<p>Major: Electrical Engineering
Undergrad School: University of South Florida
EE GPA: 3.8 (taking on average 7 clases per semester dont know if it helps)
GRE: 780/410
International student
Under grad Research Experience:
-1 semesters
-No publications or notable results
-2 internships </p>
<p>Master school: University of Texas at Dallas (not same as Austin)
Research assistantship + thesis
Expected GPA: 3.9
1 publication before graduation
Ordinary stuff like departmental scholarships
Should have solid letters of recommendation from teachers and advisors</p>
<p>I want to apply to about 5 schools that are within my reach, since applications seem very expensive I want to make each one have a realistic possibility of getting accepted</p>
<p>Funding is very important, I don't know if all schools help doctoral students with tuition waiver and assistantships</p>
<p>All PhD programs (in engineering) should offer tuition waiver and some sort of funding; if they don’t, then that’s a polite rejection.</p>
<p>In my opinion, you shouldn’t scrimp on the application fees. They’re a once in a lifetime expense for something so important. If there’s a school you like, you should apply regardless of finances. Also, if you can get a fee waiver from ETS to take the GRE, then many school should be willing to waive the application fee as well.</p>
<p>You are applying to PhD programs? You didn’t mention any of your research interests or what kind of environment you desire in a doctoral institution. People can’t recommend schools for you if they don’t at least know your research interests, since that’s going to be the divining rod once you get past the essentials. There will be tons of applicants with great GPAs and decent GRE scores and fewer, but still many, with 1 publication. What will set you apart is your fit.</p>
<p>I agree with Ouroboros. This is a lifetime investment that’s going to have a strong impact on your school - you need to think of applications as an investment. I’m not saying go crazy and apply to 20 schools, but you may need to apply to more than 5 if you are truly serious about PhD programs.</p>