Columbia EE PhD vs. GTech ECE PhD vs Stanford EE MS

[goldpuddles]

Only a couple of days left to decide and I'm somewhat overwhelmed with information! I have the NSF so funding is somewhat less of an issue. I am interested in the area of optics/photonics and I am unsure whether I would like to pursue industry or academia after graduating, but would like to attend the institution that can have the most options available. 

 

I was accepted to the PhD in EE program at Columbia University with a fellowship. Although I found one group that's a great match, my hold ups are to whether Columbia has a strong reputation for engineering and the smaller size of the program. My area of interest often overlaps with Applied Physics, so the strong Applied Physics department is definitely a plus. I really liked the feel of the department as well, and am familiar with the NYC area. I have been told that if I'd like to work abroad, the brand name school could be valuable. 

 

GTech is definitely a powerhouse engineering school and I was also offered a fellowship there. I had a very disorganized visit experience which didn't leave me with the best impression of the department (not very cohesive at least), but that's no comment as to the quality of the research. I have potentially found a good advisor match this past week but there is a large department to fall back on if that doesn't pan out although I have no found many good matches so far. I am less fond of Atlanta but it is certainly cheaper. 

 

Stanford MS only really became a consideration lately due to the NSF, and did not change the original decision. I would have to reapply one year in. I was told that this was quite doable by a professor, but am still hesitant (is this really relatively trivial/worth the risk?). I have many options professor wise in my area of interest (EE/MSE/Applied Physics) though if I should decide to go. I am a little worried that if I don't manage to switch over, I will not be in a great position to transfer to another school due to the use of 2/3 years of NSF funding and non-research focus of the masters program. 

 

Any advice or thoughts, especially on the reputation of the programs, would be much appreciated!!! Thank you so much for your time!

[ak48]

Would Stanford be a Masters leading to PhD?

[goldpuddles]

Unfortunately as it stands right now the masters is a terminal degree, so I would need to reapply after a year to the PhD program. Supposedly with external funding and a group to work in to begin with, this should be successful. However it's not guaranteed. 

[ak48]

Hm, if you can manage to find a research professor now that can vouch for you in phD admissions (and has a bit of clout in the department), it may give you a good shot, as Stanford is probably the best school among the 3 for jobs.

 

I was admitted to columbia and liked the professor a lot but committed to another school for similar concerns you have, (although I did not factor in the strong physics program there.) Columbia is very collaborative in that sense, which is a plus.

[NanoTech]

Columbia all the way (because "I found one group that's a great match...I really liked the feel of the department as well, and am familiar with the NYC area."). Columbia is an excellent research institution, so DO NOT LOOK BACK!

[tarrman]

I think Stanford might be worth the risk here. If you work hard, you can definitely make it happen.

[goldpuddles]

Thank you everyone for your thoughts! I am somewhat leaning toward Columbia at the moment.

 

Do you happen to have any comments as to how many students are able to succeed in transferring in EE at Stanford? I am having a lot of trouble getting a professor to commit to allowing me into their group prior to me actually going there next year and talking to them in person, which seems somewhat nerve-wracking considering the December reapplication deadline.

[ak48]

Thank you everyone for your thoughts! I am somewhat leaning toward Columbia at the moment.

 

Do you happen to have any comments as to how many students are able to succeed in transferring in EE at Stanford? I am having a lot of trouble getting a professor to commit to allowing me into their group prior to me actually going there next year and talking to them in person, which seems somewhat nerve-wracking considering the December reapplication deadline.

 

Did you visit the 3 campuses on their admit days? I imagine you would have spoken to profs then. Does Stanford do MS visits? 

[tarrman]

I doubt Stanford does MS visits, but statistics would be pretty useless here. Your success is ultimately up to you; statistics won't help you. If you really want it, you will make it happen. I know Stanford has a non-thesis MS, but if there's a thesis option for MS, you might want to consider doing that. It's a good way to get into a group, and it gives you more time to reapply (you'd reapply in your second year).

[kacyn]

I'm in a similar situation, and after my final visit I think I will be going with Stanford MSEE.  If you end up going to Stanford, I hope we're both able to get into the PhD program!

 

It won't be easy, but maybe the challenge will be fun.  It'll give me something to work really hard for.

[goldpuddles]

I'm in a similar situation, and after my final visit I think I will be going with Stanford MSEE.  If you end up going to Stanford, I hope we're both able to get into the PhD program!

 

It won't be easy, but maybe the challenge will be fun.  It'll give me something to work really hard for.

best of luck to you! I'm still not so sure I'm quite so brave.

 

 

I did have a chance to visit all three (although I visited Stanford on my own, in between two other visits fortunately). Although I talked to several faculty, most were hesitant to commit prior to meeting all possible students in the fall term...

[goldpuddles]

So it looks like I won't be able to find a good match at Stanford...so I'm really down to GTech vs Columbia. I have decent advisor matches at both...so is there any comments on the reputation of the degrees/quality of the departments?

 

Thank you so much for any opinions! 

[tarrman]

Tech's EE program is pretty reputable when it comes to industry, not so much when it comes academia. You'll definitely have a job waiting for you when you graduate, and the department is large enough the you should be able to find multiple professors you are interested in. I know your visit didn't go over too well, but it might be worth it to give it another chance. The quals are also really easy; undergraduate level problems taken from some of the undergraduate courses, but it tests you on many topics in EE.

[goldpuddles]

Thank you everyone so much for your comments. I'm kind of freaking out because it is decision day and I just heard back from Harvard SEAS a day ago from a Professor in Applied Physics who really wants me to go. The professor is well known/often busy with an extremely large group. I haven't had a chance to look into it at all...how does it compare?! I know the EE program isn't the most highly regarded but the research going on in SEAS seems very interesting, especially for optics/energy type stuff..

[EngiNerd-12]

Thank you everyone so much for your comments. I'm kind of freaking out because it is decision day and I just heard back from Harvard SEAS a day ago from a Professor in Applied Physics who really wants me to go. The professor is well known/often busy with an extremely large group. I haven't had a chance to look into it at all...how does it compare?! I know the EE program isn't the most highly regarded but the research going on in SEAS seems very interesting, especially for optics/energy type stuff..

 

Do you anything about the offer (funding-wise)? And I take it that the Applied Physics professor at Harvard is affiliated with the Electrical Engineering department?

[goldpuddles]

I was offered a first-year fellowship, but am apparently supposed to use NSF funding the first couple of years with guaranteed funding for the duration of the PhD. They will add to the NSF to make up for the difference between the NSF and normal GRA funding, however. 

 

Not exactly, but it seems the departments in SEAS are all kind of connected anyways? He is primarily in Applied Physics however. 

[EngiNerd-12]

Harvard and Columbia both have strong Applied Physics programs (and around the same level in Electrical Engineering I think). I don't think you can go wrong with either school. Did you get to visit? Where do you think you'd fit in more research-wise? 

[goldpuddles]

I'd say research fit for both is very good. Columbia is a bit more engineering, Harvard is a bit more physics - in my talks with faculty/students the possibility of taking courses at MIT was brought up for perhaps a more "engineering"-slant. I did not visit Harvard on the visit day so not much impression there (I have worked there before, though and had a great time).