hukis83 said:
It's really great to see motivated young people. However, your life time goal should not be entering these prestigious institutions just because the American society says you need to. You should consider all aspect of the place from living conditions, to campus atmosphere, to surrounding areas, to funding situations, etc. I've seen people that got a full ride to GA Tech, but ended up going to MIT with no financial assistance. The actual education you get out of GA Tech and MIT is not very much different. The companies know that.
I completely agree with the first part of your statement regarding that you should not go to a school just for the name. But should consider all the factors that play into it.
However, I completely disagree with the last two sentences. There is a vast difference in the education you will get between institutions at the graduate level. Not to mention the differences in funding between universities. It's a simple fact that places like Harvard/MIT/Stanford/(so called tier 1 schools) have a great deal more funding at their disposal than most universities do. As a result, especially for engineering or other applied sciences, the type of research you can do extends far beyond what could be accomplished at tier 2/3/etc... schools. That isn't to say that great research can't come from a place without a lot of money (it happens all the time), it is simply to suggest that your ability to pursue areas that interest you are not limited by issues of funding like they tend to be elsewhere.
Additionally the faculty at these schools are there for a reason. While this doesn't imply they are good teachers (in fact some of the best are terrible lectures in my experience). They are extraordinarily talented and creative researchers, and that's really what graduate school in the sciences/engineering is all about. That and making connections...
Which brings me to my other point. I completely disagree that the name on your degree doesn't go to impact the view a hiring committee has of your application. While it's absolutely true that you won't find a company who hires exclusively MIT grads (that's just silly and doesn't promote diversity in ideas), to say that if it comes down to two people, whom the only difference is their granting institution, that where they come from doesn't matter... that's in disagreement with the statement that society views these institutions with such high regard (which is why people consider them their 'dream' places).
The real point is if you are attending a place like Harvard/MIT/etc... and don't make connections with influential people in your field while you are there, then you have missed one of the principle reasons for going there in the first place. Don't forget, these institutions stay at the top not because THEY say it is so, but its because of the success of their students. They want you to go on and be hugely successful so you will give back to them.
All that said, it still remains true that aiming high because someone tells you to is not the correct reason to go.
Now, as for what it takes to get accepted, while everything that has been listed thus far is true, when it comes down to it the key factor is setting yourself apart from the rest of the applicants.
Most of these universities could fill their seats with 5.0GPA perfect GRE etc... if they wanted to. However, this doesn't promote diversity in ideas and they know that. As a corollary then, just having a perfect GPA and top GRE scores isn't going to be what gets you in. The most important things you need are examples of why you are going to be someone who is going to give back to the institution either financially, academically, or by bringing them accolades [i.e. are you going to bring home a Nobel/McArthur/etc..]. The best way to demonstrate this is going to be through your past research work (show them you know how to perform, an REU is very helpful in this area, also having publications if possible goes a long way), and through your letters of rec.
On the letters, it is extremely important to have people who are known by the admissions committee if possible. It gives so much more strength to the words in that letter if they know the person who wrote them. Of course it can also go the other way too, if your recommender is notorious for writing "This person is the best I have ever had!" on every letter they send out... then that's not going to help you very much. So choose your recommendations carefully.
Finally, which is perhaps the most important thing you can do if you want to attend these universities is to find someone who you want to work with and personally contact them. The more voices you have who will support you when it comes down to the final cut the better. If you have a professor who you have talked with about what your goals are, and why you want to work with them. Provided they agree with those goals, they will be much more inclined to support your application. That support is worth more than anything you could put on your application alone. It can make up for a less than great GPA or GRE score, and helps to keep your application at the top of the pile.
