<p>If you're ultimately interested in getting a PhD, is it a better idea to:</p>
<p>a. Just apply for a PhD program directly and get an MS along the way
b. Since (presumably) PhD is more competitive, apply for a MS program and get your degree then apply again for a PhD once you're a better applicant?</p>
<p>Depends on your situation and what you care about.</p>
<p>The conventional wisdom is that (a) is better, because PhD programs are generally funded and MS programs are generally not, so going straight into a PhD program is actually cheaper. Also, unless you stay at the same school for your MS and PhD, you’ll probably have to repeat some of your coursework during the PhD program if you go with (b).</p>
<p>However, there are situations where (b) is clearly better. If you have a weak undergrad record, for instance, you can redeem yourself through an MS program. If you want to try working in industry, (b) is useful because you can do an MS part-time, while doing a PhD part-time is difficult.</p>
<p>What about if you are accepted into a 4/1 program in your junior year so you’d have the master’s in only one additional year but would rather get your PhD from a better school?</p>
<p>Ok, and I assume for an MS application a GPA of around 3.3 with plenty of research, internships, and good GRE should be relatively ballpark to get into some say top-75 colleges?</p>
<p>For MS, that will get you into top 20 schools if you don’t expect funding. PhD it really depends on what you have. I had a 3.3 for my undergrad and had 2 years of research and 2 internships and good recommendations and got into Illinois, Purdue, and Georgia Tech for unfunded M.S., Cornell for M.Eng, and RPI and Texas A&M for a fully funded Ph.D.</p>
<p>That’s very encouraging news!
Congrats on your acceptances.</p>
<p>Everyone else around CC has told me if I don’t have a 3.7 I have to go to Devry University :)</p>
<p>I have around a 3.3 now and I hope to get it up to 3.5 or so just in case.</p>
<p>Thanks again.</p>
<p>Well a couple things that will help are good statements, good GREs, good letters, and a GPA that is better in your major than overall, and that has not been getting worse. Just make sure you study your butt off for the GREs because while it isn’t the only thing schools look at, it is one good way to help make up for a low GPA.</p>
<p>haha dont feel bad fatpig… GPA isn’t everything. I was in a similar situation and got accepted for MS in a top 10 program.</p>
<p>The GREs aren’t very useful in my opinion though - engineering programs expect very high math scores, and verbal doesn’t really matter too much. I’d make sure you know the math, and then focus on your personal statement.</p>
<p>Just out of curiosity (to either of you), what schools did you do undergrad?
In that sense,how much does the prestige of your undergrad. school come to effect?</p>
<p>I go to the university of washington where my field is ranked in the top 25 or so.</p>
<p>I go to UIUC. The quality of the program can help bump you over the edge if your application is borderline, but if you go to a relatively unknown school, it won’t hurt you, it just won’t help you. Washington ought to help a little bit. I know that at one school, the Director of Graduate Studies flat out told me “… plus you come from a good program, so we thought you were worth admitting and offering a financial offer.”</p>
<p>I went to Washington University in St. Louis for undergrad. (Your) Washington’s program is well known, I would imagine it couldn’t hurt in grad school applications.</p>