Ask AdmissionsConsultants

[lefty]

I’m a final year Electronic Engineering student at a prominent university in the UK with a GRE of 1450 (770-Q, 680-V) and 5.0 Analytical. TOEFL – 293. I’m keen to pursue an MS in the signal processing/communications area in one of the top ten schools (the likes of Stanford, Berkeley etc) , with full funding. I’ve consistently been in the top 2 % of my class and was a research intern at Siemens Corporate Research in the US this summer. Based on my final year project (still in progress), I am told by my supervisor (who happens to be from MIT) that a conference paper is in the offing. My reccomendation letters should all be quite solid. And if it counts, i’m 21 and have spent my life in 7 countries (x 3 years) !! I have a pretty good extra curricular record (Member of three university sports teams, Chief Editor of the hall magazine and a stint on the Student Council).
my questions:
1. My chances at getting admission for an M.S. program in one of the top ten schools.
2. I believe its difficult to get funding at the Masters level, so is it better to apply for a Phd and then drop out with a Masters ? Or do I stand a good chance of being fully funded for the masters program ? Any strategies towards maximal funding would be well appreciated.

[Mykinator]

Hi I have a fairly straightforward question and I’m not sure if this has been asked before … I graduated from Michigan with a Computer Science UnderGrad degree and have been in the industry for nearly 2 years now. I would like to attend a grad school to attain a Masters and possibly a PhD.

However, since most schools require 3 letters of recommendation, I have found it difficult to select the right people. I have been out of the school for 2 years and so professors may not remember me so much. I could request recommendations from my current manager and director who know me at a far more recent time scale.

Question is: what combination of people to select at recommenders? And does my 2 year hiatus, directly or indirectly, affect my chances of acceptance? Thanks!

[hmacneill]

quote:

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Originally posted by lefty

I’m a final year Electronic Engineering student at a prominent university in the UK with a GRE of 1450 (770-Q, 680-V) and 5.0 Analytical. TOEFL – 293. I’m keen to pursue an MS in the signal processing/communications area in one of the top ten schools (the likes of Stanford, Berkeley etc) , with full funding. I’ve consistently been in the top 2 % of my class and was a research intern at Siemens Corporate Research in the US this summer. Based on my final year project (still in progress), I am told by my supervisor (who happens to be from MIT) that a conference paper is in the offing. My reccomendation letters should all be quite solid. And if it counts, i’m 21 and have spent my life in 7 countries (x 3 years) !! I have a pretty good extra curricular record (Member of three university sports teams, Chief Editor of the hall magazine and a stint on the Student Council).
my questions:
1. My chances at getting admission for an M.S. program in one of the top ten schools.
2. I believe its difficult to get funding at the Masters level, so is it better to apply for a Phd and then drop out with a Masters ? Or do I stand a good chance of being fully funded for the masters program ? Any strategies towards maximal funding would be well appreciated.

---

AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

[hmacneill]

Hello and thanks for your post. It sounds like you have a stellar background and are well poised to apply to many of these programs. Keep in mind that some of your work and effort will go into writing a strong essay that effectively communicates these qualities and achievements. With a strong essay, letters of recommendation, your strong GPA and test scores you should be competitive for these programs. Funding is a much harder thing to predict. Masters funding is harder to come by and it can change from year to year. So what is available one year may not be the next. I would not necessary recommend that you apply for a PhD and then drop out for the Masters. Part of a strong application is being able to communicate your desires and intentions. If you truly do not want a PhD, that may come out in your message and you may not be as successful with your application. With the right application you should be a very competitive application, and will likely be considered for the funding that is available.
Heather

quote:

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Originally posted by lefty

I’m a final year Electronic Engineering student at a prominent university in the UK with a GRE of 1450 (770-Q, 680-V) and 5.0 Analytical. TOEFL – 293. I’m keen to pursue an MS in the signal processing/communications area in one of the top ten schools (the likes of Stanford, Berkeley etc) , with full funding. I’ve consistently been in the top 2 % of my class and was a research intern at Siemens Corporate Research in the US this summer. Based on my final year project (still in progress), I am told by my supervisor (who happens to be from MIT) that a conference paper is in the offing. My reccomendation letters should all be quite solid. And if it counts, i’m 21 and have spent my life in 7 countries (x 3 years) !! I have a pretty good extra curricular record (Member of three university sports teams, Chief Editor of the hall magazine and a stint on the Student Council).
my questions:
1. My chances at getting admission for an M.S. program in one of the top ten schools.
2. I believe its difficult to get funding at the Masters level, so is it better to apply for a Phd and then drop out with a Masters ? Or do I stand a good chance of being fully funded for the masters program ? Any strategies towards maximal funding would be well appreciated.

---

AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

[hmacneill]

Hello and thanks for your post. Your situation is not uncommon. Most of your Masters programs will value recommendations from work related references. They will put much more value on your work experience and your 2 year hiatus should not make a big difference. You may run into some trouble with the PhD programs. They may require/value an academic reference. You will want to find out, for sure, what their requirements are before applying. One thing to consider would be taking some graduate level courses to “prepare” you for study again. This would show an admissions committee dedication and motivation. It might also provide you with an academic reference.
Heathera

quote:

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Originally posted by Mykinator

Hi I have a fairly straightforward question and I’m not sure if this has been asked before … I graduated from Michigan with a Computer Science UnderGrad degree and have been in the industry for nearly 2 years now. I would like to attend a grad school to attain a Masters and possibly a PhD.

However, since most schools require 3 letters of recommendation, I have found it difficult to select the right people. I have been out of the school for 2 years and so professors may not remember me so much. I could request recommendations from my current manager and director who know me at a far more recent time scale.

Question is: what combination of people to select at recommenders? And does my 2 year hiatus, directly or indirectly, affect my chances of acceptance? Thanks!

---

AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

[olansari]

Greetings,

I would be very grateful for your reply.

I am graduating with a 3.3 GPA from Concordia in Montreal in the Biochemistry COOP program. My GPA is not very high, however I have 16 months of full time lab research experience and letters from three professors who have supervised my work during those months. I also worked part time throughout my under grad career and participated in many extra curric activities. I also speak French and Italian fluently.

I took the GRE today, and I screwed up a bit, getting a 610 verbal and 700 quant (I didn’t take it seriously, only 2 days study)

I am having trouble gauging how competitive certain schools are, and I am very attracted to Wisconsin, Illinois at UC, Indiana Bloom, Tufts, Mayo, John Hopkins and Arizona State. I had wanted to apply to Brown and Cornell but I was told to be more realistic and not waste applications. I also have not yet done the subject test and am even considering not taking it since it is not mandatory at these schools.

Should I take it? (I will take the general GRE again)

Are the schools I listed reasonable or should I look to less demanding schools?

A young man with the dreams of plans to make cream

[Mykinator]

Thank you for your comments!

Michael

quote:

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Originally posted by hmacneill

Hello and thanks for your post. Your situation is not uncommon. Most of your Masters programs will value recommendations from work related references. They will put much more value on your work experience and your 2 year hiatus should not make a big difference. You may run into some trouble with the PhD programs. They may require/value an academic reference. You will want to find out, for sure, what their requirements are before applying. One thing to consider would be taking some graduate level courses to “prepare” you for study again. This would show an admissions committee dedication and motivation. It might also provide you with an academic reference.
Heathera

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mykinator

Hi I have a fairly straightforward question and I’m not sure if this has been asked before … I graduated from Michigan with a Computer Science UnderGrad degree and have been in the industry for nearly 2 years now. I would like to attend a grad school to attain a Masters and possibly a PhD.

However, since most schools require 3 letters of recommendation, I have found it difficult to select the right people. I have been out of the school for 2 years and so professors may not remember me so much. I could request recommendations from my current manager and director who know me at a far more recent time scale.

Question is: what combination of people to select at recommenders? And does my 2 year hiatus, directly or indirectly, affect my chances of acceptance? Thanks!

---

AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

---

[hmacneill]

Thanks for your post. You have listed a wide range of schools on your list, which is good. You will have challenges with some of the schools given your GPA and GRE scores. Improving your GRE will help this situation a bit, however, most schools will not admit on a good GRE alone. In your case, they will look to the GRE to address any concerns they have regarding your academic abilities. They will also look closely at your letters of recommendation, to help answer these questions. Therefore, it will be crucial for your references to address your abilities in the classroom and to state their confidence in your work. The essay will be a great way for you to talk about some of your extra work and achievements. This will be your opportunity to separate yourself from the rest of the applicant pool as a unique and qualified applicant. I do think you should re-take the GRE, to show them you are serious and capable of a better score. I do not think, however, that the subject test will do you that much good. Unless it is required, I think your efforts will be better spent elsewhere.

quote:

---

Originally posted by olansari

Greetings,

I would be very grateful for your reply.

I am graduating with a 3.3 GPA from Concordia in Montreal in the Biochemistry COOP program. My GPA is not very high, however I have 16 months of full time lab research experience and letters from three professors who have supervised my work during those months. I also worked part time throughout my under grad career and participated in many extra curric activities. I also speak French and Italian fluently.

I took the GRE today, and I screwed up a bit, getting a 610 verbal and 700 quant (I didn’t take it seriously, only 2 days study)

I am having trouble gauging how competitive certain schools are, and I am very attracted to Wisconsin, Illinois at UC, Indiana Bloom, Tufts, Mayo, John Hopkins and Arizona State. I had wanted to apply to Brown and Cornell but I was told to be more realistic and not waste applications. I also have not yet done the subject test and am even considering not taking it since it is not mandatory at these schools.

Should I take it? (I will take the general GRE again)

Are the schools I listed reasonable or should I look to less demanding schools?

A young man with the dreams of plans to make cream

---

AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

[tsv1284]

I am considering applying to a masters of science program in Biohazardous threat agents and emerging infectious diseases at Georgetown. I go to UPENN and I am double majoring in Biology and Anthropology with a 3.5-3.6 GPA, and I have 3 years of biomedical research lab experience. I took the GRE and got a 720 Q, 730 V. I was wondering how competitive these stats would be at a school like Georgetown. I am also curious how getting a masters degree in something like this would affect my chances of acceptance applying to PhD programs in a a pure science field like microbiology. Thanks

[hmacneill]

Thank you for your post. I believe your grades and test scores will put you within a competitive range at a school like Georgetown. They may not put you at the top of their applicant pool but you will likely be comparable to the majority of the applicants. This is good and bad, however. This kind of scenario will put more pressure on you to distinguish yourself from the rest of the applicants. Your research experience is one way, but you will also need to highlight your accomplishments and qualities throughout the rest of your application. Your letters of recommendation and essays will be crucial for this. Your area of focus and research will have a big impact on your ability to pursue a PhD in the future. If you are able to maintain good grades and develop an area of focus for research, you will be in good shape to apply to PhD programs.
Heather

quote:

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Originally posted by tsv1284

I am considering applying to a masters of science program in Biohazardous threat agents and emerging infectious diseases at Georgetown. I go to UPENN and I am double majoring in Biology and Anthropology with a 3.5-3.6 GPA, and I have 3 years of biomedical research lab experience. I took the GRE and got a 720 Q, 730 V. I was wondering how competitive these stats would be at a school like Georgetown. I am also curious how getting a masters degree in something like this would affect my chances of acceptance applying to PhD programs in a a pure science field like microbiology. Thanks

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AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

[nersia]

Dear Admission Consultant,

I’m concerned about my GRE AWA score. My plan is to apply to statistics and/or mathematical finance PhD programs in Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, Wharton (UPenn). 8 years ago I graduated with GPA 4.0. My working experience is closely connected with research in applied statistics. On standard tests I fared rather well excluding AWA: TOEFL: 277, GRE: V630, Q800, AWA 4.0. How would you assess the negatitve impact of my low AWA score? And how do you think I could mitigate it?

Thank you

[Sylph]

Hi
I’m applying to PhD programs for microbial pathogenesis at UC Davis, UCSF, UC Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon, and Yale. My undergrad GPA is 3.5 at Cornell, I’ve been published 4 times, and I’ve done 4-5 years of research. My GRE is inconsistent: 770V 760Q and 4.5 AWA. Are these schools in line with my record?

Thanks

[hmacneill]

Thanks for your post. I think your biggest hurdle is going to be your grades and GRE scores. Your academics are strong but you will be competing against other applicants with similar grades and test scores so your biggest challenge is going to be setting yourself apart. Your research experience and publications will be a big plus. As long as you can distinguish yourself from the other applicants with unique experiences and qualities, you should be competitive for the schools you have listed. You will need to make sure that you have strong letters of recommendation that can identify your unique qualities and you will need to focus a lot of attention on your essays to make sure they provide plenty of insight into your skills and motivations. With these, you should feel comfortable in applying to the listed schools.
Heather

quote:

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Originally posted by Sylph

Hi
I’m applying to PhD programs for microbial pathogenesis at UC Davis, UCSF, UC Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon, and Yale. My undergrad GPA is 3.5 at Cornell, I’ve been published 4 times, and I’ve done 4-5 years of research. My GRE is inconsistent: 770V 760Q and 4.5 AWA. Are these schools in line with my record?

Thanks

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AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

[hmacneill]

Thanks for your post. You certainly have done well enough academically to be considered for admission to these programs. The areas you should be concerned about will be the work experience and research experience. You will, therefore, need to be able to show the admissions committee how the experience you have had so far is applicable and valuable in terms of preparing you for PhD study. You will also need to select strong letters of recommendation that will be able to speak for your maturity and abilities in the workforce/classroom. In addition, if you are able to provide the committee with unique qualities or experiences, that is always a plus.

quote:

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Originally posted by uscx1

Hello,

I will be applying for Finance Phd Programs this year. I plan to apply at the top schools (Penn, NYU, MIT, Duke, Stanford, Berkeley, Michigan, Carnegie-Mellon). My details are as follows:

Age: 23
GMAT: 780 (99%, Q:50, 95%, V:47, 99%, AWA:6.0, 96%)
UG Major: Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
UG School: UC Berkeley (Graduated May 2005)
UG GPA: 3.54
Work Experience: < 1 year (1 year by the time I would enter phd program)
Job: Technical Marketing Engineer

I was wondering what my chances of admission are since I do not have much work experience (as I just graduated with a BS).

Thanks

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AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

[DonnaMB1223]

Hello,

I’m a philosophy major at UMass with a 3.9 GPA, 3 stellar letters of recommendation and a writing sample that is being considered for publication. I’m taking my GRE and I am concerned the scores may not be high enough to get me into a either a Ph.D or MA program in Phil. The schools I’m apply to are Stanford, Duke, Emory, U of Hawaii, U of Washington, Baylor, U of Chicago-Divinity, and Purdue – what are my chances? Any idea what I would need to score?

[Author]

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