Intel Internship + research experience

[RP15]

Hi everyone.. I want to pursue my PhD at a top university. One question I had is, how much will a 6-month internship at Intel improve my application? I ask this because it's industry, and I am not sure how a graduate committee perceives industry experience.

 

I am an Electrical Engineer, 22 years old, and I graduate May 2015. I was suppose to graduate this May but I studied abroad in France for a year instead 

 

Here is some more information about me.. How do my credentials look relative to the PhD programs I want to apply to?

 

Home University:

Small public university... not top in anything

 

GPA:
3.90/4.00

 

Where I'm applying

Applying to some of the top Engineering PhD programs. MIT/Stanford/Berkeley included. Others are UCSD, Caltech, Cornell.

Not applying to Georgia tech though... I just do not want to live in Atlanta. (and I believe location is a very important factor)

 

Publications:

These things aren't easy... I simply had no chance to publish. The profs I did research with were way too focused on something else.

GRE score:
currently studying for it. I'll be taking my first GRE the end of August, and if that isn't satisfying, I can take it again the end of October (just in time to submit for December deadlines).

Work experience:
May-December 2014 (present): 6-month internship at Intel Corporation

Jan-May 2014, Research assistant for 5 months at an EE institue in Paris, France 

REU, summer 2013 - University of Maryland College Park

REU, summer 2012 - Cornell University

 

Letters of Recommendation:

I'm planning on getting two from professors at my home University, and hopefully one from the professor I did research with in Paris (he hasn't replied to my request yet...)

Language skills:
I know it doesn't matter much... but I'm fluent in English, Spanish (mexican family), and French (studied it for 5 years and lived in Paris for 1). Perhaps being well-rounded matters at least a tiny bit?

Overseas experience (work, study and teaching):
I taught English for 8 months in Paris, and did research for 5 months at an engineering institute. (Name: Institute Superieur d'Electronique de Paris)

[Xavinoid]

Your application looks good, it would be best to get a LOR from a prof you did research with (like you're trying to do). Make sure you do decent on the GRE (90th % in Q) and you will be fine. Make sure to spend enough time on your statement of purpose/overall application so that all your good attributes aren't for nothing.

 

Only having industry experience would put you in a tough situation, but having three research opportunities (without publications is fine) will counter this. I believe it is a good thing to have the industry experience in addition to research because it presents well-rounded engineering experience. You have an idea of what both academia and industry are like - most people are clueless about one or the other. You are probably just overthinking the industry thing in general - no one in the committee is going to be pulling hairs over the fact that you worked at Intel for 6 months. It looks like you have a good work ethic and I am sure the it will come off this way.

 

SIDE NOTE: I'm not sure why you would not apply to Georgia Tech just because of Atlanta, especially considering you're applying to Cornell (which is notorious for being in a miserably isolated area). Atlanta should be leaps better than some of the other top school locations (Cornell, UIUC, Purdue, etc...). I understand your other choices because MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, UCSD, Caltech are easily the best locations and also recognized as the very best EE schools in the country, but... every single one of the schools you're applying to is extremely competitive. I'm not suggesting to apply to back-up schools (because that really isn't a good idea for a PHD), but I am suggesting you should add 1-2 more top schools to your list, even if their locations are not as ideal. I can't imagine how short your list would be if California didn't exist (well, I guess I can imagine it would be 2).

 

Some additions to consider that have decent locations: Georgia Tech, Michigan (woot), UCLA, UT Austin

Edited August 3, 2014 by Xavinoid

[RP15]

Awesome thanks for your feedback!

 

I listed Cornell because I've lived there for an entire summer, and personally Ithaca was a nice place. But you're right nonetheless, getting out of there is tough.

 

To be honest, I'm trying to find a location that will work out with my significant other as well. Atlanta is just not a place we'd like to live in (been there). Same goes for other places, such as Detroit.

 

California would be ideal. Although the places i'm applying to are very competitive, they still accept like 15-25% (unlike the 7-9% for undergrads). 

 

I think I'll add UCLA though, great university.