Mechanical/ Aerospace Engineering Admits/Applicants

[cbowen11]

I saw the Chem-E's get their own board started and figured I'd give this a shot. I have heard back from three schools so far and gotten into all of them (Wisconsin-Mech, OSU-Aero, ND-Aero). Still have quite a few to go, but I think that the acceptances will be scattered throughout the end of January through early March. Anyone else get any responses yet?

[MechE2016]

Here is my list (all mechanical, PhD):

Duke - contacted by and will visit/interview later this month

Also applied to and waiting to hear from Michigan, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Florida, UCLA, Northwestern, Yale.

Does anyone have any information regarding the interview process for most mechanical PhD programs? Any knowledge of the rate of acceptance for the students that are offered an interview?

[MechE2016]

Sorry to double post, but I'm going to use this following format which may be helpful for everyone else:

Undergrad University - Small, private university
Undergrad Major - Mechanical engineering
Undergrad GPA - 4.0/4.0
Years of Research Experience - 1 summer REU
GRE scores - 164 Q, 154 V, 4.0 AW
Prospective Graduate Progam - Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering
Prospective Graduate Schools - Duke (Contacted by and will interview/visit), Michigan, Illinois, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Florida, UCLA, Northwestern, Yale

[cbowen11]

I only have much experience with the Aerospace application process but I think your chances are pretty good at the majority of those. My GRE scores are a bit higher but my GPA is lower and when I applied a couple years ago I got into all of the schools I applied to. I have research experience but nothing amazing, and good letters of rec. I'm applying to some of the top dogs this time just for kicks. Anyone have any idea what the ideal profile is for MIT? I'm right around their average GRE scores, but other than that it's hard to tell what exactly they look for.

[ender wiggin]

I'm actually an ME but applying to several EECS/robotics/controls programs so I'll just copy paste what I had written for thsoe.

Undergrad Institution: Top 5 for ME
Major(s): ME
Minor(s): 
GPA in Major: 3.97
Overall GPA: 3.98
Position in Class: top 3% at least
Type of Student: nothing helpful
GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 168
V: 163
W: 4.0
Research Experience: 2.5 years in same lab, 1 summer REU at home institution, 1 summer REU at prestigious institution (all in area similar to what I want to study)

2 first author conference publications, 1 co-author conference publication, journal paper in works
Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Normal grades and merit stuff, one national award
Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Co-founded company based off research, raised $40k non-dilutive, crowdfunding, went through pretty big name startup programs and won large competitions. I do a lot of outreach and STEM advocating through various groups/presentations.
Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: Graduating undergrad after 3 total years (rather than 4) so a lot of my work was condensed and happened fast. Should have solid LORs.
Special Bonus Points: Had a chance to talk to several POIs at the conference I presented at.
Applying to Where:
MIT - ME/EECS/AE

Stanford - ME (MS)

CMU - Robotics Academy (PhD/MS)

Berkeley - ME (MS/PhD)

ETH Zurich - Controls and Dynamics (PhD)

Harvard - EE (PhD)

UIUC - ECE (MS)

[omid13]

ME applicant applying for Energy PhD programs for Fall 2016.

Undergrad Institution: Young and relatively unknown University in the middle east
Major(s): Mechanical Engineering 
GPA in Majors: 3.73
Undergrad GPA: 3.71
Graduate GPA : 4.0
Type of Student: International.
GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 166 (92%)
V: 148 (37%)
W: 3.0 (15%)
Research Experience: 2 year graduate research assistant.
7 main-authored Journal papers in top Elsevier Journals with high IF (5.6,4.85,4.4, 3.4,2.7,0,0)
7 Under review journal papers  in top Elsevier Journals with high IF (4 main-authored, 3 second author)
3 Conference publication (2 main- authored, 1 second author)
1 patent application
Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Nothing in particular, Only had one  published paper featured by the Advances in Engineering website as a Key Scientific Article. 
Pertinent Activities or Jobs: Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant.

Applying to Where:
 1. MIT
 2. Cornell
 3. Princeton
 4. Georgia Tech
 5. Caltech 
 6. Berkeley
 7. Stanford 
 8. Columbia
 9. Harvard
10. Virginia Tech 
11. UIUC

Last year results were very disappointing. Hoping for a more positive outcome (I know that I do not have an appealing application to get accepted, just want to try out my luck)

[MechE2016]

Does anyone know when the bulk of schools send out decisions for mechanical (maybe February/early March)? I have only heard back from 1 of the 8 that I applied to, it seems like many other engineering disciplines have started getting a good number of decisions already though.

[cbowen11]

5 hours ago, MechE2016 said:

Does anyone know when the bulk of schools send out decisions for mechanical (maybe February/early March)? I have only heard back from 1 of the 8 that I applied to, it seems like many other engineering disciplines have started getting a good number of decisions already though.

Unfortunately it's all over the place. You get one or two in December. Maybe on or two more in January. Quite a few in February. And some leak into March which sucks.

[vialy]

Finally! Thanks for making this thread. I'm applying to PhD programs in design and manufacturing.

Undergrad Institution: Pretty good mid-tier state school (Just graduated in December)
Major(s): MechE
Minor(s): Math
GPA in Major: 3.83
Overall GPA: 3.76
Type of Student: Domestic
GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 167
V: 161
W: 4.5
Research Experience: ~3 years undergrad research (2 individual projects), 1 conference paper, other projects related to my research interests
Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Tau Beta Pi, typical high GPA awards but nothing special
Applying to Where:
 1. UC Berkeley
 2. UT Austin
 3. Carnegie Mellon
 4. Cornell
 5. Purdue
 6. Northwestern
 7. Georgia Tech
 8. University of Maryland
 9. Virginia Tech
10. University of Wisconsin-Madison

So far, I had one professor contact me for an interview from Carnegie Mellon (haven't had the interview yet), and was just invited to GT's recruiting weekend.

[leebs]

Applying for PhD in mechanical engineering (design/manufacturing) and PhD in Technology, Media, and Society for Fall 2016

Undergrad Institution: #10 in mechanical
Major(s): MechE
Overall GPA: 3.00

Masters Institution: Large private university
Major(s): MechE
Graduate GPA: 3.37
Type of Student: Domestic
GRE Scores (revised):
Q: 162
V: 167
W: 4.5

Work experience: 4.5 years in manufacturing and design (should be about 5 at the start of school)
Research Experience: ~1 year undergrad research (2 individual projects), 1 conference paper, ~3 months grad research

Applying to Where:
1. UT Austin
2. University of Southern California
3. University of Colorado, Boulder (ATLAS Institute, PhD in Technology, Media, and Society)
4. University of Washington
5. Arizona State University
6. Colorado School of Mines
7. Oregon State University
8. UT Dallas
 

[vick0809]

Fall 2016 applicant for MS programs in design and manufacturing.

Undergrad Institution: Top 10 National University in India
Major(s): Mechanical Engineering
Minor(s):
GPA in Major: 
Overall GPA: 3.16
Type of Student: International
GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 168
V: 164
W: 4.5
Research Experience: 3 individual projects as a part of college FSAE team.
Awards/Honors/Recognitions: 3 Employee Appreciation Awards at work.

Pertinent Activities or Jobs: 2 years as a Design Engineer in a reputed MNC.

Applying to Where:

1.    UC Berkeley (M Eng in Product Design)         

2.    Carnegie Mellon

3.    Cornell (M Eng)

4.    UMich Ann Arbor

5.    PSU

6.    USC

7.    NCSU (Admit received on 1/21/16)

8.    UIC

Edited January 22, 2016 by vick0809
Extra info added

[omid13]

I have received the following email from GaTech, I think it is a polite rejection.

We are in receipt of your application to the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech.  You have a very strong file and credentials. Thank you for your interest in Georgia Tech!

You have not been offered admission, but at the present time your file has been made available for viewing by the faculty of the Woodruff School via
an internal web site.  If a faculty member views your file and expresses an interest in working with you, we will notify you and continue to
process your application.  This evaluation will continue until May 1, 2016 and we will advise you of our decision at the latest by that date.

 

Disappointing. What do you guys think?

 

[bashorunGaa]

4 hours ago, omid13 said:

I have received the following email from GaTech, I think it is a polite rejection.

We are in receipt of your application to the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech.  You have a very strong file and credentials. Thank you for your interest in Georgia Tech!

You have not been offered admission, but at the present time your file has been made available for viewing by the faculty of the Woodruff School via
an internal web site.  If a faculty member views your file and expresses an interest in working with you, we will notify you and continue to
process your application.  This evaluation will continue until May 1, 2016 and we will advise you of our decision at the latest by that date.

 

Disappointing. What do you guys think?

 

@omid13, it sounds more like a wait-list notification to me. I might be wrong though. 

[shim12]

Does anyone have news for Berkeley? Last year they sent out interview invites mid-December!

[ender wiggin]

Haven't seen anything on the results so I'd guess they're still reviewing them. hah grad cafe must get just massive amounts of hits in jan/feb/march

[shim12]

Results for ME are taking so long

[cbowen11]

13 hours ago, shim12 said:

Results for ME are taking so long

They really do take a while longer than most other engineering disciplines. Aerospace is on the same footing in terms of time. I've only heard from maybe half. MIT doesn't get back to people until the last week of February...pretty late in the game

[Arash00]

Undergrad Institution: Top 10 Uni in Iran
Major(s): ME
Minor(s): Applied Design
Overall GPA: B.Sc: 3.36, M.Sc: 3.91
Position in Class: top 10%
Type of Student: International
GRE Scores (revised/old version): Q: 170, V: 156, W: 3.5

TOEFL: 107, R:27, L: 28, S:26, W: 26
Research Experience: 2 Governmental funded experimental projects, 

5 first authored Journal publications with IF (2.7, 1.8,1.6,1.6,1.3), 2 first authored international conference publication
Awards/Honors/Recognitions: National Best Student Thesis award, 6 years of governmental fellowship for B.Sc. and M.Sc. 
Pertinent Activities or Jobs: 2 years teaching assistance.

Applying to Where: Yale, U of Tennessee Knoxville, Clarkson U, Michigan Tech.

[shim12]

6 hours ago, cbowen11 said:

They really do take a while longer than most other engineering disciplines. Aerospace is on the same footing in terms of time. I've only heard from maybe half. MIT doesn't get back to people until the last week of February...pretty late in the game

If you don't mind me asking, what schools have you heard from?

[cbowen11]

7 hours ago, shim12 said:

If you don't mind me asking, what schools have you heard from?

Wisconsin (Mechanical) (in). Ohio State (in), NC State(in), UT-Austin (flying out for tour but no official acceptance yet), Notre Dame (contacted by faculty member about visiting for admitted students day but no official acceptance). Still waiting on MIT, GT, Illinois, Washington, ASU, and Minnesota.

[leebs]

13 hours ago, cbowen11 said:

Wisconsin (Mechanical) (in). Ohio State (in), NC State(in), UT-Austin (flying out for tour but no official acceptance yet), Notre Dame (contacted by faculty member about visiting for admitted students day but no official acceptance). Still waiting on MIT, GT, Illinois, Washington, ASU, and Minnesota.

Just out of curiosity, how were your GRE scores? I am eagerly awaiting hearing back from UT Austin (for mechanical engineering), but I know the two departments are unrelated there, When were you invited for the interview?

[vialy]

GaTech invited me to their recruiting weekend on Jan 17, and then sent my official offer Jan 22. 

Had an interview with the grad school director of Northwestern last Friday, and she said they try to send offers by the end of Jan, so hopefully we'll hear from NW soon!

I was also contacted by a faculty member at Carnegie Mellon about a skype interview but then she didn't confirm a time until yesterday (almost 3 weeks later) asking me to briefly answer a list of questions thru email "to save time". Not very promising...

[cnilsen]

Undergrad University - state polytechnic engineering school
Undergrad Major - Mechanical engineering
Undergrad GPA - 3.6/4.0
Years of Research Experience - 2 summers national lab
GRE scores - 168 Q, 162 V, 3.5AW
Prospective Graduate Progam - Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering
Prospective Graduate Schools - Wisconsin (contacted for visit), Penn state, Michigan

[dvdngu]

Undergrad Institution:Mid-Tier California University
Major(s): ME & AE
Minor(s): 
GPA in Major: 3.87
Overall GPA: 3.87
Position in Class: no idea
Type of Student:
GRE Scores (revised/old version):
Q: 165
V: 157
W: 4.5
Research Experience: 6 months at uni + 1 summer at NASA
Awards/Honors/Recognitions: Just good grades
Pertinent Activities or Jobs: 1 summer at NASA
Any Miscellaneous Accomplishments that Might Help: meh. Eagle Scout?
Special Bonus Points: 
Applying to Where:
MIT - Aero/Astro (PhD/MS)
Berkeley - ME (MS)
UCLA - ME (MS)
UCI - ME/AE (MS)
USC - AE (PhD)
UW - Aero/Astro (MS)
UT Austin - AE (MS)

 

[cbowen11]

On 1/28/2016 at 3:07 PM, leebs said:

Just out of curiosity, how were your GRE scores? I am eagerly awaiting hearing back from UT Austin (for mechanical engineering), but I know the two departments are unrelated there, When were you invited for the interview?

Q-165 V-161 AW-4.5