Hi Fam. I have done alot of research and read alot of pages on this thread. As you know I intend to apply for a PhD in EE or Biomedical Engineering. I have short listed the following schools; University of Michigan (Ambitious), Georgia Tech, University of illinois Urbana and Kansas State University. I have contacted their grad program coordinators. Some are yet to respond.

My question is since am planning to re-write GRE, how long can I delay it with the hope that results reach the school before 1st Dec?

The schools I have short listed, how generous are they will funding (under grad GPA 4.26/5, masters 3.5/5)?

Apart from application fees and cost of sending hard copies of documents are there other fees I have to pay?

Finally, to what extent do I stand a chance to gaining admission in any of these schools?

Pardon my English and stupid questions (if any)

Emmysteve:
After this stage what is next and when?

The next stage is spraying insecticides, then maybe fertilizer (super phosphate) then maybe weeding

Emmysteve:
Bro I would like to know how much you you have spent so far at this stage. Thanks.

Roughly so far about 360k for 8 hectares

Also my little maize after two weeks

My cowpea after 2 weeks of planting

DreManuel:


No doubt, you have some experiences in so far as US schools are concerned, and I have nothing but admiration for that. So, I'm neither here to banter words with you over how schools select their candidates and on what criteria they use, nor am I here to gainsay anything you say. I'm only saying from my perspective which I've made clear for the umpteenth time that it's is not hard and fast. Our experiences with few schools are still limited and cannot be fully extrapolated to all schools and programs. Even in the same school, different programs have different criteria. We would only the mislead people to commit the fallacy of small sampling/hasty generalization if we say one way is "The Way" and another is not. We should just talk about our experiences and allow people here infer and make their decisions.

You refrenced my talk about UMich, good. But I made it clear that it's the Mech Engr prgram I was refering to, so countering that with the EE dept may not be water-tight cos they are different programs with different admission committees and selection criteria. Applicants for the ME program apply to Rackham Grad School and the program is at Ann Arbor. In fact, Mech Engr program made it clear on their website that they don't advise students whether they are admittable or not but the only way to find out is to apply. But contacting the prog coordinator and profs can help one know if there is any prof working on your area of interest which can tilt in your favor. Sometimes, you can be lucky that the prof you contacted is a member of the admissions committee and if your area of interest are in sync, he can recommend you. That happened to me once.

Lastly, let me clear the impression that I''ve singled out GRE as the greatest deciding factor - NO. I said your whole profile is considered holistically. Sometimes there are OUTLIERS with lower GRE who have proved beyond reasonable doubt their academic prowess and such candidates get in. And sometimes a pool of candidates may generally have higher scores for a program this year than before. So if someone got in last year with a Score of 315, it doesn't mean he will get in this year cos you can't predict the scores of your competition this year. Again, the breakdown I the score could matter. Say two people are applying for CS or Maths, and one scored: Q 170, V 155 = 325 and another person scores, Q 162, V 168 = 330. The first person with the prefect quant may be preferred. GRE score is very important and all top schools require it. Few schools and program may not require GRE but it all boils down to your preference.

Please when you mention that someone got into a school with a particular GRE score, kindly state the program and the school so that people can compare with their situation and make informed decision. Studying education at Harvard won't require high GRE as studying Computer Science afteall. And courses that people are not willing to do or research on but have endowments can be very generous with their funding.


I hope from my long epistle, someone can make their own inferences and make their decisions.

P.S.. From the link you posted: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor is a different school from University of Michigan, Dearborn. The former is a top and very competitive school. People should take note. The person that got in to Dearborn may have done his/her Undergraduate in the same school. In fact, some prgrams specify the GPA that current students can have to have the GRE waived. Please be guided accordingly.

CAVEAT:

1. Everything I've said is my personal opinion derived from my own experiences with US schools and research, and I have done that in good faith. I take no responsibilities for any misunderstanding or wrongful interpretations that may result thereby.

2. I've not been part of any admissions committee and I have not applied to all schools and programs in the US. So students should do their personal research for specific info about their schools and programs of choice.

Guys you are all saying the same thing

Scholastica16:


GRE like every other aspect of an applicant's profile contributes some weightage but the lionization of that weightage is what I am fully against.

If you have been here long enough you'd have known I am a second-time writer myself. Heck, I even advised others to re-write and aim for toppest scores so I believe I am giving a well-rounded, rather than a hastily genaralized purview on the issue.

It was not long ago that someone with a great first and 2nd degree asked for prospective schools for her PhD and when I sighted her <300 GRE I asked her to retake it.

Some other guy saw it and gave contrary advise but to cut a long story short she got 2 fully-funded offers from both schools he recommended. And both were top 150 US schools FYI. In fact, one of the schools that accepted and funded her bounced me yet I more than outdid their GRE, AWA, TOEFL and GPA requirements.

If I was to take the argument that increased competition was my undoing, you may want to delve deeper into the accepted profiles in that school and juxtapose it with mine to make sense of that argument.

You referred to UMich's website but even that is neither here nor there. With your reasoning, GRE scores of 324 and AWA scores of 4.5 or greater are the only stats that would be entertained by the school but a random search on Google can easily disprove this. Take this for e.g someone got accepted into UMich for EE Masters 2017 without GRE and with a 3.68/4 GPA

http://thegradcafe.com/survey/index.php?q=University+of+Michigan+engineering&t=a&o=p&pp=25

And I singled this example out because I have reported on this thread in the past how my own cousin in Canada contacted a Prof in UT Austin that was willing to help him waive the GRE requirement just so he could take him on as his PhD Advisor.

My synopsis is as it were; while the GRE plays a role in strengthening the profile of an applicant it will not tip the scale in a close call thus it is overrated. If 2 people being considered have 324 and 332 GRE. But Candidate A either spoke to an advisor, or had better research experiences or significantly better GPA, he would be considered over and above the guy with the better GRE.

That is why I implore people to talk to POIs and Prog coords to make informed decisions based on the feedback they get rather than rewrite GRE to score really well, when doing so may only get you through the front door and not a step further.

The truth is I agree with you in all aspect. Getting a scholarship is not about GPA or gre alone. It's a combination of many factors including luck.

Scholastica16:


While having a 330 or + is impressive, it guaranteees you nothing;

On this thread, 3 people hit that mark with other aspects of their applications being equally stellar yet I would go out on a limb and say they "settled" for what was given to them.

On the other hand, someone with a 307/309 got accepted into Berkeley. Another with 315, into UCLA. In fact, 2 other great guys on here got into fully-funded MSc programs with a 314!

I am not shading anyone. The message I bring is, even as you aim to re-write, why don't you start doing your own personal research on the school you want and then reaching out to POIs?

In my honest opinion, getting a solid advisor on your side is one sure way of getting admitted and funded into any program. At least, it is definitely better than getting a 330.

Proving you can fund yourself (for Master's applicants and to some degree PhDs too) can go a long way. Don't be surprised to see for e.g that someone with a 319; average GPA and TOEFL; 0 publications got into UT Austin because she had an external scholarship (True story!!) Yet the BGS of her faculty with 4.86/5, 325 GRE, 113 TOEFL was bounced by the same school.

Another thing is the nature of one's previous degrees and schools (countries they trust or schools they easily recognize as well as the program you are applying for). And as far as I am concerned, you have that on lock.

Lastly, you already have a master's degree which would convince any Prof that you are really interested in the PhD (as against using it as a means to getting a master's and dumping the program right after). So you should have no reservations about contacting profs.

The reality is, any Prof. that is willing to accept you would do so regardless of the GRE score. So do not overstate the importance of the GRE as all applications are different.

PS: Check msinus.com for a list of schools and GRE scores that have been admitted there. It would give you a range to work with. Startclass.com has some ideas as well as usnews.com

(Look into Georgia Tech seriously - I believe you could get in).

And BTW, the 25 in speaking too is a legend. I had a speaking of 26 in the TOEFL, with a total score of 112 and 80% of my schools bounced me.

Actually I see your point. If you consider Chinese Government Scholarship getting a supervisor is the surest way of getting it. My initial plan was to go that but on searching more I realized that there are opportunities in the US. I will try to improve my scores, I will contact professors and I will pray.
Pls do you know any thing about Michigan University, they offer full funding for all accepted Engineering PhD students

DreManuel:


Your profile is impressive, and I think you stand a chance of getting full funding in the US but that depends on how you present your overall profile.

Again, getting a PhD admit is tougher in US esp top schools than MSc because its usually funded one way or the other. You can read a lot of people's experience on Quora.

So, i think most of your energy now should be channelled towards scoring very high in GRE. I even suggest you aim at > 330 so that if you don't reach it, you still land at 325 there about.

At the same time, you can start googling schools in the U.S. that offer your course, and then research their faculties to see professors whose interest closely match what you would like to research on. You can begin to mail such professors asking about the research they are doing, and if possible access to their journals, and how you would love to embark on similar research. Who knows, doors can open through that. Sometimes professors advertise online that they seek research students.

Once you've identified schools that offer your program, you can then categorize them into; Ambitious (e.g. MIT, Harvard), within reach (e.g. Georgia Tech, TAMU), safe schools (e.g. Eastern Illinois Uni, Univ of Alabama) or any categories you want to use based on your profile compared to the profiles of students usually admitted into those schools.

Once your GRE results are out, you can then start application. Based on money at hand, you can spread the number of schools you apply to according to the categories above. More should tilt towards the schools within reach and safe schools and maybe 1 in ambitious school.

The quality of your admission would be on your SOP, LORs, Publications, GRE scores, rtf

Hope this helps.

Thanks alot. I will aim for 330 then

DreManuel:


It's not that straightforward, but let me see how I can address your position.

But let me get more info from you:

What course do you want to study? And what did you do as your undergraduate?

What's your CGPA?

Do you want to sponsor yourself or looking for funding? This would be the deciding factor in the end.

Do you have any dream schools?

What scores are you targeting for the GRE?

Do you have teaching/working experience?

Can you withstand any kind of climate?

.......

I studied EE in Undergrad, EE Masters (Signal and Image processing). I want to do a PhD in Image processing or biomedical engineering

Undergrad CGPA 4.26/5. Masters 3.5/4

Am looking for full funding

My previous GRE score is 314 written in 2013 (still Valid). I hope to improve to 320-325.

I dont have a dream School

I was an assistant lecturer in a federal university for about 4 months, ive worked for about 3 years, i have about 5 academic publications (international conferences and journals including IEEE conferences)

I have withstand up to -3 degree (did masters in turkey)

School. Am having trouble because i dont have any creteria except good school and full funding option. may be if i can narrow my search to states or regions it will be easier or lower cost of living or friendly weather. i just have to narrow my search area.

DreManuel:


You mean for the GRE or schools?

DreManuel:


That's good then

Yap. Pls can you suggest a website for me where I will see comments on application processes

DreManuel:


Why don't you wanna register for it yourself? Or is the company giving you an incentive for registering with them?

There is incentive. TOEFL/ GRE with them is 45/50k against 180/200 dollars

nibrainengine:
pls my fellow people, I registered for GRE test slated for 1st of October with BY Mafit; pls how do I confirm this registration

Please in which centre are you writing? I want to register for same date in Abuja. About BY Mafit, I think they are slow but efficient. I was registered TOEFL with them. Disturb them phone calls until they do it. Please house I realized that most US schools give TA only if your TOEFL speaking is at least 25. Am I right

afroxyz:
Plz is there a GRE exam for November? Also is it possible to write the exam in November and still meet up with submission of application before the deadline which is December?

Yes there is at least I know of Abuja. Am also planning on writing GRE in Nov. Actually re-writing

adescopy:
Pls OP hw were the debris removed from the soil? or were they burnt or packed?

I used herbicides then made ridges directly

DreManuel:


I really dont know about the school but I think its in the top 150 in the US. Again, school ranking is not all encompassing. For instance, Yale is a tier 1 US school, but I would rather go to Georgia tech which is a lower ranking school as an engineering student cos its better in that. So I think what matters is the rating of the program you are going for, the reputation of the professor you will work with and the facilities they have, and most especially FUNDING.

And it's great that you fall within their GRE range. But that's not all. Some things should set you apart.

Now, since you are a PhD student and most PhDs in the US are fully funded, KSU might be a reasonable choice based on your profile.

What term are you looking at applying to? Do you still have enough time to retake the GRE? I think if the average GRE score for the school is 314, and you submit a 325 score, you will automatically stand out and have 99% chance of full funding, ceteris paribus.

I hope to apply for Fall 2018. I can write GRE in 2 months time hopefully. Actually their requirements is 305. But am open to all possible options. My research interest is image and signal processing but I would like to work in a biomedical imaging group.

DreManuel:


With GRE score of 314, Princeton would be ambitious. But if you have $90 for application fee, you might give it a try. Who knows your research area and publications coupled with strong SOP, LOR can stand you out.

I've searched ksu and it seems impressive and am within their GRE range. I hope to apply there. But how would you rate them

Emmysteve:
More pics please

I only took two pics. Hopefully next week I will get more. I was busy helping out a friend in his maize farm

MrChillz:


Check out University of Nebraska Lincoln
Michigan technological university
Kansas state university
Northeastern university
University of Massachusetts ( Boston, Lowell or Dartmouth)

Thanks. What of Princeton? Can I try

MrChillz:


Apply for PhD. Write a very good SOP and make sure your LOR is strong. You'd get fully funded admissions.

What's your area of research? So I may suggest some schools.

Please can I use LOR dated 2013? That's during my masters

MrChillz:


Apply for PhD. Write a very good SOP and make sure your LOR is strong. You'd get fully funded admissions.

What's your area of research? So I may suggest some schools.

Image and signal processing

MrChillz:


You have an excellent profile. Just take GRE and get a decent score. I'm sure you'll find it easy getting into first 100 ranked schools.

Thanks I have gre 314 but my analytical writing is just 3.0

6 days after planting

OGreene:
Then you can apply for PhD. Mostly full funding is available for PhD students. You need to research on the schools to pick. Type your course on the search tab and check the student visa thread. There are many Engineering students. Just ask, still do your own research.

Thanks alot

OGreene:
314 is okay. Full scholarship is based on a combination of diff factors of which your test score is part of.
Apply to schools that normally fund international students. Do a thorough search. All the best!!

Please my full profile is undergrad in Nigeria 4.26/5, masters in turkey 3.5/4, I have 5 publications with over 30 citations, TOEFL 104. Studied EE. Can you advise me on schools to check?

Please house I need help. I have written gre before. My scores were V155 Q159 A3.0. Is that a good result for full scholarship or do I need to write again

adescopy:
Is the 6k/h or for the whole 3 hectares. while are u spraying pre-emagence again after the first herbicide application? and what is the name?. Weldone u are doing a good job.

6k/h. I sprayed post emergence before, now it's post emergence

Please what is the cost of gre in Nigeria

Emmysteve:
how much did they charge you per hectare for this.? Please

6k

Today I have finished planting 3 hectares and have finished spray herbicides also. We wait

Yildiz:

I used these

You can see someone already spray the pre emergence herbicide though I mixed it with paraquat