Need First Post: Advice on 2 Choices.....Badly. Can I get in??

Graduate School
1

<p>I was in my senior year of high school when Hurricane Katrina hit and It wrecked my life for the next 3 years. I need advice on where I stand now for applying to Graduate school. Am I aiming too high, I would like to aim higher but I feel I messed up pretty bad.</p>

<p>I am applying for Chemical Engineering at:</p>

<p>Cornell, Rice, RPI, Syracuse,CUNY, Tulane ( safety, 100% sure, last place I want to go though.)</p>

<p>Senior- Loyola University New Orleans</p>

<p>Overall: 3.3
Major: Chemistry: 3.5
Minor: Mathematics: 3.45, Computation Science: 3.75</p>

<p>GRE: expect Quantitative to be >750</p>

<p>LOR: 3 recommendations: 2 VERY VERY GOOD recommendations, one from my Research Professor and another from a close Mathematics Professor and a third from a well Mathematics Professor who I received A's in both her classes ( Calc III and Diff. EQ.).</p>

<p>Research: 1 year Organic Chemistry, 1.5 years Physical Chemistry and summer research in Physical Chemistry.</p>

<p>2 regional poster sessions, very possible to be published in ACS Journal ( depends on how productive summer research is)</p>

<p>I failed a whole semester because of much personal **** (Hurricane and parents divorce and lost home etc.) and that is why my overall is so low ( literally 0.0 in SP' 07). Ive gotten nothing but 3.9 and 4.0 for the past year and a half and it will continue in the same upward trend.
My problem is that I need all the GPA I can get but for Graduate school but they don't look at the last semester which would really kill me because its going to be in 3.9-4.0 range.</p>

<p>Should I just apply to all now, or should I wait a year?</p>

<p>If I wait a year I know I can get an internship with Shell through my mother for the year ( or summer at least) and I'll take 2 or 3 undergrad Chem.E classes at Tulane and hopefully continuing research if I have the time.</p>

<p>Please help me out because I am worried a ***** right now.</p>

2

<p>What? nobody… really?</p>

3

<p>Very specific circumstances, very specific goals. I don’t think enough of us here have any insight into this.</p>

<p>That said, can you re-take the courses you took when you got a 0.0??</p>

4

<p>They’re Biology of Organisms Lecture, Lab and Recitation. (5 Hours). I used to be Pre-Med but I switched to ACS (much harder).</p>

<p>There would be no point since I am a Chem/Math student. I have gotten A’s on every Upper level Math and Chemistry and have gotten 1 B in the past 3 semesters.</p>

<p>I figured my progress since that would be a perfect indicator that I am ready for the next level. I have about 2.5+ years of in-lab research and 3 good recommendations with 2 being VERY GOOD.</p>

<p>Would Cornell and Rice really hold this against me? Even if I got a >750 Q on the GRE? I really do not want to go to Tulane.</p>

5

<p>I think you are in a stronger position than you realize. Your gpa is not too bad and you have a solid and sympathetic reason for the bad semester, you seem to have some solid research under your belt, and strong LOR’s. Assuming you fit your desired programs well, and that you craft some good SOP’s, I see no reason to panic.</p>

<p>If you are a US citizen, going for a PhD, I think you can get in somewhere decent - don’t ask me where, I don’t know the ChemE schools. But you should have a reasonable chance. By all means apply this year, but also apply for jobs or internships in case you need the extra chance.</p>

6

<p>Have you taken a practice GRE yet? Normally top engineering programs look for a 770+Q, but I do not know if that applies to ChemE.</p>

7

<p>No I have not but I have a GRE private tutor that I am beginning to see for the next month. However my research advisor told me that I should worry too much about the GRE because she thought I would get above 750. </p>

<p>And yes I am a citizen.</p>

<p>How ever I thought I wanted to do a Master in Chem.Eng because it was easier to get accepted than a Ph.D, but Iv’e heard that a Ph.D program is easier to get into because not many engineers get a Ph.D?</p>

<p>Do you think my chances would change than because I want to get a Ph.D.</p>

8

<p>Shouldn’t*</p>

9

<p>Your situation is one of the few times you SHOULD mention poor grades in a statement of purpose. It is unlikely to reoccur, sympathetic, and resolved.</p>

<p>Mention it, move past it, and apply to what degree program fits your goals.</p>

10

<p>Would it hurt my chances to reapply the next year if I dont get accepted this year? Im worried it would hurt me</p>

11

<p>It would probably only hurt you if you did nothing during the year in between.</p>

<p>All you can do is: mention your situation in your SOP and do well on the GRE (most engineers will have a 780+ or so on the Q, which should be pretty easy to get if you study). If you don’t get in where you want to, spend the year in a lab and re-apply. That seems like your best option. And I really doubt your one semester will hurt you that much if you explain what happened, especially seeing that the classes aren’t very relevant to ChemE.</p>

12

<p>You seem to be worried about everything. Just do what you can do, and move on. If this doesn’t work, there are 900 other things you can try.</p>

13

<p>Im not worrying. I just wanted a second opinion to see how far I stand. Thanks</p>

14

<p>In general, it is easier to get accepted to a masters, but harder to get accepted with funding.</p>

15

<p>If anybody has any experience, which school is considered for energy and sustainability concentrations Rice or Cornell? Both are strong in each concentration but I dont know where to draw the line.</p>

16

<p>which is consider better*</p>

17

<p>Anybody???</p>

18

<p>As a (somewhat) complete guess, I would say Rice. A school located in Houston, Texas is more likely to have a larger number of energy focused programs than anywhere else in the US.</p>

<p>I would also consider checking out UT-Austin.</p>

19

<p>Ask your professors.</p>

20

<p>Echoing Sarbruis, ask your advisor. But why are you worrying about distinguishing among the best before you’ve applied? Your choices might be much more different next March.</p>

<p>Go to the websites, and research the programs. See which ones fit your interests, then apply.</p>