Mecasickle

Hi, I'd like to know if any universities ask for a Bachelors of Science diploma as a prerequisite before enrolling, assuming that they have already accepted you as a grad student. I'm kind of worried, because formalizing a Bachelors where I'm from in southamerica takes like forever. Getting an official transcript with a translation took me around 2 months... just so you can have an idea. I wouldn't want to "get nullified from admission" just becuase my university takes for ever to process the diploma. Can anyone give my examples or personal cases where this has been aplicable? I had an american friend from Columbia University (New York) who started at CMU last year and he told me the only thing he was asked to eprsonally bring prior to enrollment was his final official transcript. Thanks,

I finished my B.S in MechE in southamerica. I've just applied to a PhD program in CS and Brain Science to 11 universities in the US. I already have an offer from a professor at Virginia Tech and am also accepted at UCSB. Doing a research internship boosts your chances a lot. You should go for that, I've come from a "no-where" place in the world and already have 2 premature offers from those two schools, thanks to an internship I did at UCSB. Not only will you get an extra strong letter of reccomendation, you might also end up publishing, as well as expanding your connections and meeting other professors from other institutiions that you might work with (I met the Virginia Tech Professor at UCSB, while she gave a talk, and we've stayed in touch and liked my research and is inviting me their for a full-ride PhD) .

I know the deadline is around Dec 15 (already passed), but when do the applications actually get revised? Decemeber? January? February? Decisions are usually due by late Feb or early March. I don't know if it really takes them that long. Just asking! Thanks

There is no word count maximum (as in like a truncator that won't virutally let you exceed the limit), but some are asking for around 1000 words and/or two pages. Other universities just want me to upload the file, without specifying a maximum.

Is 1300 words too much? (Slightly above two pages)

If you're going for a PhD your choice should be based on the Professors you want to work with, not how hard it is to get into a school or its prestige.

First lower down your ego. How many papers have you published?

Hey! I'm also applying this fall for CS and Neuroscience. From what I've heard you can put your paper as "in progress", but it won't have almost any value if its not finished, because they will probably ask for a preprint, or you woould have to provide one if you want to make your application strong. Remember people in grad school want students that can deliver results, and now have things "planned". Additionally, my best suggestion would be for you to include it (put something like "in preparation"), and basically make your references talk about the work you're doing on your letters. Best of luck!

Yeah thanks, I think I might be over analyzaing it and MIT doesn't really ask for GRE scores. In Stanford CS they ask for 113 at their TOEFL, so I'm applying to Neuroscience instead, due to my research paper in computer vision and bioimage analysis applied to neuroinformatics. I'm applying to like 10 schools 5 CS and other 5 neuro/cognitive science. And for any other readers out there, GRE can be a bit deceiving. I met an international applicant from IIT (India), and she scored perfect scores on her GRE and didn't get accepted at places like MIT, Stanford, and Caltech (my best guess is no research experience / poor statement or average recommendations). She got in UCSB (where I did an internship), but that's a pretty good school too though. Thanks for the info people, I'll do my best and keep you guys posted!

Hi GradCafe members, I have a really brilliant application (research experience with 3 publications), but kinda messed up in the GRE scoring 162 on the Quant section. Do you think top schools: Stanford, MIT, Caltech, UCLA, Berkeley , will give a fuss about this? or if its over 160 (over the 85% ) then its just ok and they'll focus analyzing on other parts of my applications: like my statement, publications, and reccomendations? (I think I'm overanalyzing my test scores) I'm also an international applicant with 110/120 on his TOEFL iBT. (Over 100 is usually fine) thanks,

Hi I'm in the same situation, but I'm from Peru. How do the top schools regard our applications compared to people in the US? Any personal feedback from anyone who actually has a friend or is an international who got into one of these top schools coming from a 3rd world country? Some extra stuff/achievements about me: I've been to 3 computer vision PhD level summer schools in Italy, France and USA I've been a speaker at the National symposium of neuroscience and complex systems of Lima Peru where all speakers were grad students, postdocs, and professors - i was an undergrad. I did a 6 month internship at UCSB on neuroinformatics and am working on a paper that I have planned to submit to the neuroinformatics journal with a Professor an d grad student there. I scored 800/800 on the math lvl2 and physics SAT subject test, but this was 4 years ago... so the GRE will be fine. I'm thinking going for CS or brain/cog sci related to Computer and Human Vision. Any other stuff that could help my application stand out? Thanks!