<p>I am a junior EE at Purdue with a 3.5 gpa. I have been working hard to increase my gpa and want to pursue a PhD (or MS -> PhD) after graduating. I know that I need solid research experience and am thus trying to map out how I'm going to spend the rest of my time here.</p>
<p>My experience:
3 coops at NASA JSC
1 REU at Rice University</p>
<p>My REU experience was alright but my group was not very related to my field and I doubt I would be able to get a very sincere letter of recommendation.</p>
<p>Now moving on to this coming summer, I have two options. One is to go back to NASA to make more money this summer and then work in a research group during the fall semester when I come back.</p>
<p>The second option is to work in the research group this summer, however NASA wouldn't like for me to delay my coop tour (again), and I don't have very much money with which to make it through the summer.</p>
<p>So basically which of these two options is best, and am I missing anything?</p>
<p>1) Go back to NASA in the summer, make good money so I don't have to work during the fall semester, and work in a research group on a part time basis during the fall.</p>
<p>2) Work in a research group this summer, have barely any money but the potential for a better letter of rec since it's full time (?), and possibly **** off NASA since I don't know when I would return for another coop tour. I would also have more time to research before applying to grad schools.</p>
<p>Thank you for the help. The right path may be obvious but it is very difficult for me to figure out what to do.</p>
<p>I realized my first post is a little all over the place.</p>
<p>My question is whether too much work experience (with a company) can ever look bad to PhD programs, even if you have research experience as well. That is my main concern.</p>
<p>Don’t worry about it. NASA is basically research level in terms of experience since its so high up in the tech field. No university is going to say, “hey this kid came from jsc, (s)he must not know what (s)he’s doing”. Plus, so many people at NASA have higher degrees so its kindof expected that you’ll go back and get some studying done.</p>
<p>Unless you get a publication out of it, then the benefits of just starting a brand new research group this late in the game versus NASA are going to be minimal. You will be fine. Your GPA is fine, you come from a good school and you have research and industry experience. You won’t have a problem getting in most places. Just make sure you can get some good LoR’s.</p>
<p>thanks for the advice. Even though it is “late in the game” I still have a full year and a half of school left because of coops and such in the past delaying my graduation. </p>
<p>I won’t graduate until December 2013 so still have this summer, all next year, and the following summer before even applying anywhere.</p>