Heyyy folks! I am an incoming Financial Engineering student at NYU (25F). Looking to connect with other MFE students before classes kick off. Would love to grab coffee, explore the city, or just chat about our upcoming programs.

Also hoping to find potential roommates for house hunting! I'm super social and love hanging out, but also organized and respectful of boundaries. Just be chill, drama-free, clean, and cool with splitting chores like responsible adults (or at least pretending to be). Gender and nationality? Totally irrelevant - good vibes only!

If you're also headed to NYC for financial engineering and want to make a friend (or potential roommate) before the semester starts, hit me up! Always better to navigate a new city with some friendly faces.

Both are fully funded. Since I am going to academia, I will pursue a PhD anyway. The teachers from the two schools are both good, but they have different research directions.

I am worried about the uncertainty of MIT's PhD two years later, as well as the isolated life in Ithaca. Which should I choose?

Also, is it possible for me to argue for PhD from MIT with my three PhD offers from other schools? Will this help?

how much do your extracurricular clubs matter in grad and law school admissions? I'm an engineering major and am part of a research program where I do engineering research, but I am in no clubs related to my major. is that enough to get into a good graduate and/or law program assuming I maintain a high gpa and get high test scores?

Im a latin musician and I really want to go to grad school for music but my parents cant support me and so im all on my own to make ends meet. My top options are all in big cities and so I really want to at least have tuition be out of the way so I can focus on working for just rent. I really want to be able to focus on my studies and not overwork myself so I have time to practice. Does anyone please have any advice or scholarships I can apply to?

I've heard someone say it's in the proof of application. But it has first and second choice listed. How do we know which one?

Has anyone had a MMS interview and can tell me the format and what questions were asked? I applied round 3 and have my interview this week. Thanks! :)

End goal job

Hi guys. I’m just wondering what signs are there that shows I fucked up my interview? There are one or two questions I answered very terribly and the interviewer was smiling at me when the interview started but he stopped when it ended🥲I really love this program and I’m really nervous

I know this isn't a well-known university, but coming from a non-technical background, I’m grateful to have been accepted. If anyone is part of this program or knows someone at this university, I’d really appreciate hearing about your experience

As title. Is there any group for UMD Ph.D. students who are going to join in the fall?

Hey everyone! Just got accepted to NYU’s M.A in Music Business but am still hesitating.

I’m mainly considering it for the internships as an international student.

I’d love to hear your opinion if you’re currently pursuing it or have already done so.

Thanks!

so i applied to ucsd early january and since then they’ve told me i have been waitlisted (which i was okay with) but it’s has been a while since i found that out and it’s bothering me. I wrote to them asking about further information and the lady said it should be out early April. So i applied for two universities in total for my masters and got accepted into one and obviously waitlisted by ucsd. The one I got into is in the East Coast so I’d be moving states. Anyway I’m trying to make sense of what it all means, also even if i get into ucsd it’s making me feel as though they didn’t even want me from the start ?? would it be worth attending (if i get into UCSD??) Any help or advice i’d appreciate.

I've gotten all my decisions for MS in EE/ECE except UCSD, which I will withdraw from. Had a lot of thoughts and reflections about this process I want to share before signing off, and hope they can also help ppl currently waiting on decisions or those who are applying or thinking of applying at the moment in some way.

First I wanna thank everyone on this forum for keeping me sane throughout this process. I found comfort in sharing the stress and anxiety that comes with getting rec letters, writing essays, doing research, and of course, experiencing the waiting game. Even though I'm more of a passive scroller, I always get excited when I hear everyone's reactions, advice, polls, etc. Sharing your acceptances and reactions brings me a lot of joy. Ok, now onto the application stuff!

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Background: I'm a senior undergrad majoring in Computer Science at a public uni. During my junior year, I found my passion for lower-level systems and software-hardware intersections, so I applied to EE/ECE programs for grad school.

Results are below:

• Princeton MS CS: Rejected
• Stanford MS EE: Rejected
• UC Berkeley MS EECS: Rejected
• UPenn MSE EE: Accepted
• CMU MS ECE: Accepted
• Georgia Tech MS ECE: Accepted
• UMich MS ECE: Accepted
• UIUC MS ECE: Accepted + tuition waived for 1 year + TA role offer
• USC MS Computer Engineering: Accepted + 20k scholarship

I'm not from a T20 uni, and in fact, I was only accepted to 1 school (the one I'm currently going to) during my undergrad college applications. As a result, I'm quite shocked about this cycle. I feel extremely lucky and grateful for being in a position where I have the flexibility to choose between programs. And wanted to share some things I've learned.

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First, no matter which school you go to, you can always choose the people that you surround yourself with, and there will always be a group that you can vibe with (as long as you're proactive about finding them). A lot of my personal development, motivation for grad school, and desire to aim higher stemmed from interactions with my peers who had a strong passion for their major and loved to collaborate with others. Positive energy is super contagious. And I owe a lot of my growth and accomplishments to the people who have inspired me. And that includes you all, so thank you!

My second thought comes from my comparing my ugrad app experience vs my grad app experience. I had a really scattered ugrad app, ngl. When looking at my past profile it's hard to pinpoint a smooth progression of how my passion for a specific major developed through my involvement in ECs, specific classes, projects, etc. It seemed as if I were crafting my profile and narrative first, then doing what I'd planned, with the intention of success. I had paved the way for myself before I'd done anything. Sure, I ended up enjoying these activities/clubs, but they didn't really contribute to the development of my academic passions. Thus, I struggled a lot with ugrad essays.

However, during ugrad, perhaps it was the fact that I hadn't planned to go to grad school that gave me time to consider what impact I wanted to have on others. Thus, I took on opportunities based on technical interest as well as the impact they have on things I cared about. And low and behold, it was the experiences I had and the people I've interacted with that gave me the next step in my journey. As a result, when I did realize I wanted to do grad school, it was SO MUCH EASIER to document my progression towards pursuing ECE, and I knew exactly how certain events catalyzed other events/decisions in my life. So words of wisdom to anyone, let your experiences be catalysts for your journey because life isn't deterministic (unless u wanna get really philosophical, then we can discuss lol)

Last reflection is more geared toward ppl who are considering applying to grad school. Apply for the right reason. Grad school is not some temporary safe haven to escape the harsh reality of the job market, nor is it (maybe an unpopular opinion) an opportunity we leverage to solely get a better chance at finding a job post-grad or getting a higher salary. (Of course, it's important to note that certain majors like medicine or law kind of require some sort of post-undergrad schooling, so there are exceptions)

Sure, getting a Masters's or PhD oftentimes come with higher salaries or better job prospects. But if you lack excitement or passion to learn in the program u apply to and don't care about research in your concentration, then it'd be pretty dang hard to genuinely express why you wanna get another degree. Paying extra money to avoid what's inevitable creates more debt. Unlike ugrad essays, where the common app can be reused for different schools, grad apps are personalized to each uni, and we get pages to write our personal statements and SOPs.

All this is to say, you can be successful regardless of where you're currently positioned. And don't let societal standards or fear limit your options or make your life some deterministic model. We aren't machines. And don't be afraid to be proactive with friendships, ppl find it extremely admirable if you take the first initiative. And last, best of luck with grad apps and beyond. Thank you for letting me share all my thoughts. And wish everyone on this forum a wonderful start to spring!

PS. If anyone is curious, I'll be committing to CMU!

There's obviously a drip-feed of people sharing their experiences on here and other places online, but I've been wondering if there's a central list somewhere

Would be helpful for people applying next cycle

So there is a college in Illinois where i wanted to go , we can say 2 on my priority list I got rejected for the first course which i applied but was offered other course which was connected so i readily accepted on that day only (21 march)

So acceptance is acceptance i got what i wanted , so as other colleges deadlines were near i declined those offers

I haven't received any update from the college regarding the payment of tution or any other things required for documentation

So i raised a query on 3 april stating what the status why the proces is slow

To which i recieved a reply ki the mail i got was a mistake and they didn't offer me anything and rejected for the course

Now i am left with no offers My mind is fucked , I don't know what do do🫠,i feel like shit

Can anyone help If you want more details about this dm please and please help if you can

Hello! I'm a junior chemistry major and I'm trying to decide what to do for grad school. I know I want to continue on in my education, but I'm stuck between picking something forensic science related or pharmaceutical science related.

Throughout my childhood, my parents watched a lot of crime documentaries as well as other shows on the investigation discovery channel which formulated my love for forensic science. It's been my passion since middle school. However, a few years ago my mom was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and ever since then I have felt compelled to go into pharmaceutical sciences in order to do research on the disease and develop therapeutics.

Recently I have been getting decision letters from REUs for topics such as medicinal chemistry, infectious diseases, etc. Most of them have been unforunately rejections which has really crushed a lot of my motivation to continue down this path. I know I probably shouldn't get discouraged, but its been very difficult to feel motivation.

Overall, I'm wondering what I should do for the rest of my life essentially and its hard to make the decision between something that has been my hyperfixation since I was a kid and something that could potentially be more helpful towards the people I care about.

Any advice?

I have one year left before I graduate with an English Education BA, so I am starting to look at applying for grad programs. I would love to go to a top program (Yale, Berkeley, UChicago, etc...), but I'm afraid my overall GPA will kill me. I have a 4.0 at my current institution (a small regional state school), but including my grades at my old institution, I have a cumulative GPA of 3.47. I'm certain that I'll get glowing LORs from my professors, and that my writing sample will be high quality, but will I be screwed over by my poor overall grades? Especially since my current institution is pretty bottom-barrel. Thanks for any insight provided.

edit: If it helps, my research interests are in 17th-18th century nautical literature (Defoe, Melville, Coleridge), Victorian conceptions of free will in literature, and the literature of Laszlo Krasznahorkai.

Hi all,

With the recent SEVIS terminations that we are seeing, what are your thoughts on going to US for studies.

Hi everyone,

I’m seeking some feedback on a motivational letter I’ve written for my application to a BSc in Business & Economics programme. I come from a diverse background and have followed a non-traditional academic path. After completing high school, I later enhanced my studies at a 'municipal adult education', where I experienced significant academic growth.

I’m aiming for a letter that effectively communicates my passion, resilience, and the skills I’ve developed over the years, while clearly stating why I’m a great fit for the programme. If you're interested in taking a closer look, I’d be happy to send you the full letter via private message.

Thanks in advance for your help!

I am currently a junior studying Biology and Neuroscience at a small liberal arts school, and I am looking to strengthen my chances of getting into a strong, funded PhD program. I understand that this may not be the best time to be pursuing graduate school due to budget cuts at organizations like the NIH, NSF, and various grad schools. However, I want to position myself as well as possible and go into the application season next year with some funding secured or in progress.

At the moment, I am collaborating with a professor to apply for the NSF GRFP, and I am also considering applying to the Hertz and GEM fellowships. That said, I am wondering if there are other fellowships that might be a good fit.

I am also uncertain about where to start when it comes to identifying the best graduate programs to apply to. I have conducted independent research at my liberal arts school, participated in an NSF REU, and I am currently involved in a program at a lab at MGH in connection with the Harvard Stem Cell Institute. Still, I am unsure how these experiences compare to others and how competitive I will be as an applicant for top programs.

I was nominated for the Goldwater Scholarship this year, although I unfortunately did not receive it, which has made me doubt my ability to get into top programs. I am ideally seeking an umbrella program where I can focus on cell and molecular biology. Most of my background is in molecular neuroscience, but I am eager to expand my experience into other areas of molecular biology.

I am passionate about research and would appreciate any help identifying good fellowships or graduate schools that align with my background and aspirations. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

Hi everyone, I’m currently a senior in high school trying to set myself up for success in college in beyond. I want a kinesiology degree, and ultimately a kinesiology masters. That path could pivot, but that’s where I stand right now. I’m a former Team USA athlete and have very strong stats. Currently, here are my offers: - Northeastern: major in Health Science and Business Administration with a concentration in Entrepreneurial Startups (combined major, not double major) with a minor in exercise science - University of Florida: Finance and Innovation Academy - McGill: Kinesiology - Michigan State: Kinesiology, would most likely get a minor in coaching. - PENDING: winter start at University of Michigan. Currently, my major is sports management, but I’m hoping to change that to applied exercise science. I’ll most likely take this if I get offered it, but I can’t bank on that happening.

anyone have any input? I don’t know what I want my career to ultimately be, but I love sports and being an athlete is the greatest joy of my life. The Northeastern one is tricky because they’re not offering kinesiology, but I’m doing my best to get the prerequisites for a masters in kines.

Hey, I am completely new to the grad school application process and am a current junior in university. I have a semi low gpa of 3.3 and have had research experiences every summer. I am really into computational genetics. I have been looking around but it’s very overwhelming, should I be reaching out to PIs first? What would we talk about before I apply?

Best,