<p>Okay so you guys are all recommending working first. I don’t mind that either, and have thought about it. My concern is that my chances of getting into grad school (if I do choose to do so later on) would be much lower after 2 years of working, because:</p>
<ul>
<li>my academic contacts/references will not be as close</li>
<li>my undergraduate marks will seem less significant since I may (and probably will) forget things, as seen by Stanford, et al.</li>
<li>I will actually be worse off when it comes down to an interview. I will be less energetic and naive.</li>
</ul>
<p>I guess it makes sense to work for a few years to “cool down” and get some sense into my head. After all, 16 consecutive years of schooling must do some damage to the mind. But I just feel like I’m not finished here, and if I don’t do this now, I won’t have the chance later. And if I don’t get into a Master’s program of my choice, all the better - the journey would have ended and I would stop here.</p>
<p>But until then, I still need to figure out how to maximize my chance into a Master’s program. (Regret does not fade easily.) Are there some statistics regarding Masters programs in these (or related) schools? How many apply, how many get in, how many get funded by how much, average scores, etc? Any additional things I should do while I have the time? Like working in a summer research lab with a professor at my current university?</p>