Hi everyone,
I’m a senior engineering major at a small college in NJ. I plan on going to grad school next year, and got in contact with a professor at CMU to see if I could come for a visit. He said yes, even though I did not think he would and now I am in the process of setting up a visit.
Obviously I would like to go to CMU and I would like to make that clear in my visit (without being overbearing). I have an average (3.5) gpa and I have no idea why a professor at CMU would show any interest, but either way I am willing to take it.
Like I said, my GPA is a 3.5, I have some pretty good research experience (5 projects in total which I’ve gone pretty in depth on), an eboard position with AIChE and an internship with a small, local healthcare system. CMU gets a lot of great candidates with credentials that make my resume look something you would use to apply to McDonald’s (not that McDonald’s is a bad place to work). So my question is, how to I use this visit to my full advantage and maximize my chances of getting in without being too pushy? I was planning on applying for a PhD but should I apply for both a masters and a PhD and see if I can stay for the full PhD if I get accepted for the masters?
Thanks
You should contact the DGS and say you are visiting the department and hope to meet with him or her in addition to the professor you already contacted. The questions you have about masters vs PhD can be discussed with the DGS.
If the program is highly selective, then they might not go all out to impress you until you are accepted.
@Runner2019 - Welcome to the Forum! I suspect that they are interested and willing to speak with you because of your research experience. Be ready to discuss that. Your goals for this visit is to discover what the opportunities for funding are and how their graduate program works. Since you will be visiting, you can also ask the current graduate students what they think of the research group and the department as a whole. It is likely that there are a lot of applicants to this department but if you visit, they might remember you and pay closer attention to your application. I also think you should only apply for the PhD. If they decide to admit you to a Masters, they will do so anyway. Since your goal is a PhD, then simply apply to that.
You definitely want a resume available but keep it simple and to one page. Include your research projects and any publications you might have.
Good Luck!