<p>i passed the FE / EIT Exam and plan to do an MS in electrical engineering…how does that look on the applications for top graduate programs in electrical engineering?</p>
<p>I don’t think it will matter much. The test isn’t known for being particularly challenging. Almost everyone I knew in engineering school took it and passed it the first time.</p>
<p>yeah i figured as much…thing is i took it two years after i graduated…while working a full time job…</p>
<p>another thing…how does tutoring other kids as a side job look??..i just started that recently and i’m applying to grad schools now to start next year</p>
<p>weary - I am not aware of any grad schools really valuing the FE exam - it just does not track the kind of things they are interested in. As to the volunteering, it might help a little bit with Profs who only have TA spots to offer, but probably not for much. Ultimately, they all want researchers. I talked to one prof about how I had done a little teaching, and he immediately blew it off as unimportant, as it was all about the research…</p>
<p>ugh i am so screwed then…i never did research as an undergrad…there was a point where i wanted to…but it wasn’t so easy to get and i didn’t pursue as much as i should have…</p>
<p>thing is, i am very much interested in doing research now after working for two years out of college…if that makes any sense…</p>
<p>
I could see the FE exam being a potential plus in one situation: if an applicant wanted to attend engineering grad school, but did not have a traditional ABET engineering BS degree. </p>
<p>For example, imagine a physics major (perhaps from a liberal arts college that did not offer engineering) who wanted to pursue an MS in mechanical engineering. Or a geology major who wanted to pursue an MS in geotechnical engineering. In such cases, an EIT certificate could help to show that the applicant had the functional equivalent of a traditional undergraduate engineering degree.</p>
<p>But if you already have a traditional engineering BS degree, then an EIT certificate exam doesn’t really add anything. In this case, it is expected that you should be able to pass the FE exam.</p>
<p>You should be fine. Taking the exam should not hurt you very much at all, seriously! Not having done research will put you at a disadvantage but you should still be able to do an MS in Electrcal Engineering. If you have exceptional work experience and a solid GPA, you can get into a second tier MS program (possibly with funding via a TA’ship) without too many problems and from there, you might even be able to get a Ph.D. from a 1st tier graduate program.</p>
<p>
I know both math majors and physics majors who have gotten into engineering grad schools and/or worked as engineers without ever taking the FE exam. I am not saying it would not be an advantage for someone in that case, I have just never seen it come up.</p>
<p>Here’s an [example](<a href=“http://www.mech.utah.edu/grad/admissions/requirements.html]example[/url]:”>http://www.mech.utah.edu/grad/admissions/requirements.html):</a> the Mechanical Engineering Dept. at the University of Utah accepts applications from non-engineers with degrees in “allied fields,” and further states:
It’s certainly true that non-engineers have made it into engineering graduate schools, or found work as engineers, without ever taking the FE exam. But I think it’s likely that an EIT certificate could be a plus in this situation.</p>