from Italy to Stanford, UCB and Davis...maybe? when?

**alice2wonderland** · 02-08-2006, 10:10 AM

hi, I am an international applicant for Davis, Stanford and Berkeley...ee engineering...

I guess if anybody here knows when i will be probably notified via e-mail by these universities. I have been waiting for 2 months...

Also, maybe you could give me your opinion: i have not a very good GRE (Q740) but I have:
a good TOEFL (280 CB),
a 4.0 GPA in both my bachelor and master in engineering,
3 ieee publications and
2 awards from my university...
I am 24 years old and I am a researcher here in my university from Oct 2005.
what about my chances ? I fear the gre will cut my legs.

thanks guys. best of all.

**galois_uk** · 02-08-2006, 12:40 PM

Hello,

I think GRE scores are a little over-valued. Beyond a certain threshold, all scores are 'good'. I can't imagine, with publications, that any school would discard your application based *solely *on your GRE quantitative score.

My own investigations would suggest that your chances depend on the quality of the your other material. I.e. The particular journals and conferences in which your publications appear and whether you were principal author or one among a long list. Your SOP, letters of recommendation (and the prestige of the recommenders) and graduate and undergraduate transcripts will also play a part.

Given the information in your 'applicant file', the committee will try to see if you fit in with the research ongoing in their department. (The following applies to everyone, and I too hope to remember it when I receive rejections: ) It maybe that you are an expert, sole author on some ground-breaking work, yet still are rejected because there is no academic in the department with funds or expertise in your area. You shouldn't feel totally dejected because of a rejection! Were you to apply a year earlier, or later, you might have been accepted!

Provided you were careful when choosing institutions, i.e. that you selected professors with interests that closely match with your own, AND communicated this in your SOP, AND previous publications indicate you know about research and your area, AND funds exist you have a chance everywhere, even Stanford!

Those are just my own opinions, I'd be interested to hear others'.

-BK

personal statement As for when, I think any time after mid-late February (i.e. after next Feb 15th.) EE is one of the most applied-to programmes, it takes time to ~~throw away~~ read through those applications :-)

**nomad** · 02-08-2006, 12:49 PM

Agreed ! Honestly, at the top departments you are looking at, it is clear there is a very high positive correlation between great Q GRE scores and admittance, but this is most likely not the result of a causal relationship. Your publications/SOP/LORs are what matter, the GRE acts merely as a rough filter and a metric for schools to keep some kind of "stats" on their website. Good Luck!

**alice2wonderland** · 02-08-2006, 01:08 PM

Thank you very much for your replies...

I am doing research in the field of radiation detectors and electronics for medical imaging, and I applied to these Universities on the basis of their research programs (good fundings, great people, interesting works, many pubs...). I also contacted a few Prof.s working in the same field within Stanford and UCB, and I clearly indicated their names in my SOPs.

Well, after reading your replies it seems like I did what I should, except than trying harder with my GRE...

...guys, I am really so "slow" with math stuff. I mean, computers have been invented for WHAT, then ??

Thank you again boys, I wish you all good luck

alice

**Blase** · 02-09-2006, 08:37 AM

They will evaluate your overall profile, cheer up! Your stats are excellent.

**shoaibakram** · 02-09-2006, 09:37 AM

publications rock....dont worry !

**alice2wonderland** · 02-09-2006, 10:05 AM

hello blase and shoaibakram,

thanks for cheering me up... sometimes I feel SO blue - but this is a nice forum and you all are great.

hope you wiil soon post good news

p.s. I have already reserved a cat in CA, I can't remain here now !!!!!!