Please please evaluate my chances...

[PhD_Dreamer]

Hi everybody!

 

This is my first post and I am in great need of any help. I am currently doing my MS and need someone to evaluate my chances of getting a PhD. Here is my situtation / profile:

 

Citizen of India

 

Major : Electrical Engineering

 

Undergraduate GPA : 3.39 ((My marks/ Highest marks)*4) with one backlog in an unrelated subject

Undergraduate University: University of Madras

 

TOEFL : 293 / 300

GRE: 800Q 630V 6.0A (1430/1600 + 6.0)

 

The project I did during my final year was in Plasma Propulsion and was pretty good. I applied for MS in the US. A Prof was impressed with my research which I had done in my undergraduate final year and I have been admitted to the University of New Mexico as an RA.

 

My current GPA is 4.13/4.00 and I am majoring in Plasma Physics. I intend to apply for PhD in the fall of 2006. Unfortunately, all universities researching in Plasma Physics are top universities and are difficult to get in. (MIT, Princeton, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UMD, Gatech, UIUC).

 

I have obviously chosen a thesis option. I have attended one conference and will be attending two more in the forthcoming year (IEEE, and APS (American Physical Society)). My prof and our research lab mates are planning to publish two international papers in the forthcoming year.

 

 

I understand that my undergraduate GPA is low and here is what is bothering me:

 

 

 

 

1. I am told that I will be exempt from TOEFL since I am doing my MS from a US University. Is this true for all universities in the US?
   
2. To what extent will universities I apply to weigh my undergrad GPA?
   
3. To what extent will my SOP and recommendation letters overshadow my undergraduate GPA?
   
4. How much weight is given to a master's GPA?
   
5. Is it even worth applying to any of the universities mentioned above? Are there any other approaches or ways of getting admitted such as through some professors etc? How effective are they?
   
6. I have been considering two universities - also top - in Europe. Imperial College London and Max Planck Institute in Germany. Is it worth it applying to these universities? If so what is the funding scenario like?
   

I have been deeply discouraged for the past few days as I do not see any chance of continuing a PhD in my field from any of the universities above. I have emailed the admissions department in many of these universities but have not recieved any response.

 

Would any of you be kind enough to shed some light on how I could improve my scenario or what I should do in order to assure admission from one of these universities?

 

Thanks alot for all your help.

[linisha]

I cant reply to all questions...but i have answered 2 of ur questions below...

 

Hi everybody!

 

This is my first post and I am in great need of any help. I am currently doing my MS and need someone to evaluate my chances of getting a PhD. Here is my situtation / profile:

 

Citizen of India

 

Major : Electrical Engineering

 

Undergraduate GPA : 3.39 ((My marks/ Highest marks)*4) with one backlog in an unrelated subject

Undergraduate University: University of Madras

 

TOEFL : 293 / 300

GRE: 800Q 630V 6.0A (1430/1600 + 6.0)

 

The project I did during my final year was in Plasma Propulsion and was pretty good. I applied for MS in the US. A Prof was impressed with my research which I had done in my undergraduate final year and I have been admitted to the University of New Mexico as an RA.

 

My current GPA is 4.13/4.00 and I am majoring in Plasma Physics. I intend to apply for PhD in the fall of 2006. Unfortunately, all universities researching in Plasma Physics are top universities and are difficult to get in. (MIT, Princeton, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UMD, Gatech, UIUC).

 

I have obviously chosen a thesis option. I have attended one conference and will be attending two more in the forthcoming year (IEEE, and APS (American Physical Society)). My prof and our research lab mates are planning to publish two international papers in the forthcoming year.

 

 

I understand that my undergraduate GPA is low and here is what is bothering me:

 

 

 

1. I am told that I will be exempt from TOEFL since I am doing my MS from a US University. Is this true for all universities in the US? YES
   
2. To what extent will universities I apply to weigh my undergrad GPA?
   
3. To what extent will my SOP and recommendation letters overshadow my undergraduate GPA?
   
4. How much weight is given to a master's GPA?
   
5. Is it even worth applying to any of the universities mentioned above? Are there any other approaches or ways of getting admitted such as through some professors etc? How effective are they?
   
6. I have been considering two universities - also top - in Europe. Imperial College London and Max Planck Institute in Germany. Is it worth it applying to these universities? If so what is the funding scenario like?
   

I have been deeply discouraged for the past few days as I do not see any chance of continuing a PhD in my field from any of the universities above. I have emailed the admissions department in many of these universities but have not recieved any response. They take a long time to reply.But i KNOW that they always reply. I would consider waiting for one for atleast 2 weeks.

 

Would any of you be kind enough to shed some light on how I could improve my scenario or what I should do in order to assure admission from one of these universities?

 

Thanks alot for all your help.

[digi123]

I've applied to cs phd programs last year, but I think your questions are general enough to answer even though I'm didn't apply for EE.

 

My current GPA is 4.13/4.00 and I am majoring in Plasma Physics. I intend to apply for PhD in the fall of 2006. Unfortunately, all universities researching in Plasma Physics are top universities and are difficult to get in. (MIT, Princeton, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UMD, Gatech, UIUC).

 

Is your current gpa you wrote a typo? Is it suppose to be 3.13? Or is it a 4.0? If its 3.13, then those schools you mentioned would be fairly difficult to get acceptance. You might want to look at other schools. When I applied, I would choose at least 5 dream schools, 5 schools I want to go to, and 5 safety schools. Its a lot of app money, but you only do it once or maybe twice in your lifetime, right?

 

I am told that I will be exempt from TOEFL since I am doing my MS from a US University. Is this true for all universities in the US?

 

I think so, a couple of my friends did their MS in the US and didn't need to take the TOEFL. You can easily check by looking at the school's website or talking to the graduate secretary.

 

To what extent will universities I apply to weigh my undergrad GPA?

 

They'll definitly look at your undergrad gpa. They also might be interested in your last year or last two years gpa. Or the last certain number of credits gpa. I'm not sure why they do this. But it may be since you take more important classes in you latter part of your undergrad. Or they know some ppl slack off in their first year or two (like me.. :)) They might also be interested in your major gpa. In theory, this should be higher than you overall gpa.

 

To what extent will my SOP and recommendation letters overshadow my undergraduate GPA?

 

I don't think they'll overshadow your undergrad gpa. The SOP is more intended to what areas your interested in and how the work you've already done (work exp, school, projects) are related to your interest. The reccos are to show that you'll be successful in your phd program.

 

How much weight is given to a master's GPA?

 

This depends on your actual gpa. If its significantly greater than your undergrad gpa, then it'll be very positive for your app. Since it shows that you've improved from your undergrad. But if its lower, it may affect you negatively. Since it may show a trend of what to come in your phd program.

 

Is it even worth applying to any of the universities mentioned above? Are there any other approaches or ways of getting admitted such as through some professors etc? How effective are they?

 

I answered the first ques above. Try talking to your MS advisor. Or any other profs your close to. Its all about connections between profs. Since your prof is probably interested in your area, he/she must know other professors in his field. This approach is very affective, especially if the professor you contact is part of the admission committee. Or if he's a full prof and is already interested in you before you apply. This could insure you to get a RA/TA underneith him.

 

 

Hope that helps,

digi123

[PhD_Dreamer]

Thanks for all the replies guys, I really appreciate it,

 

digi123: my GPA is 4.13/4.00 since in my university an A+ is considered more than 4.00. Practically though I think it would be conisdered as 4.00.

 

I am also concerned about two more things:

 

Firstly, the backlog. It is in an unrelated subject, would it affect the decision process?

 

Secondly, the ranking of my undergraduate institution is very low....

[digi123]

is a "backlog" a course? Well, arn't you suppose to take electives and other course work not related to your major during undergrad? I know I have.

 

I'm not sure if the ranking of your undergrad program will have that much influence. As long as you have done good quality work and everything else is good. I guess it might be influenced if there's another person out there applying for the same program with similar credentials, then it might be affected. But there's nothing you can do about that, just try your best with what you have.

[PhD_Dreamer]

is a "backlog" a course? Well, arn't you suppose to take electives and other course work not related to your major during undergrad? I know I have.

 

I'm not sure if the ranking of your undergrad program will have that much influence. As long as you have done good quality work and everything else is good. I guess it might be influenced if there's another person out there applying for the same program with similar credentials, then it might be affected. But there's nothing you can do about that, just try your best with what you have.

 

Thanks for the persistant response digi123. In the system of education in the particular university, we have the option to choose only two electives throughout the entire course. ALL other subjects are compulsary, and it is in one of these that I obtained the "backlog". I performed decently well in the electives I took.

 

On a different note, will software training make any difference? I have a diploma in information technology from the National Institute of Information Technology in India. Is there any forceful way to mention this somewhere in the application?

[digi123]

It should make a difference if the software training is related to your interests. If it does, you should try to tie it in within your SOP. If this is an actual degree, then it should go in your education portion of your app/resume. If its more like a certificate, then it'll probably be more fitted to your accomplishment section of your app/resume. If its not, then maybe not have this as a big emphasis, but still mention it since it will show the diversity of your work.

[PhD_Dreamer]

Thanks!

I will make sure I do so. By the way are you doing your PhD currently and if so in which university?

 

Do you think it would be worthwhile giving universities in Europe a shot?

[digi123]

I'll be starting my phd this fall at UMN-TC in CS. I went through all the apps and stuff last year.

 

 

I guess applying to Europe wouldn't hurt. But I don't have too much experience or knowledge on the job prospects from graduating in Europe.

[maths_bonn]

Hi!

 

Maybe u wanna think about this option:

http://www.ipp.mpg.de/ippcms/eng/job/imprs/intro.html

 

The Max-Planck-Society does fundamental research mainly in the natural sciences and is very well known, u can visit their homepage for more information.

Actually they are building up these "International Max-Planck Research Schools" in nearly every MPI, which are intended to attract more international students to do their Ph.D. in germany.

If u have more questions about germany u can pm me.

[Holden_Caulfield]

Hi everybody!

I understand that my undergraduate GPA is low and here is what is bothering me:

 

 

 

 

1. I am told that I will be exempt from TOEFL since I am doing my MS from a US University. Is this true for all universities in the US?
   
2. To what extent will universities I apply to weigh my undergrad GPA?
   
3. To what extent will my SOP and recommendation letters overshadow my undergraduate GPA?
   
4. How much weight is given to a master's GPA?
   
5. Is it even worth applying to any of the universities mentioned above? Are there any other approaches or ways of getting admitted such as through some professors etc? How effective are they?
   
6. I have been considering two universities - also top - in Europe. Imperial College London and Max Planck Institute in Germany. Is it worth it applying to these universities? If so what is the funding scenario like?
   

I have been deeply discouraged for the past few days as I do not see any chance of continuing a PhD in my field from any of the universities above. I have emailed the admissions department in many of these universities but have not recieved any response.

 

Would any of you be kind enough to shed some light on how I could improve my scenario or what I should do in order to assure admission from one of these universities?

 

Thanks alot for all your help.

 

Hi, Dreamer,

Mine GPA even lower, but I'll try anyway :)

 

1. No, this is not always true. TAMU, UT Austin for example want me to pass TOEFL again (I'm in the similar situation as you), UIUC wants you to pass TSE as well as the other schools.

2-4. Don't know. I'm also very interested in this Q. I guess - it depends on a lot of stuff.

5. Off course - it is worthy. If I do not have any limitation - just go and apply in whole top10. If you have papers and stuff - you have different from 0 chances to get in and you surely get in at least in one of these places.

 

 

PS I've been in your university this spring. My prof gave a talk about our research there. Nice place :)

 

 

PPS I also wrote to the many of these schools. Keep going and write to the different people on the departments. Call them, distrub them! These people in top schools sometimes extremely arrogant, for sure ;)

[maths_bonn]

Hi!

 

I have forgotten to say that a MPI (Max-Planck-Inst.) is NOT a university. They are kind of private (but not in the way of just making money) and if u do a Ph.D. (Dr. in germany) at a MPI, u really are inscribed at a participating university. In the plasmaphysics-case this would be the University of Greifswald. This is because in germany only univeristies are allowed to grant Ph.D. degrees and research institutions are not. That often is getten wrong (beacuse i.e. the Scripps Institute is allowed to grant research degrees, and this is sometimes misleading for int. students), and the german system is sometimes a little complicated if u don't know anything about the bureaucracy ;)

[PhD_Dreamer]

@Holden_Caulfield:

Thanks a ton for your replies. Could you tell me which university you are in and which ones you are planning to apply to? What's your major?. Also, when you will be applying for? :hmm:

 

I understand disturbing the professors is worthwhile and wholeheartedly agree with you that the profs are arrogant in many cases...;). Do you think that one should contact them right away i.e. phone or should one email first, wait patiently for two weeks and then contact the prof? Also, I was guessing that if the prof is really interested in the work that you are doing shouldn't he contact you right away?

 

Regarding chances in the top universities, what other factors do you think would increase possiblities of getting admitted besides the above factors?

 

@maths_bonn:

 

Thanks for the reply math_bonn. Infact some of the answers that you gave me were exactly the questions I had posed to the admissions lady who is supposed to reply on the 8th of August. You are absolutely right as I am completely unaware of the German system of education and that for the plasma physics case it IS University of Greifswald.

 

Now that you have made it a little more clear to me I have a few more questions!;) Firstly, if I am awarded a PhD degree from the "University of Greifswald", then what "mark" of my degree bears the name of MPI? Wouldn't this be an issue in terms of the university one would be graduating from?

Also, would the oppurtunities for further research see my degree from "University of Greifswald" or from MPI (guess this is the same as the previous question..:))?

 

I would be grateful if you could elaborate a little more on the "bureaucracy" issue here as I am completely unaware of this case....Thanks!:)

[maths_bonn]

Hi!

 

I don't know the exact answer to your question but normally a director at a MPI has also a professorship at the participating university. That is because then u can choose this prof. as your first supervisor of your thesis, I dont know if this would be possible if he wouldn't have this position.

 

What makes other people know that u have been to the MPI? First of all I think that the names of the professors are well known in their area, and secondly: I'm sure that they'll give you an additional certificate that you did your thesis at the MPI (and if u get accepted to the IMPRS, u should get something that shows this, too.)

 

then what "mark" of my degree bears the name of MPI?

 

I hope that I have answered your questions, because i didn't understand the meaning of this phrase. Sorry :(

[PhD_Dreamer]

Thanks for the reply maths_bonn. I really need to know the answer for this question as this would seriously affect my decision to apply to MPI. Thanks for all your input!

[Holden_Caulfield]

@Holden_Caulfield:

Thanks a ton for your replies. Could you tell me which university you are in and which ones you are planning to apply to? What's your major?. Also, when you will be applying for? :hmm:

 

I understand disturbing the professors is worthwhile and wholeheartedly agree with you that the profs are arrogant in many cases...;). Do you think that one should contact them right away i.e. phone or should one email first, wait patiently for two weeks and then contact the prof? Also, I was guessing that if the prof is really interested in the work that you are doing shouldn't he contact you right away?

 

Regarding chances in the top universities, what other factors do you think would increase possiblities of getting admitted besides the above factors?

See your PM :)

[PhD_Dreamer]

I also have one more major problem that is bothering me....My prof wants me to do a PhD in the same university. How should I approach him...I want to be cautious, not offend him and yet convey my message. He is funding me and so I am obliged to stay with him. Could someone please tell me how to handle this situation????? Thanks.....

[Holden_Caulfield]

I also have one more major problem that is bothering me....My prof wants me to do a PhD in the same university. How should I approach him...I want to be cautious, not offend him and yet convey my message. He is funding me and so I am obliged to stay with him. Could someone please tell me how to handle this situation????? Thanks.....

Well, I don't want to disappoint you - but this looks like most tough part of the process... In the other words - if you adviser does not want you to go - you will not go.

International students is very cheap and convinient labor. Nobody wants to lose such good ... "workhorses" :(

[PhD_Dreamer]

Hi Holden!

I was a little anxious after your last post above. I had not spoken to my professor about this but your post motivated me to convey the news to him. I guess he was already anticipating this and his first words were "I understand". Our conversation went well and he suggested some universities. What confused me most was the last part of our conversation. He said if I was not satisfied with my current research, he would be able to get me into Los Alamos National Labs !!! THE leading research laboratory in the US. Now, I am confused and in desperate need of any suggestions. Could you or anyone else please tell me what I should do? I consulted with a few of my friends and these were the suggestions:

1. Go ahead and apply to the universities and get on with your PhD life

2. Take the job offer! It's once in a lifetime oppurtunity...

3. Apply for the universities. If you get in any of the top universities or any of your liking go ahead and pursue your PhD. Otherwise do your PhD in the same university.

4. If you do not happen to get into a college of your liking, try striking a deal to do an internship at LA. This will increase your chances. Apply then :)

 

Thanks :)

[Holden_Caulfield]

Hi Holden!

I was a little anxious after your last post above. I had not spoken to my professor about this but your post motivated me to convey the news to him. I guess he was already anticipating this and his first words were "I understand". Our conversation went well and he suggested some universities. What confused me most was the last part of our conversation. He said if I was not satisfied with my current research, he would be able to get me into Los Alamos National Labs !!! THE leading research laboratory in the US. Now, I am confused and in desperate need of any suggestions. Could you or anyone else please tell me what I should do? I consulted with a few of my friends and these were the suggestions:

1. Go ahead and apply to the universities and get on with your PhD life

2. Take the job offer! It's once in a lifetime oppurtunity...

3. Apply for the universities. If you get in any of the top universities or any of your liking go ahead and pursue your PhD. Otherwise do your PhD in the same university.

4. If you do not happen to get into a college of your liking, try striking a deal to do an internship at LA. This will increase your chances. Apply then :)

 

Thanks :)

Congrats! LANL rocks!

I don't know what advise to you here - all the variants are good.

The position of your adviser is really nice and I guess he is truly cares about you, so you are lucky one! :)