<p>I was wondering how important research is for pursuing a masters in EE. By the time I graduate, I will have had three years of undergrad research experience, around a 3.7 GPA and a competitive GRE score. Are there any lists of average GPA and GRE for top programs (MIT, Stanford, Berkley, GT,ect)</p>
<p>I have never seen such a list, and it would be meaningless anyway - gre and gpa are relatively small issues at these schools. I think you would be okay (if not great) at the schools listed - you would clear the bar and they would start looking at other issues. The quality of your research, SOP, and LOR’s will become key. So yes, research remains important, unless you are looking at some coursework-only degree.</p>
<p>Just an FYI - MIT does not offer a masters program, its PhD or don’t apply. Stanford does, and it is less than competitive that its stature would imply because they offer almost no funding - its a cash cow for the department, but sometimes a good stepping stone to top PhD programs. Berkeley is great, but less diverse than many EE departments - make sure they have what you are looking for.</p>
<p>Thanks for the information, could you offer advice on other good programs that offer a master degree…Do Cornell, Columbia, Duke offer masters?..If so how competitive are their programs?</p>
<p>Most schools will offer a masters degree, and in general it is easier to get accepted, harder to get funded. I cannot speak to the schools you mentioned, I never looked at their programs long enough to pick up on that issue.</p>
<p>So is it MUCH harder to get into a program that offers aid (I know Stanford has such a program)?</p>
<p>From what I have seen it is harder to get into a masters program with aid than it is to get into a PhD program with aid. There is still aid available, but from what I understand funded masters become scarcer as the quality of the school increases - top schools want to focus on the PhD students.</p>
<p>Just FYI, if you are motivated, it is always possible to get funding as either a TA or RA. It is just hard to get it from day one.</p>
<p>Thanks, but how common is it for a masters student to TA or RA at a top school?</p>
<p>That I cannot tell you. I did my undergrad at PSU, and many of the TA’s and several RA’s were masters candidates, but I could not give you percentages, nor could I estimate how those percentages would vary between schools.</p>
<p>You can always contact the departments and ask for that information - they may not have it, or may not be willing to release it, but you can try.</p>