Chance Me - engineering non-thesis master's degree

Graduate School
1

I am a recent engineering graduate from a state university(best one in the state, if that even counts for mid/low-tier/irrelevant schools). There is an upward trend for my GPA from freshmen year to graduation. I am not looking to go into research, and would prefer a non-thesis program for my masters, but am willing to do the thesis route if required.

I have of the following:
-Cumulative GPA: 3.44
-Major GPA: 3.50
-Upper Division GPA: 3.60
-15 months of work experience in the industry where I have been put in charge of a couple of projects to design
-Absolutely no research experience
-Joined and got involved in a few clubs, where they are all relevant to my major
-3 letters of recommendation (I don’t know what is considered strong, but all three know me pretty well)
-No GRE score yet

My goal is to get into a top 10 program, which I know will be extremely difficult to pull off. I am hoping to score hopefully a close-to-average quantitative score for the GRE (162+Q). I am a bit short on time but please let me know if I should aim higher to help offset my relatively low GPA. Thinking about my applications and my future acceptances/rejections has been an emotional roller coaster for me because one moment I am confident that out of all the schools I am applying to, one may accept me, and then suddenly I am very discouraged when comparing my application to others. Other than the usual optimistic responses, I would want a realistic analysis and projection of what my application is capable of. Should I give up reaching for top 10? Am I even capable enough to get into mid-tier programs? Note that I am definitely not going for just the name of the school/ranking, but for the actual program and what it offers. At this point in time, I know top 10 is near impossible for me, and am even questioning if I can get into mid-tier programs.

I have a lot of schools that I will be applying for, but an example to chance me for is UCLA(which is not a top 10 program). Also, any recommendations for schools that may be more suited towards this application?

Thanks,
A

2

Your clubs will have no bearing on how your application is viewed. The most important things are your GRE, GPA, and letters of reference. The big question is why do you want to get into a Masters program. What advantage will this give you beyond what working and gaining experience will do?

From your post, it appears you are working so it might be wise to stay in the job for a while until it becomes clear if a Masters is necessary for your career advancement. That is not always the case by the way. Furthermore, a bit more work experience might help you choose the right program for you. This does not have to be a “top” program at all but one that has the specific curriculum that will help your career.

3

Sometimes your employer will cover your graduate studies. Some of the schools my daughter applied to and was accepted, while employed, were top 10’s. GRE’s shouldn’t be a problem.

4

@xraymancs So for the particular field of engineering I’m going into, the job market is transitioning/transitioned into required a masters(most firms require a masters to even apply). Other than that, I’m aiming to get a masters to get a better grasp of my designs conceptually. Money is not an issue, but a public school is preferable. I’ve took two semesters off after graduation to get some work experience hoping that it’ll help out with my chances to get into the programs I want.

@“aunt bea” That’s lovely, but I’m sure she had a better chance to get into the top 10s than my seemingly lackluster and painfully average application.

5

There are plenty of good engineering MS programs. Fixating on those which are highly selective is not necessary. Apply to a range of programs that have the curriculum you need to remain competitive in your field.