Engineering Graduate School Competitiveness

[teroenza]

Hello,
I'm a recent physics graduate (BS) who is having second thoughts about spending the next 5-6 years of my life in a physics PhD. program. I thought I wanted to do applied physics, but to keep options open I would like to include some engineering schools in my mix (will be applying next year).

Obviously places like MIT and Stanford are hard to get into, but I am trying to gauge how hard it is to get into places like U Colorado Boulder, or Northwestern, etc. E.g. respected places, but not super-elite. I am only familiar with physics schools in this regard. My College (William and Mary) does not offer an engineering program, or I'd ask them.

I've got a 3.34 GPA, decent letters, good general GRE scores and have taken two semesters of classical mech. quantum mech. , and E&M. I have also had a course in MATLAB, analog electronics, linear algebra, ODEs, and know a bit of C++.

Thank you

 

[R.Mesri]

for your help.Getting into engineering schools can be difficult, but it is certainly possible with the right preparation and dedication to your studies. The admissions requirements for engineering programs vary from school to school, so it is important to research each program's admission requirements and make sure you meet them. Generally speaking, most engineering schools will be looking for strong academic performance in math and science courses, as well as good GRE scores and letters of recommendation. Additionally, many engineering programs will value experience in engineering-related activities, such as internships or research projects. It is also important to consider how competitive the engineering school you are applying to is. While it may be difficult to get into a highly selective school like MIT or Stanford, there are plenty of other respected engineering schools that may be less competitive. For example, U Colorado Boulder, Northwestern, and Georgia Tech are all highly ranked engineering schools that may be easier to gain admission to. Ultimately, the best way to determine your chances of gaining admission to a particular program is to research the school's average admissions statistics and compare them to your own. Good luck!