Civil & Environmental Engineering - Fall 2018 Applicants

[1PhDplz]

On 3/17/2018 at 3:56 PM, laekkauai said:

Thanks for sharing your experience. So you mean that entering as an MS student and transitioning to a PhD is not possible there? One of the appealing parts of applying to Stanford was the potential to do just that, since it states on their website that it's more of an administrative step.

 

On 3/17/2018 at 6:16 PM, coffeegirl said:

I'd definitely like to hear more about this transitioning from MS to PhD? What were they being dishonest about?

Also I'm curious did they say anything about financial aid?

 

What the grad students told me was that if you were admitted with the expectation of going from MS to PhD, a professor would have contacted you by now. When I said "Really? That's like the exact opposite of what we've been told all day" the current PhD students said that even though they've asked the professors and people in charge of admissions to be more honest and upfront about this, they just aren't. So they get a bunch of people to come for the unfunded masters because "people will pay for a masters from Stanford." I found this super dishonest. Honestly, just directly admit to PhD if that's the case. 

I emailed the graduate coordinator on Saturday asking if I'm being considered for funding or not (I was originally waiting until the end of march to be polite). My guess would be not since I haven't been contacted yet, but I'm checking because they did offer to reimburse some expenses from the visit day. I'll let post on here whatever I hear back. 

A few other negatives I got from the visit day:

-It  seems like funding is incredibly scarce in the department. I had one professor mention that it's not usual, but definitely possible, for your advisor to run out of funding for you, say during your last year as a PhD student. It kind of makes sense because when an advisor takes you on, they financially provide you the tuition and stipend money. But you'd think the university would wave your tuition so that each PhD student doesn't literally cost the advisor half a million dollars of grant money (not an exaggeration). 

-I heard a few other grad students say that their advisors are never around "because they're really important people." That might be true, but I'm looking for an advisor who has enough time to be a mentor, just not my cup of tea.

-The master will cost $99.7K and TA and RA positions are reserved for PhD candidates so that their advisors aren't paying tuition from their own grant money. I was told there is practically no possibility of getting TA or RA positions as a masters student.

-I got the feeling that MS students who do join in on the research groups (what they recommend you do to advance to the PhD) are pretty much free lab work (i.e. undergrads) and the likelihood of doing your own project is slim. I got this vibe from hearing some PhD students talk about MS students in the lab.

Positives:

-The program requirements are really flexible. The head of the department said you can even substitute the "mandatory" program requirements for whatever you want as long as you can make a reasonable appeal to your masters advisor.

-Most of the PhD students seemed to enjoy the program, they just really don't like how the department handles admissions and the whole MS thing.

 

My whole take on Stanford at the moment is a little jaded and I do realize that there are probably a million great things about the masters program and to be fair, one of the professors there started as a masters student with no funding at Stanford, so I guess transitioning to the PhD isn't impossible.

 

[fallfish]

On 3/15/2018 at 9:18 AM, strawberrykat said:

So, has anyone decided where they're going to go? (based on the acceptances they currently have) 

I have basically decided I will be going to NCSU in Raleigh, NC for a PhD in Civil. I am studying coastal engineering, so I am in a pretty small cohort of people.

Have you decided @strawberrykat ? 

[strawberrykat]

@fallfish I'm sure it's relieving to finally know where you're going! I'm jealous lol

 

I'm still somewhat undecided but heavily leaning towards VT for the opportunity to work with a particular professor. The other school I was seriously considering was Stanford but as people mentioned, I think there are some issues in the department that make me pretty uncomfortable. My only concern about choosing VT is I don't want to prevent myself from being able to land an awesome faculty job in the future by choosing a lesser ranked program. But I think I can do some really awesome work there so maybe it will balance out, idk. If it wasn't for that, I would probably accept already. It's the perfect research fit. 

[laekkauai]

@1PhDplz thanks for sharing that info and perspective. My brother went to Stanford for his MS in Env Eng fully funded + stipend (I think he hear back about funding kind of at the last minute, so don’t lose hope!) but this was back in 2007 or so, so I’m guessing things could have significantly changed (though he did mention it was soul sucking). My view on Stanford has also changed. It used to be my dream school but now I’m not sure, at least for the MS level. Nowadays as a married student, I’m more concerned about cost of living, relationships with and support from professors, and mental health, and have been seriously thinking about the consequences of the Stanford Duck Syndrome as a well. Your experience puts things into perspective for me, and I’m not as concerned about hearing back from th program. Will most likely accept my other offer.

Edited March 19, 2018 by laekkauai

[JolicYX]

Hi guys, what do you think about the civil engineering program at JHU. I have received offer with fellowship from JHU and admission from UT Austin. The POIs in both universities are quite awesome. I don't know how to choose. the ranking for JHU was 20th in 2017 and 31st in 2018. It seems that the CE group in JHU is quite small.

[pinoygrad08]

Has anyone already heard/received the official admission offer from UC Berkeley Graduate Division, after getting info from CEE AAO? Thanks!

[fallfish]

23 hours ago, strawberrykat said:

@fallfish I'm sure it's relieving to finally know where you're going! I'm jealous lol

 

I'm still somewhat undecided but heavily leaning towards VT for the opportunity to work with a particular professor. The other school I was seriously considering was Stanford but as people mentioned, I think there are some issues in the department that make me pretty uncomfortable. My only concern about choosing VT is I don't want to prevent myself from being able to land an awesome faculty job in the future by choosing a lesser ranked program. But I think I can do some really awesome work there so maybe it will balance out, idk. If it wasn't for that, I would probably accept already. It's the perfect research fit. 

Yea, I know what you mean. I turned down Georgia Tech, which is a higher ranked program. For me having gone to Michigan for undergrad and a masters I felt like Georgia Tech was a bit too much like Michigan, and not in a good way. I've gotten the sense that higher ranked schools like that get by on their ranking instead of actually giving students focused attention and support. I've even heard of poor experiences at programs like MIT and Stanford. These programs think, well you're already at a high ranked school what else do you want? At least that is how I felt at Michigan. No one really wanted to see me succeed during my graduate studies, they just wanted to take my money and leave me with minimal job prospects. Plus everyone was so competitive with each other. Definitely not what I am looking for, I want a more collaborative environment. But that's my personal preference based on my needs and goals, which is different for everyone. 

I also think the supervisor you have is one of the most important aspects of deciding where to do a Ph.D. You have to interact with this person for a long time. People keep telling me you have to be passionate about the research. If you don't like them or their research, it's going to be a tough 4-5 years. Not only that, but I also considered the connections the professor had for getting me potential internships and overall networking. 

Btw, I don't think Virginia Tech is a bad option at all. I thought of applying there and got shut down outright by a professor because my GPA was too low in undergrad, lol. No matter what, I think you'll be in a good place regardless of what you choose. Good luck!!!

[dkt123]

Hello everyone,

Did anyone hear back from UC Berkeley CEE on the Ph.D. application? Most of the admits on the results page are for MS or MEng. Should I assume that it's a reject if I haven't heard anything yet?  

[ibtes]

I know I've asked this numerous times, but... does anyone have any news regarding MIT? 

Edited March 21, 2018 by ibtes

[transportist]

Hi guys,

This is the first time I am posting in a gradcafe forum. I would like to thank all of you for sharing your thoughts and information about your applications.

I applied for PhD programs in transportation engineering at MIT and Berkeley but I have not heard anything yet.

I wonder if something unusual happened this year as results have been released pretty late compared with previous years (e.g. changes in the admission process). Depending on the reason, we might speculate on whether our chances to get accepted do(not) remain the same. 

Unfortunately, the waiting is killing and it makes harder to plan next steps. 

Best,

 

[dkt123]

I emailed AAO at Berkeley on Feb 7 to ask about admission decisions (and if they have an open house) and got the following response.  I also emailed Chair of Transportation Graduate Admissions today but have not received any response yet.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

We understand your concern regarding your application.  However, due to the high volume of applications, we cannot verify the status of any one application.

Currently, applications are  under review.  This is an intense and lengthy process.  We typically notify applicants of acceptance decisions during the months of February and March.  We notify applicants as decisions are reached; if you have not heard from us, a decision on your application has not be reached yet.  You will receive an email by the end of April, whether you are admitted or denied.
 

We will notify you as soon as possible.

 

Yes, we do have an open house for admitted students in early April.

 

--Admissions Staff
 

Academic Affairs Office

750 Davis Hall

UC Berkeley

Berkeley, CA  94720-1410

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

[strawberrykat]

3 hours ago, ibtes said:

I know I've asked this numerous times, but... does anyone have any news regarding MIT? 

They sent out a decision email yesterday saying "The graduate admissions process for the 2018-19 academic year is now complete." (Didn't get in but not really surprised). At this late in the game, you never know, but I wouldn't expect anything. Best of luck!

[ibtes]

2 hours ago, strawberrykat said:

They sent out a decision email yesterday saying "The graduate admissions process for the 2018-19 academic year is now complete." (Didn't get in but not really surprised). At this late in the game, you never know, but I wouldn't expect anything. Best of luck!

I saw a lot of structural engineering rejections today. I applied for MST (Transportation). I don't see any MST posts in the results page. A friend who also applied for that program told me that he received a waitlist email at noon, but I still got nothing... I don't even know what to expect now. I just want this to be over.

[David Silva]

Hello does anyone know when will Berkeley decisions arrive ? I am applying to a MS in Structural Engineering. That's my only decision left in order to make a decision of where I will be attending

[pinoygrad08]

20 hours ago, dkt123 said:

I emailed AAO at Berkeley on Feb 7 to ask about admission decisions (and if they have an open house) and got the following response.  I also emailed Chair of Transportation Graduate Admissions today but have not received any response yet.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

We understand your concern regarding your application.  However, due to the high volume of applications, we cannot verify the status of any one application.

Currently, applications are  under review.  This is an intense and lengthy process.  We typically notify applicants of acceptance decisions during the months of February and March.  We notify applicants as decisions are reached; if you have not heard from us, a decision on your application has not be reached yet.  You will receive an email by the end of April, whether you are admitted or denied.
 

We will notify you as soon as possible.

 

Yes, we do have an open house for admitted students in early April.

 

--Admissions Staff
 

Academic Affairs Office

750 Davis Hall

UC Berkeley

Berkeley, CA  94720-1410

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

My friend who applied for transportation engineering (M.Eng) got a reply from an Admissions staff of CEE. She told him that all decisions will be made by the end of March. 

[Robin472003]

Any news from UCLA, UC Dadvis, or UC Irvine? (PhD in structural eng.)

[JolicYX]

@Robin472003No, still waiting for LA, SD. But I have seen someone got admitted with full funding from LA.

[fallfish]

Those asking about UCLA, I called the advisor I wanted to work with to see what the status was and she told me she had offered positions to 3 students and they had all taken them. So I never really got a rejection, but I knew I wouldn't go there or get an offer. 

Might be worth calling the advisor you hope to work with? This may only be applicable to PhDs though, not sure about Masters. 

[Aradhana94]

Hello!
Will be attending CMU for Masters in Environmental Engineering this fall. Anyone accepted yet? 

[pinoygrad08]

My friend just got an official admission letter yesterday from the Graduate Division of Berkeley. She just saw it on GradApp website, no one sent her an email to check it. Her program is PhD - Systems Engineering. Anyone else did? 

[David Silva]

On 3/24/2018 at 11:44 PM, pinoygrad08 said:

My friend just got an official admission letter yesterday from the Graduate Division of Berkeley. She just saw it on GradApp website, no one sent her an email to check it. Her program is PhD - Systems Engineering. Anyone else did? 

Can you please tell me if that website is the same to the one where you submit you application? I am applying to MS in structural engineering and haven’t received a response yet

[BobW]

@David Silva 

I'm in the same situation as you! It seems like majority of the acceptance was sent out February 28th. I feel like my chances are slim.... Either way, why are they taking their sweet time if it's for a rejection?

[pinoygrad08]

1 hour ago, David Silva said:

Can you please tell me if that website is the same to the one where you submit you application? I am applying to MS in structural engineering and haven’t received a response yet

It’s the same website where you submitted the application.

Btw, have tried sending an email to aao@ce.berkeley.edu to get an update in your application? 

[dkt123]

20 hours ago, pinoygrad08 said:

It’s the same website where you submitted the application.

Btw, have tried sending an email to aao@ce.berkeley.edu to get an update in your application? 

I sent an email to aao@ce.berkeley.edu  a week ago. No one bothered to reply.

[David Silva]

47 minutes ago, dkt123 said:

I sent an email to aao@ce.berkeley.edu  a week ago. No one bothered to reply.

I did the same. I am just waiting for a rejection to be honest. Fortunately, I have some other great options