<p>Would joining and completing service in the Peace Corp improve one's chances of getting in to a good engineering grad school -- of course with acceptable grades and GRE scores. Would service in the Peace Corps put your application above other applicants with similar stats -- in any engineering subject, EE, ME, or (as for me) CS? </p>
<p>I've been thinking about joining the Peace Corp before applying for graduate school, and I'm wondering if it would give me an extra edge to acceptance committees? I know it's not something engineering students often do. Law students are more known for joining to improve their chances for post-undergraduate studies. But I've heard Reed Hastings, founder and CEO of Netflixs, did the Peace Corps before being accepted into Stanford's graduate CS department. They do have engineering related jobs in the PC, Hastings taught math in Swaziland, and I've found they have IT related jobs where you setup computers for emerging businesses and/or governments.</p>
<p>Anyone have any experience with this, or any insights/wisdom/thoughts would be helpful.</p>
<p>Thanks.</p>
<p>You join the peace corps to travel and help others in a different part of the world. Don’t do it just to make your application look better. U can effectively do the same thing in undergrad by joining EWB- engineers without borders that go to 3rd world countries and help out on engineering problems and solutions. </p>
<p>If you want to stand out, do some worth while research and get published before you graduate.</p>
<p>Thanks Lookin4ward for the advice. Yes, that’s the predominant reason why I want to join the Peace Corp, to travel and help others. I’m just dreading working at a computer in a cubical 8 hours a day or spending all my time studying in a library, like a lot of others appear to be on this board. The Peace Corp gives me the opportunity to add something a little more interest to my life than just non-stop working. I was just wondering if I can at all spin it to help advance my career when I get back, that’s all. I think I’ll try joining the EWB and maybe I can work something out with them to do something more engineering related in a foreign country, or something in conjunction with the Peace Corp with wherever I end up.</p>
<p>Thanks again.</p>
<p>EWB is a great program that I think you would really like. Don’t worry to much about enhancing anything, all experience is valuable. Do what you think is best and take advantage of opportunities while you are young!</p>
<p>Do it. To be honest: most admissions committees are not going to really care what you have done for the last couple of years, provided that you were doing something. Peace Corps will look fine on your resume for admissions, and could help you decide what you really want to do with your life.</p>