PhD Chemical Engineering-What are my chances?

BlackBoy
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 08:48:27 +0000

Thanks guys for your comments.
But the fact is that getting more research experience or getting a paper published in my name within the next 6 months, as Mr.Zoo commented might be more difficult than a 50 year old sprinter becoming the world’s fastest man.
If sefago had his first degree in Nigeria, he would probably understand my point. There are simply no research opportunities in the country after graduateion, especially in chemical engineering.
I have heard of guys who actually got phd chemical engineering admissions into some top notch schools without some research experience. That friend of mine (resuming at U of Michigan) got phd admissions into almost all the graduate chemE programs he applied to (including Uof Penn, UT @ austin, LSU, U of Colorado etc). I can’t remember him ever telling me of any reserach project he is carrying out somewhere. The only difference we’ve got is in the GRE (he score 110pts higher than me).
I understand this difference can be of significance to graduate admission guys, especially of those highly ranked schools including the ivies.
I am thinking of striking out princeton and florida in my list of schools to apply to. I’m thinking of replacing it with others, of lower ranks for graduate chemical engineering like Louisiana State U (LSU), U of Pittsburgh, Texas A&M U, Ohio State U, Brigham Young U, and so on.
What do you guys think?