<p>I am an Electrical Engineering student at the ETH-Zurich in my 4th semester and would really like to get into a school like stanford or MIT for my masters (yes i know MIT doesn't offer only masters degrees).</p>
<p>Now i have another year left before I need to apply and I'm wondering what I should do the next year to increase my chances of getting accepted. I got a spot as a teaching assistant this semester, which should help... I have read quite a few other posts where they are talking about research, but is that really very important when I'm not applying for a PhD (at least not at stanford)?</p>
<p>If you’re only applying for a coursework-based (non-thesis) Master’s or a Master’s in “engineering practice,” research shouldn’t matter. If you’re applying for a research Master’s that requires a thesis, it would probably be a good idea to get some research done.</p>
<p>First you should be aware that the Bachelor and Master degrees in US and Switzerland are not directly comparable. The probably most important difference is the duration: Swiss Bachelors take 3 years, whereas US degrees typically require four years of study for their Bachelor, and many university require a four year degree from their graduate applicants. However, I know that at least Stanford Biosciences does accept applications from students with a Bologna bachelor, so it might be worthwile to inquire.</p>
<p>That said, you should be well aware why you want to spend thousands of dollars for a foreign degree. Your personal answer to your question might well lead to how to prepare. And I second the suggestion that either some research or in an applied field as engineering an internship at some big company might help your application best.</p>
<p>I think ETH and Caltech have a X-program, tho I’m not sure if it is in engineering. Suggest you look into this, as the ETH kids come as a group to Caltech.</p>