<p>I'm a sophomore at Cornell University. My freshman year GPA is 3.2 and I'm an ECE student. For those of you applying to or accepted in a top tier graduate school (US News Top 20 posted below), what GPA's did you have and what sort of GPA do I need? I've done summer research in a cleanroom and hope to secure many more research opportunities in the upcoming years.</p>
<p>Top 20 ECE Grad Schools (US News 2007 Rankings):
1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology 5.0
2. Stanford University (CA) 4.9
University of California?Berkeley 4.9
4. University of Illinois?Urbana-Champaign 4.7
5. California Institute of Technology 4.6
6. University of Michigan?Ann Arbor 4.5
7. Georgia Institute of Technology 4.4
8. Cornell University (NY) 4.3
9. Carnegie Mellon University (PA) 4.2
10. Princeton University (NJ) 4.1
Purdue University?West Lafayette (IN) 4.1
University of Texas?Austin 4.1
13. University of California?Los Angeles (Samueli) 4.0
University of Southern California (Viterbi) 4.0
15. University of Wisconsin?Madison 3.9
16. University of Maryland?College Park (Clark) 3.8
17. University of California?San Diego (Jacobs) 3.7
18. Rice University (Brown) (TX) 3.6
University of California?Santa Barbara 3.6
University of Washington 3.6</p>
<p>Ironically, your GPA may be less important if you are going for a PhD than for a master's (because your research experience will matter more). Being from Cornell will help you, as it's a prestigious program. Your GPA is probably strong enough for most of these schools if you keep it up. I always think of 3.0 as the magical cutoff for sci/eng people coming from prestigious programs.</p>
<p>Well, I'm looking for an M.Eng degree instead of an MS/PhD track. I hear Cornell requires a minimum of 3.5 GPA for consideration for the M.Eng Program.</p>
<p>Please post known GPA information for your school's Masters of Engineering program.</p>
<p>Nice to meet you. I am also an ECE major from a small technological university in Massachusetts. I am finishing my junior year right now, and I will be applying to grad schools pretty soon. </p>
<p>Yes, I know your concern for GPA as your fellow ECE student trying to apply for graduate school. But everybody knows that Cornell’s ECE curriculum is really challenging. So 3.2 in ECE at Cornell is pretty impressive, I should say. Also, you are doing a good job finding yourself a research position last summer as you said. If you get more research positions on subsequent summers, I think you will be one of strong candidates for graduate school. </p>
<p>Also, I came to discover a certain pattern from researching into graduate school application process some time. The pattern is that after you survive the merciless weed-out process at admissions office (which is usually based on what number is your GPA and how much “meaningful” stuff you can put in your CV and usually done by admissions office assistants who have no idea about how capable you are), your application will get to the ECE department of the schools you are applying. After that, usually only the classes at 300 and 400 (and 500 if you have the chance to take grad classes before you apply) level classes matter. Those are the classes that will determine your capability for your potential success at graduate studies (or most professors in admission committee think so). As for my opinion, if you could pull up your GPA over 3.3 in these days, you are mostly to survive the weed-out party at admissions office given that you are from Cornell and you will have meaningful research experiences on your CV by that time hopefully. So do well in your higher level classes and get research internships. </p>
<p>Another alternative for you is that you apply for PhD. program since you got research experience to show. I believe most PhD. programs allow you to roll back to Master’s degree and then go out if the student wants to. </p>
<p>Also, since you are from Cornell, you are already at nation’s top 8th ECE university already. You should build up good relationships with Professors there, and then show them your worth through the project works and classes you do with them. Usually, if a professor likes you, he/she can play around with the rules to let you into Master’s program and make you his/her student. This happens behind the curtain all the time. So keep it up with your good academic standing ! :)</p>
<p>Oh, by the way, what concentration in ECE you are doing? I am focusing on Communication Systems and Computer Engineering. I also minor in Computer Science. </p>
<p>As sugiri points out, departments take your undergrad institution into consideration when looking at your gpa - a 4.0 from DeVry is probably not getting you anywhere, but a 3.2 from a top-10 is probably enough to get you in the door, after that it is up to the rest. Remember that the numbers (gpa, GRE) are really only disqualifiers - a 4.0 and a 1600 will not get you into MIT, they will just get you into the applicant pool.</p>
<p>The biggest issues are your research experience and potential. This is why getting into the lab (and getting published if possible) is so crucial. Professors are looking for grad students who are (1) interested in their specific field as shown in their academic record and SOP, (2) have experience in the lab as shown in undergrad research and publications, and (3) are doing their own work competently as shown by the letters of recommendation.</p>
<p>My recommendation? Try to bump up that gpa - a 3.5 should be good enough anywhere regardless of who is doing the first cut - but do not stress about it. Then go after the research - find something you can stick with until you graduate, and find a way to publish something while you are there. That is the golden ticket.</p>
<p>Oh, the MEng thing - in most schools that is a non-research degree. Non-research degrees generally go through a slightly different admissions path, where (1) research is held less important, (2) gpa and GRE dominate, and (3) funding is nonexistent. Most MEng programs will take people with a 3.0 or better, but some do have higher standards - get that 3.5, do well on the GRE’s, and you should be fine anywhere. But be prepared to pay your own way, even with a 3.9 and 1570!</p>
<p>If this is really the path you want, research as an undergrad is not nearly as big an issue, but stick with it for now. That way if you later decide to go the MS/PhD route you will not have screwed yourself by skipping the research.</p>
<p>Thanks for helpful insights cosmicfish and sugiri. I will address both your posts.</p>
<p>Recent updates: Yeah, I haven’t really made up my mind about the whole MS/PhD vs. M.Eng program just yet. So I am doing research. I completed a summer research last year. My GPA is now a 3.27. I have another summer research lined up. However, it is materials science, not ECE. I have arranged for a 2 year research with a good professor in ECE at Cornell. </p>
<p>To Sugiri: my concentration is solid state electronics and devices.You mention the weed out party at university admissions offices. Do you think there are certain things on a resume can survive such weed out even with a GPA of ~3.25. I will be taking harder classes, and the mean for those classes is lower. But I will be taking more classes than I need, simply because I will complete my requirements for graduation a semester early and I’ll have time to take advanced classes (500 level and courses in things besides devices (aka microcontrollers, fiber optics etc)). Also, you talk about enrolling in a PhD program but rolling back for an MS degree. I was wondering about this. I’ve never understood this before. I though enrolling in a PhD is a commitment, sort of a contractual agreement. Is this decision to roll back to MS a case by case decision made by your PI/advisor at grad school and if so do you know how difficult/common it is to get this done? I can’t see myself researching for 5-6 years for a PhD.</p>
<p>To Cosmicfish: I am trying to raise my GPA. 3.5 however might not be attainable in a realistic sense, given my future course choices. I don’t want to compromise on my courses, since they determine my interests, even if they’re harder. You mention that grad school professors will look at work in the lab and see how interested you are in their fields. Here’s what I really want to talk about. I have recently made an agreement with an ECE professor to research in his group (silicon devices). He had an opening, not many did at that time and I took him up on it. So I’ll probably be in his group for the next 2 years till I graduate. The issue at hand in grad school, I may look for something a little different in terms of research. I’ll be applying to programs in either organic electronics, solar cells or nanoelectronics. Although these are very closely related academically to devices and solid state electronics, the research that I’ll be doing in the next two years isn’t in the same direction per se. I will be however able to express an interest in the grad school professor’s field but do you think it matters if I did research in his field or not? Also, you mention publications. How many is a respectable number for an undergrad to have in my position applying to top tier grad schools. Just an estimate is ok.</p>
<p>As for the M.Eng, is it better to work on project teams such as formula racecar, or a competition to design a solar cell powered house and the like as opposed to research since you’d have design experience? Basically, I’m looking for ways to spice up my application and to compensate for my GPA. </p>
<p>I would not stress about the 3.5 - there are a handful of programs where that is a hard requirement, but there are many others with similar stature that are more flexible. Not getting the 3.5 will not hurt you much.</p>
<p>With the research, your past focus is less important than your past performance - good letters and good pubs are what is important. People often switch focus between undergrad and grad, sometimes even between MS and PhD! What I mean by matching their field is that they want to see that (1) you are currently interested in something they can offer and that (2) you are not too far behind for that field. Nothing you mentioned seems remotely problematic.</p>
<p>Pubs: Even 1 or 2 would be great (undergrads are sort of time-limited), the bigger issue is where and with whom. Aim for good, searchable, oft-cited pubs, and try to be first author on something.</p>
<p>Research: design is not usually considered research - you just applying someone else’s knowledge. Design experience is less valuable to your application than research experience, so do the research first and see if you have time left over for design.</p>
<p>Congratulations on your future work at a Cornell’s research lab. Working experience at a major research lab at Cornell for 2 years will definitely keep your application strong even in most merciless weed-out processes. Just try to keep your research work going and pulling up your GPA at the same time. </p>
<p>About taking more classes than necessary, I would like to suggest you to try to take advanced classes only in your intended area of research. Only then will they count as your qualification toward your sucess in grad career. Otherwise, your record will look as if you are indecisive, with a lot of random classes in your grade record. </p>
<p>About the rolling back thing, I would say that it is what is usually happenning. Most grad schools in ECE have their PhD. programs but you have to get the Master’s degree along the way. Usually, you are given your MS degree when you pass your qualifiers or your PhD. thesis proposal is approved (Either of them are no joke. For example, look up online about Stanford’s notorious quals. I would say it is another weed-out process for PhD. degree.). However, I have heard incidences where students do not feel up to doing next 3-4 years researching after they pass their quals, and they talk with their advisors, get MS degree, and go for work. </p>
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