<p>I am currently a junior at Purdue in Aeronautics/Astronautics. I am currently thinking about grad school though i don't have a stellar GPA. I have heard however, that anyone who is "half-decent" gets into Stanford Engineering if they desire only an MS degreee; no financial aid however. Can anyone tell me more about this? Money isn't a problem. i'm planning on forcing my parents to pay for grad school since they wasted a lot of money on my sister sending her to Harvard and she ended up blowing her life, and since i saved them a lot of money going to UIUC (instate) for my BS they owe me. Right now, I have a 3.3 GPA and 1 summer research experience at Georgia Tech. I'll take the GRE's this year. </p>
<p>I have been browing the Stanford catalog and a couple of things catch my eye. First of all, many of the Aero/Astro courses reqd. for the MS at Stanford are courses i would've taken at UIUC by the time I graduate i.e. Propulsion, Structures, Dynamics & Control, Aerodynamics...etc. I know these are a bit "sexed up" at the Grad level but the material is the same. I don't want to drop $40,000 a year for a mostly "review" grad. degree. </p>
<p>If Stanford's MS is not as selective as other, are there a fair amount of "average" students there or is everyone still from MIT, Caltech or Stanford? </p>
<p>Most importantly, despite my decent grades, I consider myself a very "average thinker" and although Stanford would be my dream school I just want to make sure i could make it there as a grad-student, even if some of the classes are review, and that if i get in and end up paying for my MS, I'll be able to "cash-in" on the returns. Thanks</p>
<p>Your parents don't OWE you anything, nobody OWES you anything in this world. They are helping you out based on the goodness of their hearts; they have no legal obligations to do so. I've had to pay for both undergrad and grad (and living expenses) entirely by myself, consider yourself lucky. Be thankful for what you have.</p>
<p>MS in generally is easier to get into than PhD. You'd want to have at least a 3.5 GPA, good GRE + recommendations + essay. If you can complete your undergrad, you shouldn't have any problems with the MS.</p>
<p>What's your motivation for going for a MS? If it's only for the Stanford name, it's most definitely not worth it.</p>
<p>Sorry, about the confusion. I'm at Purdue, not UIUC. I mistyped since i found someone with a similar thread from UIUC so ... Also, take it easy about my parents. It was mostly a joke. I didn't get into any of the Ivies or Stanford so my parents were very disappointed. Also, my sister, being the ivy league snob she is, makes fun of me cuz I go to a "Blue-Collar hick school" even though I love Purdue in every way. And since I consider Stanford a much better school than Harvard it would be me sweet revenge to go there. I definitely want an MS to learn more but more importantly to make me more competetive since having a BS doesn't cut it anymore especially in field like Aerospace Eng. If I had the money I'd pay for it myself but without an MS, i doubt i'll be able to get a very good job in the Aerospace industry</p>
<p>nevertheless, your sister can still makes fun of you by saying something like this
"everyone with half a brain can get a masters degree from anywhere, it's PhD that matters because master's admission is not as tough as undergrad admission. If you want to prove yourself you should aim for PhD" </p>
<p>My sister studied Linguistics. There was no way she can compete with me in terms of raw-intellectual prowess. Harvard is well known for Grade inflation. Over 70% graduate "with honors". Gimme a break. UIUC engineering is known for grade "deflation". </p>
<p>BTW, since you care so much my sister got into Harvard with a 1250 and we're Asian. I can argue that any Asian who gets below a 1400 should commit suicide. SHe had a much higher GPA than I did, saved a couple of whales, and did all the standard stereotypical EC type stuff people do to get in to HYPMS. I wasn't very studious in high school but now I am trying to better myself. And, unlike most people out there, I have my own mind and don't want to be like the stereotypical "brown" person. Ph.D in Engineering or M.D. I don't need to prove myself. </p>
<p>The only reason I studied Aeronautics is because of my passion for planes. I have an IFR rating and 300 hrs of flight time which is pretty damn good considering i've only been flying for a few years. I go out and have a life. That is important to me. A ph.d is not.</p>