One year worth of research experience enough for top engineering grad school?

Graduate School
1

<p>I am planning on applying to a top engineering PHD program. My undergrad institution is reputable, but not considered a top school by any means. Assuming that the other parts of my application such as GPA, GRE, LOR, SOP, are good, would one year's worth of research experience be enough for a top engineering phd program or would they prefer that I had more than a year under my belt?</p>

2

<p>One year should be fine. There will be many applicants with less.</p>

3

<p>Even for top schools?</p>

4

<p>You could try looking through the resumes of people accepted to top schools from this thread and the ones from previous years. <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/graduate-school/1237555-2012-engineering-physical-sciences-admission-results.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/graduate-school/1237555-2012-engineering-physical-sciences-admission-results.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>I’ve also heard thegradcafe forums have some good advice, but I’ve never really looked through them.</p>

5

<p>It’s all a crapshoot for the top engineering schools. Maybe a professor happens to have a particular interest in your project at that time, and all the rest pass you up. For me, my only research experience started in the fall semester of my grad school applications and I still got into some top 10 schools…</p>