2014 Applicant Profiles and Results

[jmoon43]

Lets get 2013 underway

Usual format for posts:

Undergrad Institution: (School or type of school, such as big state, lib arts, ivy, technical, foreign (what country?)... Overall Reputation in Engineering?)
Major(s):
Minor(s):
GPA in Major:
Overall GPA:
Length of Degree: (Are you graduating after 3, 4, or 5 years?)
Position in Class: (No numbers needed, but are you top? near top? average? struggling?)
Type of Student: (Domestic/International, male/female, minority?)

GRE Scores:
Q:
V:
W:

TOEFL Total: (if applicable, otherwise delete this)

Research Experience: (At your school or elsewhere? What field? How much time? Any publications (Mth author out of N?) or conference talks etc...)

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: (Within your school or outside?)

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: (Such as tutor, TA, organization officer etc...)

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help:

Applying for [ MS ] or [ PhD ] at:

School - Department - decision/date/funding
School - Department - decision/date/funding
School - Department - decision/date/funding
School - Department - decision/date/funding 

[jmoon43]

I found applicant profiles in previous years very useful, and I hope others find this year's helpful. 

 

Undergrad Institution: Top 3 in mechanical engineering, top 5 in engineering in US
Major(s): Mechanical Engineering
Minor(s):
GPA in Major: 3.89
Overall GPA: 3.77
Length of Degree: 4.5
Position in Class: Not available
Type of Student: International

GRE Scores:
Q: 167
V: 159 
W: 4.0

TOEFL Total: 112 (if applicable, otherwise delete this)

Research Experience: 1.5 years in proton exchange membrane fuel cells

                                    1.5 years in micro/nano heat transfer

                                    0.5 years in microfluidics                                   

                                    
Awards/Honors/Recognitions: President's research award for 3 consecutive years

                                               Dean's list for all semesters and Faculty honors for 3 semesters

                                               Samsung Scholarship (fellowship) - $50,000 for 5 years for my future Master's and Ph.D programs.

                                               3rd place for outstanding paper award at a renown conference

                                               my volunteer work was featured in a column of a local French paper
                                                
Pertinent Activities or Jobs: co-founded a private learning center for academically challenged students (annual profit, 6 figures)

                                           
Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: 6 research publications [1 1st author journal paper (cited by 5 so far), 1 co-author journal paper, 4 conference papers)

                                                                                    recommendation letters from the university president and 2 renown professors

Applying for [ MS ] or [ PhD ] at:

 

MIT - ME 

Stanford - ME

UC Berkeley - ME

Georgia Tech - ME accepted with fellowship or RA position available

University of Illinois, Urbana Champagne - ME, accepted with a fellowship

University of Michigan - ME

Caltech - ME

School - Department - decision/date/funding
School - Department - decision/date/funding
School - Department - decision/date/funding
School - Department - decision/date/funding 

[pablofc]

Undergrad Institution #1: Average Spanish Institution

Major(s): Industrial Engineering
Minor(s):
Overall GPA: 8.65
Length of Degree: 5 years
Position in Class: Top (out of 200 students approx.)
Type of Student: International

 

Undergrad Institution #2: Average Spanish Institution

Major(s): Mechanical Engineering
Minor(s):
Overall GPA: 8.69
Length of Degree: 4 years
Position in Class: Unkwown (top?)
Type of Student: International

 

GRE Scores:
Q: 165
V: 152
W: 3.0

TOEFL Total: 113

Research Experience: 

1. Research Asisstant, Heat Engines Laboratory at my local university, 1 year.

2. Research Engineer Intern, CFD Group at Cidaut R&D Center, 3 months.

3. Research Assistant, Combustion and Solar Energy Laboratory at San Diego State University, 1 year.

4. Research Assistant, Department of Applied Mathematics at my local university, Since Nov 2013.

5. Research Engineer, Cidaut R&D Center, Since Aug 2013.

 

Publications: 3 1st-author journal papers, 1 coauthor journal paper, 3 1st-author conference papers, 1 thesis.

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: 

• Renault Award for the best undergraduate thesis on sustainability in Spain

• Best Academic Record Award in Industrial Engineering

• “la Caixa” Fellow (merit-based scholarship worth $150,000 for graduate studies in the U.S. from 2014 to 2016)

• College of Engineering Dean’s Award, SDSU Student Research Symposium

• Finalist in the Spanish Engineering Competition 2012

• Grant for Research Projects (Principal Investigator)

• First prize in the Valladolid Engineering Competition 2011

• Scholarship throughout undergraduate studies for outstanding academic achievement

 

 

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help:

• Reviewer in an international conference

• Principal Investigator of a novel CSP technology under the support of one of the three big companies of the solar sector.

Applying for [ MS ] or [ PhD ] at:

MIT - Aeronautics and Astronautics
MIT - Computation for Design and Optimization

Stanford - Aeronautics and Astronautics

Caltech - Space Engineering

Princeton - Aerospace Engineering

University of Michigan - Aerospace Engineering

Georgia Tech - Aerospace Engineering

UCLA - Aerospace Engineering

UCSD - Aerospace Engineering

Edited December 28, 2013 by pablofc

[aero9]

Research Experience: 

1. Research Asisstant, Heat Engines Laboratory at my local university, 1 year.

2. Research Engineer Intern, CFD Group at Cidaut R&D Center, 3 months.

3. Research Assistant, Combustion and Solar Energy Laboratory at San Diego State University, 1 year.

4. Research Assistant, Department of Applied Mathematics at my local university, Since Nov 2013.

5. Research Engineer, Cidaut R&D Center, Since Aug 2013.

 

Publications: 3 1st-author journal papers, 1 coauthor journal paper, 3 1st-author conference papers, 1 thesis.

 

Wow! Just out of curiosity, what is your top choice and what are your research interests? Seems like propulsion would be your main area of expertise based

on your research experiences.

[pablofc]

 

Research Experience: 

1. Research Asisstant, Heat Engines Laboratory at my local university, 1 year.

2. Research Engineer Intern, CFD Group at Cidaut R&D Center, 3 months.

3. Research Assistant, Combustion and Solar Energy Laboratory at San Diego State University, 1 year.

4. Research Assistant, Department of Applied Mathematics at my local university, Since Nov 2013.

5. Research Engineer, Cidaut R&D Center, Since Aug 2013.

 

Publications: 3 1st-author journal papers, 1 coauthor journal paper, 3 1st-author conference papers, 1 thesis.

 

Wow! Just out of curiosity, what is your top choice and what are your research interests? Seems like propulsion would be your main area of expertise based

on your research experiences.

 

 

My research interests lie in the intersection of computational engineering, applied mathematics, and aerospace engineering (numerical methods for simulation, optimization, uncertainty quantification, and HPC). I am especially interested in fluids (CFD), but I am open to apply computational engineering to other "physics", or to general topics in design optimization and UQ.

 

As for my top choice, it would be either MIT AeroAstro or MIT CDO (there are pretty much no differences in terms of courses and research). My professors of interest would be Prof. Peraire, Prof. Marzouk, Prof. Wang and Prof. Willcox, in that order.

 

I assume you are attending Caltech, is that right? What is your research field? I am pretty interested in the research by Prof. Pullin, Prof. Meiron and Prof. Colonius (computational physics of fluids) at Caltech, but I don't really think I have a shot there (mainly due to my terrible GRE scores...)

[aero9]

Sorry for the late reply. Yes, your assumption is correct and I'm interested in experimental fluids but I am a little familiar with the work of Professors Pullin, Meiron, and Colonius (all top-notch researchers of course). I wouldn't count yourself out as GRE scores are not particularly important. Judging by your posts, furthermore, your writing seems pretty good so if you have a well-written Statement of Purpose they might overlook your GRE scores. Good luck nonetheless!

[starofdawn]

Undergrad Institution: Top 20 school in engineering in US
Major(s): Environmental Chemistry
Minor(s):
GPA in Major: 3.2
Overall GPA:  3.3
Length of Degree: 4 years
Position in Class: Unknown, but I assume average
Type of Student: Female

GRE Scores:
Q: 160 (78%)
V: 157 (73%)
W: 4.5 (78%)

Research Experience: 3 years working in the alternative energy industry, although not in an engineering position (engineering admin support). No publications or relevant research.

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Provost's Honors (3.5+ GPA) for 3 quarters

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Volunteer for Young Professionals in Energy, founded first student-funded sustainability grant program in California

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: manage @NewGreenTech, a twitter account dedicated to reporting new green technologies around the world.

Applying for [ MS ] at:

UC Davis - MSE

UC Irvine - MSE

UCLA - MSE

Stanford - MSE

USC - MSE

UCSD - MSE

No clue when they'll send out their decisions! Probably around March?

I will apply to San Jose State and Cal State Northridge if I do not get accepted to any of the above schools - I have a weak profile. SJSU and CSUN's applications aren't due until July 1st, so I'll wait to hear from the other schools first.

[Im_doing_science]

Undergrad Institution: Syracuse University, top 35 for Aerospace Engineering 

Major(s): Aerospace Engineering (BS), Physics (BA)
Minor(s): N/A
GPA in Major: AE 3.190, PHY 3.275
Overall GPA: 3.189
Length of Degree: 4 years
Position in Class: Above Average (not sure by how much)
Type of Student: Domestic, Male

GRE Scores:
Q: 163 (87%)
V: 164 (93%)
W: 4.0 (54%)

Research Experience: 

-2 years working with jet noise reduction and flow control under well known PI: four conference presentations, 1 conference paper.  

-2 years working with dark matter detection group (CDMS@SU): 1 International conference presentation, 1 publication.

Awards/Honors/Recognitions:

-Was in the honors program at SU, but had to drop in spring 2013 because of time conflicts with classes for Physics major.  

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: 

-Intern to the City Engineer 

-Private physics tutor

-Physics coach (undergraduate TA)

-APS Student Member 

-AIAA Student Member 

-Brother of Theta Tau Professional Engineering Fraternity 

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help:

-President and Scribe of Tau Chapter of Theta Tau 

Applying for PhD at:

MIT - Mechanical 

Princeton - Mechanical 

Cornell - Mechanical 

UIUC - Aerospace

Caltech - Mechanical 

Penn State - Mechanical 

Johns Hopkins - Mechanical 

Brown - Mechanical 

Brown -Applied Math 

Notre Dame - Mechanical 

Ohio State - Mechanical - Rejected 

Boston University - Mechanical 

Northeastern University - Mechanical 

 

The crappy GPA is due to learning disabilities that went undiagnosed and untreated until near the end of my second year.  Hopefully my good recommendations from research advisers who know me on a personal level and my SOP will help clarify that a bit.  I'm not feeling very confident right now, but stranger things have happened I guess!  Good luck to everyone else!

 

[clandry]

Missed this thread somehow. Lots of interesting profiles in here, some with very similar interests to mine.

Undergrad Institution: Princeton
Major(s): Mechanical&Aerospace Engineering
Minor(s): Math&Physics
GPA in Major: 4.0
Overall GPA: 3.93
Length of Degree:4 (Are you graduating after 3, 4, or 5 years?)
Position in Class: (No numbers needed, but are you top? near top? average? struggling?)
Type of Student:White Male

GRE Scores:
Q: 168
V: 168
W: 5.5

TOEFL Total: (if applicable, otherwise delete this)

Research Experience: (At your school or elsewhere? What field? How much time? Any publications (Mth author out of N?) or conference talks etc...)

2 years in a few labs at home university in experimental fluids with several NAE profs. 1st author in a Physics of Fluids paper. Second author in a JFM paper. 

2 REUs and a Caltech SURF - all in computational methods

 

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: (Within your school or outside?)
Goldwater, nothing else that's notable.
Pertinent Activities or Jobs: (Such as tutor, TA, organization officer etc...)

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help:

Developed a numerical library that solves various physics phenomena. Most of which are not new. 
Applying for [ MS ] or [ PhD ] at:
Stanford - M.S. in Mechanical Engineering (Parviz Moin) - Accepted. Will not go unless they fully fund me.

Caltech - PhD in Aero (Dale Pulllin) - Informal Acceptance (Prof in the department also wrote me a letter)

MIT - PhD in Aero - No idea, don't really want to go.

Cambridge - PhD in Aero - Confusing application process. Don't even know if I fully completed my app.
 

I really want to study under Moin in computational turbulence, but Stanford's MS programs are a bit disappointing. Not very selective and is mainly a program meant to bring in money rather than producing exceptional graduate students. Also applied for the GRFP, NDSEG, and Hertz. If I win any I will probably not take it to Stanford for the reason above unless they offer me internal funding first (I want to know whether they're just accepting me so I can bring in tuition money or if they actually want me).

 

 

 

A bit late, but might be helpful to know. For anyone applying to Princeton in the field of experimental fluids, i think Stone is looking to take a few graduate students this year, so chances are a lot better. This guy has been absolutely amazing in the past decade in his research output. Publishing in Nature, PNAS, JFM left and right, literally.

 http://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=6iwsuOEAAAAJ&pagesize=100&sortby=pubdate&view_op=list_works

Edited January 30, 2014 by clandry

[NuclearFlea]

Undergrad Institution:  Unknown state liberal arts university
Major(s):  Mathematics
Minor(s):  Applied Mathematics
GPA in Major: idk
Overall GPA:  3.85
Length of Degree: graduated in 5 years due to switching from economics.
Position in Class:  Probably top 10% in my major.
Type of Student: White/Native American male

GRE Scores:
Q:  164 (89%)
V:  158  (79%)
W:  5.5 (97% - wtf?)

Research Experience: I spent last summer at the university of michigan nuclear engineering department doing plasma physics.  It wasn't publishable, but I learned a lot of practical stuff I don't get in my math major.  Decided I definitely want to do plasma physics research in grad school.  I also am currently doing a Computational Queueing Theory project at my home institution which I have presented at two conferences and may result in a paper.

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: "Recommended Candidate" for fulbright grant. 

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: TA in Physics

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help:
I am a Senator for the College of Sci and Math at my school's Student Government.
Applying for [ MS ] or [ PhD ] at:

University of Michigan, Nuclear Eng - Applied

University of Michigan - Aerospace Eng. - Applied

University of California, Berkeley - Nuclear Eng. - interviewed, still waiting.  They also flew me out there last year under the Berkeley Edge program.

University of Tennessee Knoxville - Nuclear Eng. - Applied

University of Washington - Aerospace Eng. - Applied

Georgia Tech - Nuclear Eng. - Applied

Texas A and M - Nuclear - Applied (but my app may be screwed up because of their stupid system that I am not sure whether they sent my recommenders emails or not, so sick of dealing with it it is what it is)

Rennselaer Polytechnic Institute - Nuclear Eng. - Accepted! Financial details will be sent at a later date.

United States Fulbright US Student Research Grant to the University of York in York, England for MSc. in Fusion Energy/Plasma Physics - "Recommended Candidate."  Now I have to interview :/.

Edited February 1, 2014 by NuclearFlea

[mcleung]

Undergrad Institution:  Top 3 Engineering school in Canada
Major(s):  Engineering, Electrical
Minor(s):  Economics
GPA in Major: 88% I believe 3.8 or 3.9
Overall GPA:  88%
Length of Degree:  4 years of school, but completed in 5 due to coop/internships
Position in Class:  Top quartile (25%)
Type of Student: Canadian (domestic)

GRE Scores:
Q:  170 (98%)
V:  159  (81%)
W:  4.0 (54%)

Research Experience: total 2 years working FT in different 3 different research labs (internships).

3 papers (2 second author) 3 conference proceedings.

International exchange academic term at top European technical school

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: 

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: 

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help:
Director of student club

Extra courses to complete Econ minor - Also completed AI-class (Stanford) back in 2011/2012

 

Applying for [ MS ] or [ PhD ] at:
Stanford - 

Caltech - 

MIT - 

UC Berkeley - 

U of Toronto - 

 

What are my chances of making it into the top US Engineering schools? I'm looking for Electrical engineering with applications in biomedical field (imaging, instruments, detection)

I've applied to direct entry PhD. Will I make it, or will I only be offered MS?

[pablofc]

Undergrad Institution #1: Average Spanish Institution

Major(s): Industrial Engineering

Minor(s):

Overall GPA: 8.65

Length of Degree: 5 years

Position in Class: Top (out of 200 students approx.)

Type of Student: International

 

Undergrad Institution #2: Average Spanish Institution

Major(s): Mechanical Engineering

Minor(s):

Overall GPA: 8.69

Length of Degree: 4 years

Position in Class: Unkwown (top?)

Type of Student: International

 

GRE Scores:

Q: 165

V: 152

W: 3.0

TOEFL Total: 113

Research Experience: 

1. Research Asisstant, Heat Engines Laboratory at my local university, 1 year.

2. Research Engineer Intern, CFD Group at Cidaut R&D Center, 3 months.

3. Research Assistant, Combustion and Solar Energy Laboratory at San Diego State University, 1 year.

4. Research Assistant, Department of Applied Mathematics at my local university, Since Nov 2013.

5. Research Engineer, Cidaut R&D Center, Since Aug 2013.

 

Publications: 3 1st-author journal papers, 1 coauthor journal paper, 3 1st-author conference papers, 1 thesis.

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: 

• Renault Award for the best undergraduate thesis on sustainability in Spain

• Best Academic Record Award in Industrial Engineering

• “la Caixa” Fellow (merit-based scholarship worth $150,000 for graduate studies in the U.S. from 2014 to 2016)

• College of Engineering Dean’s Award, SDSU Student Research Symposium

• Finalist in the Spanish Engineering Competition 2012

• Grant for Research Projects (Principal Investigator)

• First prize in the Valladolid Engineering Competition 2011

• Scholarship throughout undergraduate studies for outstanding academic achievement

 

 

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help:

• Reviewer in an international conference

• Principal Investigator of a novel CSP technology under the support of one of the three big companies of the solar sector.

Applying for [ MS ] or [ PhD ] at:

MIT - Aeronautics and Astronautics: Accepted 02/24/2014

MIT - Computation for Design and Optimization: Accepted 02/06/2014

Stanford - Aeronautics and Astronautics: Accepted 01/18/2014

Caltech - Space Engineering: Rejected 03/14/2014

Princeton - Aerospace Engineering: Rejected 02/19/2014

University of Michigan - Aerospace Engineering: Accepted 03/17/2014

Georgia Tech - Aerospace Engineering: Accepted 03/21/2014

UCLA - Aerospace Engineering: Accepted 03/20/2014

UCSD - Aerospace Engineering: Rejected 03/20/2014

[ndie_sosu]

Undergrad Institution: Big State School with top 20~ Math, CS Theory and IE
Major(s): Math
Minor(s): CS and OR
GPA in Major: 3.97
Overall GPA: 3.902
Length of Degree: 4
Position in Class: Top 5 in major via department honors
Type of Student: White American Male

GRE Scores:
Q: 166
V: 167
W: 4.0

Research Experience: One REU at a good state school in machine learning. Got one conference paper and a poster presentation out of it

Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Math Honors Track, Scholarships and honors and things by academic merit, one an outstanding poster award at the JMM

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Taught and graded for both the Math and CS departments for a couple of years. Lot of tutoring

Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Took 4-6 grad classes depending on whether you count cross-listed courses.

Applied for PhD at:

UMich - IOE, OR- Accepted with Funding
Rutgers- CS Theory- Accepted with Funding
Duke- CS Theory - Interview, decision still pending but probably in.
Columbia- IEOR- Waitlisted >< Top Choice

Brown - CS Theory - Rejected

Upenn - CS Theory - Rejected

NYU - CS Theory - Rejected

 

Gl guys