had to look hardly into it because I didn't even know what all that was about. I feel like it is a mix of Civil Engineering and Industrial Engineering. It sounds like it could be an amazing career change but I don't really know what to expect on career outcomes in case I do not want to stay in academia. I feel those two paths will lead me to very different places but don't really know what to expect. Any thoughts on the matter would be really appreciated and thank you for allowing my rambling! :-)

I agree with the previous poster. At least in my case, my recommenders did not seem to bother. I did go and meet each one in person.and explained the situation. They all were very understanding and agreed that maybe it was better to reapply than commiting to something financially risky. I also carefully warned them that this year I was going to apply to more schools and that I was sorry to burden them. But again, they were pretty nice about it. And as bsharpe269 says, they have already written the letter so it shouldn't be that much exxtra work for them. If you are thinking of improving your resume and experience that is even better. In all honesty I haven't been able to add anything to my last year's resume as I planned but it does not seem to have hurt me that much. All that been said, I also have to confess that today I'm having a huge case of self-questioning. Although I have great offers and I feel super blessed by the choices I have, in my mind I'm still fixated with last year's program. Looking at something else I ended up running into those people's work and it is EXACTLY what I want to do in my ideal location. So I will refine my comment: If the research is 100% exactly what you want to do, where you want to do it and there are potential funding possibilities, reconsider. If you are just ok with it then I'd suggest to retry next year. I hope that helped PS: I might end up in Raleigh too after all!

I was in a similar position last year and really struggled with my decision. At the end I decided to defer and reapply this year. The entire summer I was beating myself up and thinking that I should've sucked it up and go because who knew if I would even be admitted to any program again. Last year I applied to 4 programs. This year I initially applied to 12 programs and have been a little more on top of things. After applications went in and dedlines passed (February) I was contacted by at least 5 other profs in other programs thad I had contacted back in Sept/Oct. They were interested in my background and wanted to know if I was still interested in working with them. I decided to apply to 2 of those programs. Now I have at least 8 admisions and funding offers at at least 4 places for now. This is of course my story but in my book, waiting a year and strategizing better does pay off. Just my two cents.

Thank you SO much for your answers! I appreciate the help. There's so little info about this school from a grad student perspective.... I talked to a couple of current grads and they both said they are VERY happy with everyting but everyone I've talked to in every program has said pretty much the same thing. Which can only be good, of course

It looks like there is very little info on this uni and virtually no posts about it so I wondered if any who attended or attends could give his/her insight on this university. I know it is beyond freezing for a very long time, pretty small and very isolated but besides all that, how is it?. I guess is the kind of place you either love or you hate and it is not for everybody... - Any info on the Civil Engineering dept? Are grad students there generally happy?. At any place you are always gonna find be people who are and people who aren't, you think is any different here? - A friend told me that undergrads rule the place, all they think about is partying and it is almost impossible to get away from them. I currently live in a building packed with them and they are all party animals, obnoxious brats, etc. No way I'm gonna move to the end of the world just to find myself with no chances of social interaction other than binge drinking and sleep deprivation. Is it really so or you think he was exaggerating? - I am international, female, single and in my mid 30s. Even if I love the place (love the outdoors and cold weather) will I want to kill myself for lack of social interaction? (not to mention the dating scene, although I will hopefully be too busy to date anyway). Precisely because of the isolation of the place maybe there's a tight community of grads? - How is the cost of living up there?. I have the feeling that housing is a challenge (especially if you do not want to live close to undergrads) and It looks like housing options are scarce. Comments? - Can you live without a car (international student)? and without a snowmobile? - Do you at least get 3-4 months of decent weather? Thank you for your help!

It looks like there is very little info on this uni and virtually no posts about it so I wondered if any who attended or attends could give his/her insight on this university. I know it is beyond freezing for a very long time, pretty small and very isolated but besides all that, how is it?. I guess is the kind of place you either love or you hate and it is not for everybody... - Any info on the Civil Engineering dept? Are grad students there generally happy?. At any place you are always gonna find be people who are and people who aren't, you think is any different here? - A friend told me that undergrads rule the place, all they think about is partying and it is almost impossible to get away from them. I currently live in a building packed with them and they are all party animals, obnoxious brats, etc. No way I'm gonna move to the end of the world just to find myself with no chances of social interaction other than binge drinking and sleep deprivation. Is it really so or you think he was exaggerating? - I am international, female, single and in my mid 30s. Even if I love the place (love the outdoors and cold weather) will I want to kill myself for lack of social interaction? (not to mention the dating scene, although I will hopefully be too busy to date anyway). Precisely because of the isolation of the place maybe there's a tight community of grads? - How is the cost of living up there?. I have the feeling that housing is a challenge (especially if you do not want to live close to undergrads) and It looks like housing options are scarce. Comments? - Can you live without a car (international student)? and without a snowmobile? - Do you at least get 3-4 months of decent weather? Thank you for your help!

Either my search skills are really bad or there was still no thread for this place. So I know it is beyond freezing for a very long time, pretty small and very isolated but besides all that, how is it?. I guess is the kind of place you either love or you hate and it is not for everybody... - A friend told me that undergrads rule the place, all they think about is partying and it is almost impossible to get away from them. I currently live in a building packed with them and they are all party animals, obnoxious brats, etc. No way I'm gonna move to the end of the world just to find myself with no chances of social interaction other than binge drinking and sleep deprivation. Is it really so or you think he was exaggerating? - How is the cost of living up there?. I have the feeling that housing is a challenge (especially if you do not want to live close to undergrads) and It looks like housing options are scarce. Comments? - Can you live without a car (international student)? and without a snowmobile? - Are there stores other than to buy the essentials? I mean is it like 'Northern Exposure' or will I be able to actually buy clothes/see a movie every once in a while? - How do you reach civilization?. How do you get there coming from abroad? Fly to Minneapolis/Chicago/ Detroit and then train/bus? - Do you at least get 3-4 months of decent weather? - Can you practice acquatic sports in the Lake Superior when the weather allows for it? - I am international, female, single and in my mid 30s. Even if I love the place (love the outdoors and cold weather) will I want to kill myself for lack of social interaction? (not to mention the dating scene, although I will hopefully be too busy to date anyway) Thank you for your help!

I am an international student (european, mid 30s) with a BS+MS in Forestry Engineering. Our program was fairly strong (>192 US semester credits) and I think it would equal a degree in Forestry Engineering as a major, with a minor in Civil Engineering. I want to work in water resorces management: planning, distribution, optimization of supply, sutainability, the use of decentralized collection/distribution systems, Low Impact Development techniches, etc. I am also interested in the use of Green Infraestructure as means of ecosystem services provision and mitigation of disturbances. In addition, I am also interested in forecasting and hazard analysis and risk assesment (droughts/floods). I believe I am more interested in what I consider the more 'engineering' aspects (planning, collection & distribution) than in the 'hydrological' ones (supply forecast, impacts of disturbances on the hydrological cycle, etc), but I would be happy either way. I also think I would be more interested in working for private industry or govt. institutions than in academia. When looking at programs, sometimes it was hard to decide which program I should I apply to since the line between some of them was quite blurry. I found Civil & Environmental programs with tracks focusing on water resources, interdisciplinary programs in Water Resources /Hydrological Sciences and all kinds of programs on Natural Resources/Ecology/Environmental Sciences/Geography/Forestry with concentrations on, again, WR/Hydrology. Leaving everything else out (POI, fit, location, funding), do you think a PhD in Civil Engineering will be much greater than, let's say, a PhD in Environmental Resources & Policy or Water Resources Science?. Since I am not a US national I'm not fully aware of the different opportunities those degress will provide. Will a chance of better/different opportunities make up for the probably more challenging classes and research? What about for instance, Purdue's degree? It is called Ecological Sciences & Engineering?... that's an odd engineering degree. Would that make much of a difference? Also, feel free to comment on my admittances (so far) if you have any advice. Oh, and my BS+MS University is currently having some of its degress ABET-accredited. I do not know if they will accredit mine but there is a chance, meaning that I may also be able to be a licensed engineer thanks to my previous degrees even if my PhD isn't an engineering degree. Sorry for the long post and thanks for your help!

I am an international student (european, mid 30s) with a BS+MS in Forestry Engineering. Our program was fairly strong (>192 US semester credits) and I think it would equal a degree in Forestry Engineering as a major, with a minor in Civil Engineering. I want to work in water resorces management: planning, distribution, optimization of supply, sutainability, the use of decentralized collection/distribution systems, Low Impact Development techniches, etc. I am also interested in the use of Green Infraestructure as means of ecosystem services provision and mitigation of disturbances. In addition, I am also interested in forecasting and hazard analysis and risk assesment (droughts/floods). I believe I am more interested in what I consider the more 'engineering' aspects (planning, collection & distribution) than in the 'hydrological' ones (supply forecast, impacts of disturbances on the hydrological cycle, etc), but I would be happy either way. I also think I would be more interested in working for private industry or govt. institutions than in academia. When looking at programs, sometimes it was hard to decide which program I should I apply to since the line between some of them was quite blurry. I found Civil & Environmental programs with tracks focusing on water resources, interdisciplinary programs in Water Resources /Hydrological Sciences and all kinds of programs on Natural Resources/Ecology/Environmental Sciences/Geography/Forestry with concentrations on, again, WR/Hydrology. Leaving everything else out (POI, fit, location, funding), do you think a PhD in Civil Engineering will be much greater than, let's say, a PhD in Environmental Resources & Policy or Water Resources Science?. Since I am not a US national I'm not fully aware of the different opportunities those degress will provide. Will a chance of better/different opportunities make up for the probably more challenging classes and research? What about for instance, Purdue's degree? It is called Ecological Sciences & Engineering?... that's an odd engineering degree. Would that make much of a difference? Also, feel free to comment on my admittances (so far) if you have any advice. Oh, and my BS+MS University is currently having some of its degress ABET-accredited. I do not know if they will accredit mine but there is a chance, meaning that I may also be able to be a licensed engineer thanks to my previous degrees even if my PhD isn't an engineering degree. Sorry for the long post and thanks for your help!

First of all, many thanks for your replies. @juilletmercredi: LOL. I totally understand and agree with what you say about not doing a PhD if you are not the least interested in the subject. But as you also say, it is a means to an end. This can mean many things depending on personal situations. If, for instance, you come from a very poor country with next to zero possibilities of professional development it may be the means to a better future even if it is not 100% what you would have loved to do. It is not my case but I hope you understand what I mean. There are many different factors and very different personal situations when making decisions. On the other hand, and I probably didn't make this clear enough, the other professor’s research is also interesting and the research is so interdisciplinary that I could always benefit from working with her. That's why, even though I prefer working with the Engineering team I would hate to be left out with nothing, as the project would still be relevant to my interests. The 'having-to-reply' in a week was because it was an unusual situation. I truly think she was being sensitive to my needs and she approached me like 'you are perfect for my needs but I understand that this might not be what you want to do. I don't want to mislead you, so you need to understand what this would mean. Are you sure you would be interested in this?". I am not even admitted to that program. She could have admitted me and totally mislead me until I was there and she didn't, so I feel like she deserves some credit for that. I feel that the 'week' thing was more like 'before I move on to admitting you, I need to know if you are interested at all" In any case, I already told her that upon reflection I though it wasn't a good fit but thanks for her consideration, maybe we can collaborate somehow because we would be involved in the same project, etc. But again, thank you VERY much for your opinions. You are all great help!

So I applied to two different programs at one university. Though not exactly right let's say one is Engineering and the other in Natural Resources or Environmental Sciences. I have already been admitted to the Engineering program and had an interview with my POI post admittance. They told me they were interviewing more students and that they will let me know in a "few weeks" (torture!). In the mean time I was contacted by one of the proffesors mentioned in my SOP for the other program (NR/ES). She wanted to know if I would be interested in working on a project for which I would be a perfect fit according to her needs (not so much mine). She stressed the fact that I would be focusing on the social sciences aspect of the research and that I would not be taking courses on what I stated I was intested on, but mostly courses from the social sciences department. It turns out the project I would be working on if funded by the Engineering department is exactly the same project, although I would be working on more 'technical' aspects. So the POI from the NR/ES dept. told me to think long and hard if I would really be interested in following that path as it is a clear variation from the one that I ntended to follow. Then I have to let her know my decission this week. So, obviously, I am definitely more interested in enrolling in the Engineering program and in their aspect of the research project BUT, I would rather join the other program than be left with nothing. I mean: Is there any possible way in which I can word "I'll rather work with prof X and do the engineering gig but If I don't get funding from them and you offer me funding I'll suck it up and work with you" and not sound like a jerk? There are aspects of the social sciences approach that are also appealing to me but I feel I will be more bored and will miss the technical parts. I also feel I will have more career opportunities with a degree in engineering but that may be completely wrong. Thoughts? Thanks for 'listening'

Thank you for your replies. That is interesting. I always thought there was more money in STEM fields than in the hummanities but apparently that is not the case. It is also interesting to hear that (at least for one program, at one school) there might be less applicants this year. I was convinced that , precisely because of the economy, programs were flooded with applications. Once again, I stand corrected. ...maybe, STEM programs tend to be the ones flooded with applications and hence, more admits but with less funding.

Since hitting the refresh button on my incoming email won't produce any new results I will try to 'distract' my anxiety by checking your thoughts on the question of my subject title. This is my second cycle and I am starting to struggle with the notion that what seemed to be the norm: 'No program will admit PhDs without funding offers', has changed dramatically. Last year I was admitted into the University of Washington's PhD program on X but with no funding whatsoever. I know that just being admitted is a great accomplishment but.... a pretty bittersweet one when there's no chance in hell to attend without any support. This year I casted a wider net and applied to 12 programs. All after contacting POIs prior to applying and getting positive replies encourging me to apply. So far I have been admitted to 2 programs and still waiting to hear on all the other ones. Both admits come with no funding and in one it seems like no one is even willing to be my Chair (wtf??!!). These unis are Texas A&M and Michigan Tech and the programs are either in engineering or a STEM field. Why would they bother to admit me if there's no funding package available?. In one interview they even asked 'Will you be able to attend if there is no funding?'. I said no (in a more elaborate and 'polite' way) and within a week I received the admission email. Are you just trying to REALLY torture me?. I should also clear out that I am an international student which makes funding even more necessary. So I am starting to feel like they are just admitting students and if they are wealthy, insane or desperate enough to attend and self fund... more money in their pocket. I am obviously competitive enough to be admitted to decent unis (amazinig unis for me), maybe I am just not competitive enough to receive any funding?. Maybe this is in fact the case and no one should get discouraged by my personal situation. Thoughts?......

Thank SO much for your input, I really appreciate it!!! As you can imagine I am still really torn. Saying no and starting all over again feels completely sickening. 1) I'm glad someone understands the real challenge and doesn't just go with the usual 'oh , you'll be fine'. 2) Agreed. Many people do it, so maybe i'm just self doubting too much. 3&4) Again, I fully agree but once again, hundreds of international students pull through every year...terminal case of self doubt? 5) This and the TA thing are the 2 biggest factors. I hate the idea of risking the money without any assurance. I understand this may be the case in a LOT of cases but ... I am just not feeling the love. I mean... if they think my GPA is low enough to put me on probation (hence, all not that brilliant according to them), it doesn't make sense that they would make me TA such a hard class, not related to my major and with such a courseload.... I mean, I would barely have 4 months (end of August till Xmas) to prove my potential and that doesn't provide too much wiggle room. I believe the offer I already rejected is out of the question by now. I feel I burnt some bridges there. By the tone of my previous conversations and the tone of the email after I declined tell me my POI was definitely NOT happy. But thanks for the idea anyway!... that goes to show that sometimes is good to keep in mind the saying '“A bird in hand is worth two in the bush” However, and as much as I hate it, I think I'm going to decline the offer, at least for now. I'm gonna ask if I could defer and maybe they will reassess me once I get my new GPA. That would eliminate the $$$ factor and give me some time to prepare better. But as we all know, I may apply to tons of places next year and not get anywhere or without any funding (there goes the bird again...) Seriously, toughest decision ever. :( PS. Thanks for praising my English!

So I have to make a very tough decision and I’d like to know what people here think. I apologize for the very long post ion advance I am an international student (European) I have a BS and an MS in Forestry Engineering (VERY strong degree in the hard sciences, 192 credits) I am in my mid-thirties and completed my studies long ago so I don’t really remember all that much. I have some professional experience as a forestry engineer but never really been in a leadership position so I don’t feel all that prepared in the technical sense (poor job market). I also have experience (3 years) as an instructor for forestry workers. I applied to 4 schools and got admitted to 3 (the one left hasn’t released their results yet). I’ve been set on one program from the get go in school X. The program is a Phd in Civil Engineering with an emphasis on Water Resources. I actually declined another offer (now REALLY regretting it) because I got admitted to X and basically were told I had 99% chances of getting fully funded. One week before April 15th they tell me because of my low GPA I’ll be on probation the first semester but that I’m offered a combination of TA/RA position. The official letter states the offer for the first year and my POI told me via email that my funding schedule would be TA/RA the first two years and RA from then on. Also I would have to TA a junior class in Hydraulics that very first semester. Being on probation means I have to cover all tuition, fees and health insurance that first semester. (It’s a State school, not ridiculously crazy expensive but still a huge amount for us). If I remain in good standing (3.0 GPA) the probation will be lifted the second semester and I’ll get a tuition waiver. I have to take 9 credit hours each semester. At this point I’m reconsidering the whole thing and thinking of not taking the offer and reapply to other schools next year and this is my reasoning: I am afraid to not succeed that very first semester considering that : Although I do come from an engineering background is not strictly my major so that would be challenging (plus the fact that I haven’t been in school in a while) I am TERRIFIED about the TA thing since I remember NOTHING about the Hydraulics I took ages ago (and got something like a mere C) For what I read 9 credits per semester is no joke. Being a non-native speaker and new to the American university system adds a little bit of a toll. They never guaranteed the funding for the remaining 3 years. All I have is one email from the POI (but maybe this is more common that we’d like?) I’d hate to spend a considerable amount of money (around 15k) just to not succeed, as a second semester of tuition is completely out of the question. In addition it would annihilate any chance to get into grad school in the future. The fact that I don’t REALLY know what to expect as I haven’t experienced the university system in the US doesn’t help either and I’m not sure this is a huge case of impostor syndrome or a reasonable and valid hesitation. Lastly, if it helps with your comments: Students don’t seem all that excited about the program and my advisor to be is apparently just ‘meh’. I do LOVE the research project though. I could use the extra year to brush up on the things I’ll be needing no matter what (statistics, GIS, etc ) so I feel somewhat more prepared. PLUS, due to a stupid/crazy story my GPA will be actually higher (my school kindda messed up this year). My 3rd school (U of Washington!!) couldn’t offer any funding. My POI says he’s still looking but I’m not really counting on it. 4th school I have no clue what’s going on (even though I have asked) Thanks for putting up with his long post and I’m looking forward to hearing your 2 cents.

It seems to be an area there's no much information about, so I'll cross my fingers and hope anyone out there can give me some advice. I'd like to get a Msc in the subject and have narrowed it down to : - UT Austin (an extremely long shot but I really don't wanna look back and say I didn't , at least, try. - Texas A&M at College Station - Oregon State University, Corvallis - Colorado State University, Fort Collins - University of Colorado, Boulder - University of Portland I am way more interested in pursuing a professional career than an academic/research one so I wonder whether there are programs that would be better in that aspect. But keep in mind funding is a must so I have to embrace some research. I'm also an international student and it's hard to get information on how specific departaments work or advice on which one would fit me best. Last but not least, if anyone can suggest websites or forums on that topic it 'd be great (I seem to find a lot about Physics, Electric eng. and Bioeenginering, but not so much on Civil, odd) Cheers and thanks in advance.

I'm applyin for Msc degrees in Civil Engineering and I have a question, just out of curiosity: What's your take, in terms of advantage/disadvantage, about me being international but non Asian or Indian (no offense, just that I've learned they make a great percentage of international applicants), being Spanish (therefore speaking Spanish- coop projects?) but not extrictly "latino". I am aware this is very subjective question but I wondered if there's any perception out there about this matter. Thanks for any comments. (I truly have no intention of offending anyone so I really hope I didn't )