<p>ETA = Edited to add. 
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<p>I sent you a PM, but I realize how hard it is to get in. I mentioned that I applied to two schools with ~2% acceptance rates, and I don’t consider myself a competitive applicant. So it hurts, but there’s not much to do but try. </p>
<p>I just want you to know that you’re going to be more than a BIG BOLDED name on a diploma to employers, and it’s your job to demonstrate that. In the environment I grew up in, everyone thought that engineering = money, prestige = money, so engineering + prestige = loads of money. I hope you understand where the cynicism is coming from. </p>
<p>But it’s time to digress. ;)</p>