<p>So I’ve heard mixed things about the top engineering programs (Stanford, Berkeley, MIT) in terms of what is weighed most heavily. Some say just kickass research, others say research with insane grades.</p>
<p>I’m coming from UT Austin in ME with ~3.75, 2+ years of good research (at least 1 pub), decent recs and GRE, finalist in an alternative energy design competition and some random leadership stuff. I’m going for PhD programs in MSE or ME. I know I have good stats and I’ve worked my butt off. But is it like undergrad where you need that “It” factor for these top schools?</p>