Advice for graduate school in Nuclear Engineering

[sgtovey]

I would like some advice/comments on my next chapter in my life. I've been interested in nuclear engineering for the last two years, I will be graduating with my BS in applied physics this December and I have already applied to Texas A&M and University of Texas' nuclear engineering graduate programs; I did not do so well on the general GRE, but I will be retaking it at the beginning of November. I've also applied to other schools for electrical engineering, a subject that has always interested me, but I think I really want to do nuclear engineering.

Now, this is where I'm not sure of what I will do, assuming that neither of those schools admits me for the spring, I will probably get admitted to one of the other schools for EE; I know I will still work hard, but I don't think I would really be following what I'm passionate about.

Something that I was contemplating was to just reapply to A&M and UT for next fall and do some kind of internship during the spring and summer, then start grad school in the fall. However, I'm not even sure what kind of internships like that are out there; but that's what I'm contemplating. I'm not being pessimistic, I'm merely being realistic and trying to cover all options that I may have to take. Any constructive advice/criticism would be appreciated.

Thanks :)

 

[Thermalne]

Why just Texas A&M and UT? Why not other Nuclear engineering schools?

I know that University of Tennessee-Knoxville might not be ranked that highly, but there is a ridiculous amount of research and money that goes that program. I am currently a student in the undergrad program and I can tell you it's well funded. Also, ORNL is a huge plus in terms of the people you will be exposed to and the research done there. It will be moving up in the graduate rankings very quickly.

 

[sgtovey]

Thanks crazyisraelie, I'll have to check out that school. I applied to those because I really don't want to pay out of state tuition and fees...no sense in paying extra if I can get the same quality of education here, that's probably a flimsy excuse.