<p>I currently go to UCSD for Electrical Engineering. I'm going into my Junior year with a 3.3GPA. I currently intern for a professor.</p>
<p>I'm interested in graduate school, but I'm not sure if I can get in. I got a letter saying I was top 25% of my class at UCSD, but 3.3GPA seems relatively low.</p>
<p>Should I start studying for the GRE?</p>
<p>Also, i'm not sure what I should depth in at UCSD. The options are:
1. communication systems,
2. computer design
3. controls and systems theory
4. electronic circuits and systems
5. electronic devices and materials
6. machine intelligence
7. networks
8. photonics
9. queuing systems
10. software systems
11. SIP/DSP</p>
<p>I seem really interested in Networks, or electronic circuits and systems (I've taken classes from both).</p>
<p>If you aren’t even sure what you want to focus on in your degree, then you are not even close to the point where you need to decide on graduate school. The purpose of graduate school is to specialize. You need to find your niche in your major, then determine what your career goals are, and then decide on graduate school based on that.</p>
<p>A 3.3 is not a killer. In fact, I got into a top 10 school in my field with a 3.3 overall GPA fully funded. YOU just have to make sure you do well on the GRE and have good recommendations and research experience. I can’t stress enough how important having research experience will become.</p>
<p>You really don’t need to worry about the GRE until the summer leading up to your senior year. Take it then. I actually took it September of my senior year. You still have time.</p>
<p>I think boneh3ad is pretty close to the mark, but I wanted to add a few things: </p>
<p>For the GRE, you should be pretty good on the quantitative and could easily brush up over the summer if needed, but the verbal often trips up engineers. If you are weak in this area, it might be a good idea to start devoting a little time to it - the technicalities of the English language are not a thing to cram in the week beforehand, especially for a native speaker (yes, I think it is actually easier for non-native speakers, as they have had modern grammar courses more recently than 5th grade.).</p>
<p>For specialities, no one can decide that for you - it’s your choice. Try not to stress, just pick an area and go with it, the only way to really know what you like is to try it. For the areas you mentioned, be cautioned that systems engineering has lots of jobs but relatively few grad programs and gets comparatively little respect among EE’s, circuit design is almost a wasteland in grad school unless you want to go a very few select routes focusing on E&M or materials science, and that networks is in high demand and has lots of grad programs but is very hit-or-miss in the marketplace - lots of people will think of you as a glorified IT guy. If you have any questions about specific areas, go ahead and ask - I am one of several EE’s on the board, and might be able to help.</p>
<p>Thanks bon3head and cosmicfish for the replies.</p>
<p>I was thinking of picking up a verbal GRE book. Any recommendation? This is because on my SAT’s I got a 800 math, 675 writing, and 475 reading portion. So I feel like my verbal would be low for the GRE.</p>
<p>@bon3head: congrats on getting in with a 3.3. Do schools primarily look at junior and senior year grades? (I’m not sure if thats a rumor going around)</p>
<p>@cosmicfish: What is your specialty in EE? I don’t really like the “hit-or-miss” fact about a job. I think i’d rather have something that is more relatively stable. You know what mean? And I did hear, that unless you a GENIUS at circuit design, you probably won’t make it in the circuit industry.</p>
<p>IMHO GRE english section was less challenging than the ACT counterpart section. I used the Princeton Review GRE book but there must be better ones out there.</p>
<p>techboy - my specialty is electromagnetics and remote sensing, something I do not think UCSD does much of. Circuit design in the US has been badly hurt by outsourcing - basically, the older the discipline, the faster it was sent overseas, and circuit design is pretty old. One of my EE profs said that only 20% or so of all US EE’s actually do any design work at the board level or lower - the rest are doing systems or support work. Just try to be one of the 20%!</p>
<p>I’m afraid I cannot recommend any GRE materials - I only used the practice tests from the GRE website.</p>
<p>Oh, alright guys. Thanks for all the responses.</p>
<p>The Center for Magnetic Recording Research is right next to the engineering school. I just haven’t heard many opportunities of people working there and such.
I also “hated” electromagnetism, as I got a “C” in that upper division class :/. The material never really clicked for me and I winged it.</p>
<p>Does anyone know if networks is a lot of programming? And what it exactly entails in the job market?</p>
<p>Thanks again, response are really appreciated.</p>
<p>Some schools look mainly at the whole GPA, some look mainly at the last 60 hours, some look mainly at your technical GPA… it just depends on the school. The important thing is that if you do have an advantage in one of those areas, you can play it up in your statement or, if you get it, you can especially play it up when talking to any professors to try and solicit funding/research positions.</p>