<p>Just had a few questions about being admitted to Graduate School at the university where I am studying Electrical Engineering currently (University of Florida):</p>
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<li><p>If I only apply for MASTER'S admissions, does that give me a better chance of being admitted than if I applied for phD admissions?</p></li>
<li><p>Do engineering departments like to admit their own undergrads to grad school? Also, does being accepted into the combined BS/MS program help my chances for grad school admissions?</p></li>
<li><p>Electrical Engineering is one of the largest graduate departments at the University of Florida...does that give me a better chance of getting in?</p></li>
<li><p>I plan on doing a double minor in computer engineering and mathematics...would a rigorous coursework schedule and double minor look favorable on my grad school application to UF?</p></li>
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<p>I NEED to get into the UF grad school program, as it is the only reason I am attending there for undergrad and my parents are literally MOVING from my home state to establish residency because they are banking on me to get into UF grad school...as you can probably see I am feeling the pressure. Any help with this would be greatly appreciated.</p>
Yes, although you’ll more likely have to pay for it yourself (if you did the PhD, it would likely be fully funded).</p>
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Engineering departments don’t “like” their own undergrads, although they aren’t usually averse to accepting them (especially for an MS program).</p>
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I’m assuming you’re talking about PhD admissions here, since being in the combined BS/MS program would already involve being in grad school. The combined BS/MS program won’t really help you any more than a regular MS would, which is minimal. Research experience is what counts.</p>
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Not particularly.</p>
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Graduate schools don’t care about minors. They care about research experience and internships, letters of recommendation, GRE score, and GPA. </p>
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I don’t know your full story here, but my advice: your actions and decisions should not revolve around your parents so much, seeing as how you’re an adult going to graduate school. Good luck!</p>
<p>No. Masters programs are just as competitive as PhD programs. The number of applicants/accepted is roughly the same for Masters and PhD programs. The idea of 1-2 years and high(er) positions in industry is alluring to potential grad students. </p>
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<p>If you are well qualified, it doesn’t matter where you did your undergrad. I have several friends who are doing their grad studies at their undergrad school. </p>
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<p>Having that MS will show adcoms you’re capable of handling graduate level work. The experience should give you an edge. </p>
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<p>Yes! If the department accepts more students, of course you have a better chance of getting in, assuming you are relatively competitive.</p>
<p>Thanks guys for the reply… I just really need to get into grad school at UF but the most recent stats for electrical engineering graduates is a 3.89 undergrad GPA and a 776 quant. GRE… I can get the GRE but oh my goodness I am going to have no life if I want to keep that GPA. My parents said that I will get into the grad program no problem but it looks like I am going to have to go to UCF or a lower ranked school unfortunately…</p>
<p>Also, does research experience still help a Master’s Resume? I am looking into doing at least 2-3 years of research, probably 3 internships, and keep at least a 3.6-3.7 GPA to be even considered for grad school admissions at UF, I will probably need the perfect 4.0 to get myself in</p>
<p>Admission committees look at the whole picture. In no particular order:</p>
<p>1) GPA
2) GRE
3) Research/Work/Internship experience
4) Your personal statement/WHY do you want to go to graduate school?
5) Your letters of recommendation </p>
<p>I actually had a 3.2 overall/3.4 on the major GPA from UCF as well as a 750 in my Quant GRE and got into the MS for Electrical Engineering program at UF without a hitch. I actually managed to get a 12k scholarship for newly admitted graduate students. </p>
<p>I love UCF with all my heart, the city and school is filled with so many good memories of my life. However, the Graduate program at UCF excels at semiconductor device modeling, telecommunications and solar energy. I am not really interested in any of those 3 subjects (at least not for anything else than a course or two). The 2 faculty members that teach analog design courses are semi-retired and not interested in taking on new MS/PhD students so i had to make a really tough personal choice and apply to UF. It offers classes exactly in the topics I want to learn (Bipolar IC Design, VLSI, Linear system noise, Digital filter design, etc) plus I would only be 2 hours away from home. </p>
<p>What I am trying to say is don’t kill yourself over your GPA. All of the other factors matter more than that number. I am deeply passionate about analog electronics/ filter design and it shows in the way I talk about it, in my work experience and in my hobbies. My advice to you is to find that little niche in EE that you see yourself working on for the rest of your life and to apply to a program that excels at it. Forget about school rankings. In graduate school what matters is the program and the faculty of your specific area. Spend a LOT of time in your personal goal statement and answering the question of WHY do you want to go to graduate school. Mention specific faculty that you want to work with. Use the exact name of the research projects that they are working on when you apply and I am sure that your application will shine.</p>