Discussion Overview
The discussion centers around the visibility of senior spring semester courses to graduate schools during the admissions process for electrical engineering students. Participants explore how graduate programs assess applicants' coursework and the implications of course selection on admissions decisions.
Discussion Character
- Homework-related, Conceptual clarification
Main Points Raised
- One participant questions whether graduate schools consider the courses taken in the final semester when making admissions decisions, particularly if those courses are relevant to the applicant's intended field of research.
- Another participant clarifies that graduate schools typically rely on transcripts and will not know about spring semester courses unless the applicant communicates this information directly.
- It is noted that without grades from the spring courses, admissions committees may not weigh those courses heavily in their decision-making process.
- A different viewpoint suggests that applicants usually register for spring courses before submitting their applications, and these courses should appear on the transcript sent after fall grades are posted.
- One participant mentions that final transcripts are requested after admission decisions are made, indicating that schools will eventually see the spring courses.
Areas of Agreement / Disagreement
Participants generally agree that graduate schools do not automatically see spring semester courses unless communicated by the applicant, but there is some uncertainty regarding how much weight those courses carry in the admissions process.
Contextual Notes
There are limitations regarding the timing of course registration and the submission of transcripts, which may affect how graduate schools perceive an applicant's coursework.
Who May Find This Useful
Students planning to apply to graduate schools, particularly in engineering or related fields, may find this discussion relevant as it addresses concerns about course selection and its impact on admissions.