Safety EE PhD Programs?

Slorg · 10-20-2009, 04:43 AM

I plan to apply to PhD programs in Electrical Engineering. Unfortunately, I have no clue how competitive my application is, whether I need to apply to safety schools, or what would even constitute a safety school. I'm aiming for programs with strong programs in the applied physics side of EE, and also for relatively broad and large programs since I'm not sure of exactly what I want to do.

So far the schools I'm looking at include: MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, UT Austin, as well as Cornell (isolated), Caltech (small), Princeton (small), UCSB (low general recognition), UIUC (don't know much about), and Michigan (also don't know much about). Should I add safety schools to this list? Are there other strong programs I should be looking at?

***STATS***
LORs: Three solid, but not special letters
Research XP: 1 year working on solar cells, plus jobs every summer (no pubs)
GPA: 3.83/4.0
GRE: 800/670
Personal statements: Haven't written; assuming decent but not special

Thanks for any comments.

asian75 · 10-26-2009, 01:49 AM

what undergrad do you go to?

Slorg · 10-26-2009, 03:50 PM

I go to UCSD.

Mobiusfrost · 10-26-2009, 05:34 PM

What's your major? i'm applying to the top schools with similar, but slightly worse, stats than you. then again, i'm not too worried about getting rejected since i'm hesitant about applying in the first place, and will not mind doing research or working next year

Slorg · 10-26-2009, 06:54 PM

I'm double majoring in Engineering Physics and Math-Econ (a joint major). Like you, I'm also not dead set on going to graduate school. I'm thinking perhaps I don't even need a safety school; if all the tops schools reject me, then I'll just do something else next year (although, put that way, I sound like I care way too much about the prestige/strength of the programs).

Are you also applying to EE programs? If so, which focus?

Mobiusfrost · 10-28-2009, 01:38 PM

mostly materials programs, but the areas overlap with EE. I wish to focus on nanotechnology, quantum dots and epitaxial growth.

asian75 · 10-30-2009, 03:24 AM

Those schools are pretty hard to get in, but your stats should be competitive. Why don't you have UCLA and UCSD as safety schools?

Slorg · 10-30-2009, 05:51 PM

Having gone to UCSD for the last three years, I don't want to stay. A professor (who incidentally just left UCSD) told me it's a good idea to go to different schools for undergrad and grad in order to broaden your horizons. As for UCLA, I haven't looked closely into it.

Mobiusfrost · 11-02-2009, 10:52 PM

it seems to me to be a total waste of money to apply for these grad school programs, and then later decide i'd rather wait at least a year before starting grad school, since I think mosts grad programs wont let you defer admissions unless you have a valid reason