EE Universities

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QUESTION:

Hello Sir, 

      This is Vineela persuing B.Tech final year in Electrical and Electronics Engineering . I am writing my GRE exam on 11th of  March. I am a final year student and I am interested in Electrical subject like Machines, Power Systems, Control Systems, I can do well in any electrical subject. I want to pursue my masters in EE. Will you please send me the good universities so that I can send my application. 

10th percentage  83%

12th   89.4 %

B.tech  70% no backlogs
GRE minimum expected score 294. 

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ANSWER:

Hi Vineela, 

Congratulations on your decision to pursue Masters in the US. 

These days Power Engineers are in great demand due to clean energy initiatives. My friends were able to find jobs very easily while being in college. Plus after US presidential elections now the policies towards green energy and infrastructure development are more clear and concrete. This will spiral up job growth in Electrical Engineering field. 

You have a pretty strong 10th and 12th score and decent undergrad score. Admissions into Tier 1-2 Universities depend heavily on GRE score so try to keep score above 305 benchmark.

Your field of study demands good research based Universities. Below are the Universities you should apply to.

1) University of Colorado at Boulder.
Why: Good research. Job opportunities. 

2) Polytechnic Institute of New York University.
Why: Experience of being in New York City. Job Opportunities. 

3) Michigan Technological University.
Why: Free application. Low fees. Job Opportunities. Great people.

4) University of Wisconsin at Madison or Milwakee
Why: Good research. Job opportunities. 

5) University of Texas at Arlington.
Why: Job opportunities. 

6) University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Why: Job opportunities. 

7) North Dakota State University
Why: Almost 100% scholarship. Study for 1 semester and than take transfer to better University

Usually students get low GPA in first semester due to non-experience reasons. You can clean this stain by transferring to a better University after first semester. This way you can gain experience for free and have another opportunity to make better GPA with 9 credits to transfer.

8) Washington State University
Why: Job opportunities. 

Good luck!!! 

Low GRE score options

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QUESTION:

Hi,

      I am Kumar (Name Changed) and I am applying for MS in Electrical Engineering in Fall 2013.

My profile :

Gre : 305 Verbal : 147 Quant : 158 A.W. : 3.0
Toefl : 95
acads : 60% Pune University ENTC
10th : 80%
12% : 70%

Projects : 3rd yr Minor project
Electronic peddle shifter for college BAJA team
Final yr major project

Co-curricular : Winner of a college event 'circuit debugging'
participation in various other events and workshops on robotics and embedded systems

Extra-curricular : Represented India for table soccer (during my 12th)
district level in badminton and karate(till 10th)

Applying for MS in Electrical Engg.
Interested in Embedded systems

I have shortlisted some universities .

1. UT Dallas
2. UFL
3. University of Colorado-Boulder
4. UNCC
5. UMass, Amherst
6. Syracuse
7. Virgina Tech
8. University of Virginia

Now I feel that my gre score is is low and I am thinking of retaking the exam again .

But it is already late to apply to most of universities so I am confused over 

weather to apply this year or to wait till Fall 2014(retaking gre again).

Will it be worth to wait for one year.?

Thanking you in advance.

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ANSWER:

Hello, 

Congratulations on your decision to study in the US. Your background shows that you are a very talented person. Also I am glad that you have selected decent universities for Masters.  Although I am surprised that you have not listed any universities in California—Hub for Electronics companies.

University of Pune is known to be conservative in giving scores, so 60% is a good score. But keep in mind all the Universities you mentioned above attracts students from many other Universities located in many different countries. So, say a student from Osmania University—A University known for giving high scores—will have an advantage over you. So under this condition your low GRE is a cause of concern. I believe you can do much better and so I recommend you giving GRE again.

However you still have time for Fall-2013. Apply to couple of other Universities like SDSU, SJSU, NYU-Poly, NJIT, Stevens, UTA for being on safe side. Come to the US in Fall 2013 and based on your first semester performance  you can easily take transfer in any of above University. That is what even I did and it did wonders for me.

Advantage will be that you will not waste a complete academic year + save on cheaper tuition in above college compared to more expensive universities you mentioned earlier.

Wish you best luck.

--Chirag Shah

Master's for Telecom in the US

Question:

Hi chirag,
i find your blog extremely helpful.
Am Khyati (Name Changed) . 
Profile :
10th- 85%
12th-79%
BE-65% (just completed in 2012 in EXTC)

Am planning to give my GRE by the end of November . However looking at the deadlines , i guess i should be giving the exam early.
Also ,i got placed in Tech Mahindra. ( So i was planning may be i might go for my job for 2 years and then MS )
However ,something caught my attention while reading your blog .. u mentioned Tech M as an exception . What is it about Tech M ?? is it not good to go for it if u plan for MS??

Also , am a Telecomm engineer and it is an IT based company . so is it worth going  for it . (Though it undertakes Telecomm projects  -IT based work) ?

One one favour, can u suggest some universities for Telecomm ?  ( considering :GRE -300 , TOEFL -100)

Answer:

Hi, 

Glad you find this Blog useful. It appears from your question that you are looking towards the US to pursue Masters. Indeed a very good decision.

It is always useful to have work experience prior to coming to the US. It does not matter if it related to your field of study, but some kind of experience which gives you confidence as a person, horns your soft-skills and adds up to your resume. 

So I would suggest to definitely start working with Tech Mahindra. My reply about Tech Mahindra as mentioned in earlier blog post was more of a personal grudge. So do not worry about that part. 

Ideally you should aim to get admitted in Fall-2013. So it means you should give your TOEFL within 45 days and GRE by the end of December.This all should happen while you are either working or waiting for your joining date. By end of January you should be done applying to different schools.  

Ideal universities for Telecom Engineering with above profile would be

University of Texas at Arlington (More Development Jobs)

San Jose State University (More Development/Service Jobs)

San Diego State University (More Development/Service Jobs)

Polytechnic Institute of New York University (Service sector jobs)

North Carolina State University (Development and Service sector jobs)

Arizona State University (Good school, but not much job opportunities) 

All the best,

Chirag Shah

Universities to select for 3yrs IT experience and Avg Profile

Question-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am frm ECE field and working in XYZ in Pune , I am applying for univ in canada,  germany, netherland, singapore .... not US coz i think thats will be very costly ...

I have decided some univs also... but prob is that I have avg profile... except work exp of 3 yrs ... that also i doubt wont help as it is in IT sector... n i want to apply for electrical field :(

now prob is that univ i have selected are among the top univ ... now confused whether it will be right to apply to these univ.... means i have to have gud academinc profile (like IIT name)

would be very helpful if u can help me how to select univ.... it should be all top ... or some avg unv also... 

how much will be the expenses if i apply in US or any other ... 

Suggestion----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi, 

Good that you have decided for MS after 3 yrs of Experience. 

Your question mainly boils down to 

1) Which country for MS

2) Which Universities to apply for

For 1) I think US offers best option for you. As you mentioned cost as a factor, I believe the return on investment (ROI) is pretty high. In spite of avg academic record, your GRE score would determine how much scholarship you get. Your soft skills would help you landing an on campus job. Plus there are lots of internship opportunities available (Your US based company work-ex would be helpful). So in the end I believe you will gain valuable experience and education plus your balance sheet would be in green.

For 2) The job market for international students in US is in favor of IT. So if you want to go for Electrical you have to be in one of the best Universities and have to do a thesis\project on something which industry needs. 

Electrical is a broad field. Unless you mention what you are interested in 1) VLSI 2) Embedded 3) Telecom 4) Power 5) Computer Network 6) Semiconductors and many more. 

Basically for Computer Networks look for schools in California or NY City. For VLSI and Embedded go for schools in California, Texas, Michigan, Chicago area. For Power look for schools in Michigan, NJ, NY, California or may be anywhere. Power is very good across US.

I hope this helped. Let me know if you find this useful. 

Work or MS/MIS

Today i had a very interesting Q about advice to Work or continue education by going for Masters in CS or MIS.


His profile is 10th , 12th > 90%, BE avg ~ 70
Have GRE in mid Oct.


Q- I got job in XXXXXX as a XXXXXXXXXX and the joining date will be XXXXX-XXXX

so what i have to do

1)did i apply for the uni or work for tcs for 2-3 years and then apply??

2)what do u suggest ms cs or mis??

3)u suggest 4 uni i will apply to those universities?(low tution and good placements)

Answering your First Q

1) XXXXXXXX is a well named Co. Also unlike others (Tech Mahindra) they would honor the job offer. So there is no doubt that you will be joining it.

My advice would be to continue with the offer for atleast 2 years.

This would also help in getting Financial Aid once you have a broader horizon of the field.

Now GRE scores are Valid for 5 years. So  may give xam on Oct -23 and use these score for admission after 2-3 years of Work Exp.

Again MS or MIS is a decision of yours. I know it is very confusing right now. But that is with every student of your age. So once you are working with like-minded ppl, you would automatically get answer to this Q.

So to conclude my advice is to work (Will help for financial aid, give edge to your application, you will be more confidant and will help in after Grad Job prospects)+ Give GRE and get good score + Send free score to Uni. Texas at Arlington, Univesity of Texas A&M, Michigan Tech, Arizona State Uni are my suggested Uni.


These all are cheap and also good.

All the best and pls feel free for any need.

Answers to Comment of Previous Post (University to apply for Given Profile)

1)m plannin to take it in mid nov. 'll it be k.m done with around 36 wordlists..

Aditya:

Well It is glad that you are planning to give GRE by Mid- Nov..Good Decision.

It is great to know that you are doing pretty good in wordlist.

Remember: Wordlist is the key to success in Verbals. Coz RC are said to be on one's luck (I had really tough time as topics were out of my line).
Moreover knowing new words is good after all.
Do remember to take a look at Nova's top 400 words. They are quite useful.

And 2 days before your test, appear for GRE PREP, that will give an approximate idea of your score.

Before i end, remember to send score to Uni. of your choice. Coz it is free. Or else you may have to pay $20 to send to each Uni Later.

2)"m applyin for ECE...gre score is 1040 n toefl waiting...BE electronics from mumbai universities with 60% aggr....did few good projects...also attended many workshops held by IEEE...besides won 1st prize also in paper presentation....n participated in few more.....
i kno gre is less.but what r the chances of gettin ne university...suggest me few frm whr chances r high of gettin admits....."

The Comment asks for suggestion for Uni. to apply, according to his profile.

Your Profile is very similar to most of other ppl who send me earlier. So you need to prove yourself above them by writing a good SOP. (Include everything what you have done) but ofcourse never mention that you are Expert in C++ or other stuff. Coz they know it will be bluff. So mention your adjective with care.

Well as far as sure shot Uni. are taken into a/c, NYIT , Bridgeport, Farleigh Dickinson Uni, Cleveland State Uni, are mostly thought of. But i would suggest not to go into any of these as they have lots and lots of Indians. You would not be able to taste the American Life to full. (My opinion). But again as far as Off-Campus jobs are concerned, these are the heavens for it.

If i would have been, i would have applied to, San Diego State Uni., San Jose State, Stevens Inst of Tech, Texas Arlington, California State Uni at NorthRidge., Michigan Tech.....

For backing you may apply to any of the sure shots and then after having a good GPA in first Sem, you my transfer to any other Uni. That is again an option.

3)"my gre score is 1280. waiting for toefl scores. did B.E civil in Anna university, chennai. my agg s 86%. 96% in 12th. im planning to apply to ncsu, tamu, virginia and iowa state. can u tell me what are my chances of getting admits in these univ? can u also tell me how to approach prof for assistantships? can we directly mail them before applying?"

You are a Shoe-in. Good GRE, Good GPA. That is what you need primarily. Moreover Civil Engg. is in full Swing these days because of current thrust in Infrastructure given by Obama Admin. (Put America Back to Work scheme).

All these Uni. you mentioned demand a balanced score. TOEFL for NCSU atleast is demaned more than 100. But for Civil they may be a bit flexible. So it is a good decision to apply. Go ahead and you would get atleast one admit. Moreover your early application may also lead you to a good Scholarship.

For second question you asked.

Well you should never ask for Assistant ship directly in first mail.
Try to build contact with Prof. on line of common interest and research. Once your discussion becomes healthy you may use that time for asking for it. Well in my case. The Prof. knew that if student discuss so much, they need support and they will themselves give it to you before you even ask. This applies to all Prof. So just mail to Prof. even if you have not applied to those University.

All the best to all of you.

University to apply for given profile.

Early in the day i had a mail from a final  year student of Computer Science Dept.


His profile is Distinction in 10th (Although does not matter)
in 12 th above 90%, 6 semester Avg in BE is around 70% and GRE score is near mid 1000's




His Question is
"I know for my score It is vry difficult to get a scolarship.Can U plz
tel me some universities in Computer Science  which offers a very good
funding(TA,RA,Tution waver,Shollarships) atleast from 2nd Sem onwards."

Well, as in my earlier post i have mentioned, the admissions in the program depends on many parameters. 

So starting with the latest scores. 

Your low GRE score can be offset by quickly applying (Online) for admissions. Moreover you should also carefully prepare your SOP and draft your LOR to the best.

In the meantime try to take part in some Paper Presentation, so that you have something to right in extra-curricular.

Now as your GPA is good and as final year is always said to be bonus to scores, your GPA will go upto 3.6(if no atkt), which is said to be good enough to be considered for scholarships.

Moreover you have enough time to interact with the Prof. of Uni. So take this time to interact with as many Prof. of your field and try to prove that you are a good student. This will help you to gain an advantage over your peers.

REMEMBER most students (80%) apply in January. So the key to your success lies in how quick you can implement strategies.

Regarding which Uni to apply.

I would suggest:

• Steven Institute of Tech, San Jose State Uni. (Medium Uni. and over all good as far as work prospects are considered.
• Arizona State Uni., State Uni. of NY , NY POLY, Rochester Inst. of Tech (Again good)
• Michigan Tech (Good chances of getting funded, but climate is harsh)
• And finnaly University of Southern California (If money not a big issue.)

So to conclude: ACT FAST, INTERACT WITH PROF, AND HAVE GOOD SOP, LOR and extra Curricular. 

ALL THE BEST .

Best time to give GRE

Well i was asked in one of the community in Orkut about best time to give GRE.

Well the answer is within 3 months of starting your preparation. If you delay more than the Law of Degradation comes into picture (It is an economic theory,  see the graph)

So the the top of the edge is nearly said to be 3 months.

Now if you go by fact. GRE database for Xam's are refreshed in October. So any one taking GRE in this month would be benefited by simple Q and good score.

Now if you are not prepared. Chill, you can give xams also at the end of the month as most of the question for the months data base will be out and you would be aware of trends of Q asked.

But my ADVICE to all of you is just read my GRE tips article and don't take the dates based on above paragraph. Just REMEMBER study hard and give exams in 3 months. You will surely get good results.

SOP for MS in Electrical Engineering

My SOP for my friends

Chirag K. Shah ~ MS ~ Electrical Engineering (VLSI) ~ Spring 2010

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

It was only after careful consideration of my aptitude, interests and experiences gained while pursuing my under graduation in the field of Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering that I have decided to pursue my masters in the field of Electrical Engineering. Being a dynamic and ever evolving field, many new developments are expected and there is immense scope for research on new products and applications. To progress and make a mark in this field, I realize that it is important for me to pursue my Master’s from a reputed university. So while gaining admission to your university and completing this course would be my immediate goal, I have always dreamt of taking up research. So after gaining some work experience with a well established company, I wish to further my qualifications with a PhD and conduct some ground-breaking research with some of the best minds in the research industry.

At Sinhgad College of Engineering, Pune University, I have secured a first class in my final year. Pursuing Electronics and Telecommunications engineering have introduced me to many core electronics subjects such as microprocessor, mobile communications, VLSI and signal processing but I believe I need to take this knowledge and understanding to an advance level hence a Masters degree is inevitable.

My interest in circuit design scaled when I undertook a project on “GPS based vehicle tracking system” in the last year. This project aimed at locating the position upto 10 meters of a vehicle was based on Matlab as front end mechanism while the programming of ARM was done in C using Keil . I learnt and used Digital Electronics and Matlab to implement the project. I take pride in mentioning that my team secured first place for Technical Paper Presentation on the same topic with jury comprising of best brains in the field..

I have always been conscious in upgrading my skills and knowledge as I believe as engineers needs to keep themselves abreast with the latest developments and technologies. At the moment, I am gaining superior skills in C++ programming during my course of study at Michigan Tech and I believe mastering these skills will aid me immensely in the research at your department. Also my insight in Routing and Placement gained by my research in current semester will help to add value to the department diversity. Additionally, I also did my internship from Alstom Projects India Limited as a process engineer at combined cycle power plant. This experience makes me confident to take new challenges and achieve it in specific time frame.

I have attended many technical seminars and presentations on VLSI Design, Embedded System Design and Robotics which were offered at college. Moreover my constant discussionss with my Professor and PhD students at Michigan Tech helps me in knowing current issues in research and possible solutions for it.

Michigan State University is a research based University which foster creative and innovative thinking among the students. It is a known fact that the academic and research facilities in the University are highly qualified in their respective field . At your department, research projects in the field of VLSI design methods especially in routing and placement, Mixed Signal Design will particularly interest me and I would like work with some of the leading faculties and scholars in the nation. Getting a chance to be a part of such projects will really stimulate my innate technical and analytical abilities, expose me to the latest technologies as well as give me the competitive edge to secure an intership in a reputed company which will be a milestone towards achieving my goals.