Strengthening
Your Application for Graduate Admission to University
The
following is a list of suggestions that, if followed closely, will strengthen
your application in the competitive field of graduate admissions to UC
Berkeley.
1.
Plan ahead and be organized
Research
the colleges and universities where you would like to apply. Find out if any of
the faculty are doing research in an area that interests you. Call or write the
University for application and information materials. Check the deadlines. Some
schools have two deadlines; a fellowship deadline, which is earlier, and a
general application deadline, which is
often
later. Make sure you apply before the deadlines. Most programs will not
accept late applications.
2.
Letter of Recommendation
For
graduate study, letters of recommendation are of extreme importance. Letters
from faculty are usually preferred by admission committees since they
believe only faculty can truly ascertain your true intellectual and graduate
student potential. You need three letters of recommendation. Try to get all
three from faculty with whom you’ve had a class, or
have
done research with. Professors invariably give your class grade in the letter,
so use caution in choosing your evaluators. Approach the faculty member and ask
her/him if they are able to write a positive letter of recommendation
for you. If they say they cannot, or
can
only write a neutral letter, approach someone else. Provide the evaluators with
additional material such as copies of your transcript, resume, your statement
of purpose, and a few notes (if necessary) about any pertinent personal
history. This can strengthen the letter they write for you. Make sure to give
them all the proper letter of recommendation forms, addresses, and deadlines.
3.
GRE
The
test required for entrance into graduate school is the general aptitude
(Quantitative, Analytical, and Verbal) component of the GRE. The general GRE
exam is offered throughout the year on computer. It is recommended that you take
this test by November (at the latest) in order to get test scores to the
admissions committee on time. (It takes 10 days for test results to be scored
and sent to the department.) The test may be taken more than once. All scores
will be reported to admissions committees. Try not to take the test more than
two times. It is recommended that you study for the test and take timed
practice exams ahead of time. You can buy GRE study guides and actual old exams
in book form at any bookstore. Your GRE score will improve if you take the
practice examinations in a timed format that mimics real testing conditions.
You should definitely order the FREE software and practice tests from ETS to
prepare for the computer administered test. Go to www.GRE.com to
download the free resources <www.gre.com/pracmats.html>. Many students contend
that taking the practice exam first on the computer makes a tremendous
difference in preparing for the test.
Please
note that the Analytical portion of the GRE has changed to an essay format. You
will be asked to write two essays on certain topics. Be as analytical in
responding to these, and try to back up what you’re “arguing” with logic,
analysis and if possible, quotes from references, if you know of any. The
Quantitative section of the GRE is considered of greatest importance to
admission committees in engineering. The math in this section is primarily at
the 10th or 11th grade level. It is expected that as an engineer, you should do
well on this section. There is no calculus on this test. Of secondary
importance is the Analytical section. (Go to the GRE web site for details.)
Less weight is usually given to the Verbal section (for engineers). For
students in the humanities, the verbal section is very important. For students
in the social sciences, all three sections are important. For Economics
students, the math section is also important.
The
GRE subject test is not required for the majority of those applying to
Berkeley, but it is required for some departments, such as Math, English, Biology
and Psychology. Make sure you check with the department you’re applying to
regarding whether it’s required. Do NOT take the general and subject tests on
the same day—it can be too much test taking in one day. It is STRONGLY
recommended that you prepare far ahead for the GRE. Most graduate programs take
the exam results very seriously. Those departments requiring the subject tests
will weigh them far more heavily than the general exam.
4.
Your College GPA
The
college GPA is a crucial component of the admissions process. A satisfactory
scholastic average, usually a minimum GPA of 3.0 is required by UC Berkeley for
admission, although some exceptions can possibly occur depending on circumstances.
Many admissions committees will consider upward trends in grades for admissions
purposes. However, the better your GPA, the better your chances of getting
admitted. The department of Civil Engineering looks at the GPA for all courses
after the second year. Pay careful attention should be made to any courses
taken at the undergraduate level which are pertinent to the area considered for
graduate study. If you are admitted to the MS program you may be able to
continue toward the Ph.D. pending you pass the preliminary examination and have
at least a 3.5 graduate GPA. 5. Research/Work Experience
If
you have the time, either during the academic year or summer vacation, try to
gain research experience with professors, summer research programs, or national
laboratories (e.g., Lawrence Berkeley Lab). This will give you an added edge in
the admission process, provide you with some insight about your own future
research interests, and augment your laboratory skills. Professors in all disciplines
often regard students as highly motivated when they partake in research as
undergraduates.
6.
Statement of Purpose
The
statement of purpose is one of the most important parts of the application
process. It is from this essay that the admissions committee will discern the
seriousness of your intentions, your experience, and your motivation for
graduate school. Think of the statement of purpose as a composition with three
different parts. The first part is a brief summary of the program you want to
study and what particular area of research you want to focus on. The second
part should be a summary of your college experiences. Describe what brought
about your interest in graduate study (perhaps a bit of pertinent background
information), any work experience you might have had, if you put yourself
through school, co-op or summer job experiences and research experiences. Here
you can clarify the job responsibilities you had. You may be as specific as
possible, as it is professors in your discipline who are reading this
statement. The third part discusses why you want to go to graduate school, what
you would like to study (research), and ideally. with whom you would like to
study. Write the department or consult the web for information concerning the
professor’s research interests, then consult your library for recent
publications. When you can mention what you would like to study, and whom you
would like to study with, it often indicates to department that you’ve done
your homework and have serious intentions about the pursuit of graduate study.
At all times, be sincere and honest.
7.
Financial Support
Also
make sure you apply for graduate admission by the university’s fellowship
(early) deadline. This insures that you will be considered for various
university fellowships. Make sure you apply for financial aid (you have to fill
out the FAFSA financial aid form by your university’s due date for
consideration), and any other private, national, or corporate based
fellowships
for which you may qualify. Underrepresented students in engineering who do not
have departmental support should apply to the GEM fellowship program
<http://was.nd.edu/gem/gemwebapp/gem_00_000.htm>. This program provides
tuition, a stipend, and a summer job in industry. The NSF fellowship is awarded
to students pursuing a Doctoral degree. If you are pursuing a Ph.D. and wish to
apply to this fellowship, you must apply before you complete 30 semester or 45
quarter graduate units. Go to your graduate fellowship offices to find other
fellowships for which you might qualify. Students in the social sciences and
humanities should check out the Javits and Ford fellowships (among many
others).
8.
Suggestions
Make
sure you indicate any hardships or obstacles you may have overcome in the
application. We look at this as a sign of perseverance. Let us know if you’ve
worked to support yourself through school. Apply to more than one school to
insure your acceptance to a graduate program (some programs are more
competitive than others).
If
time permits, try to visit the campus before you apply in order to allow some
of the faculty at that institution an opportunity to get to know you, while
also enabling you to get to know the university. Once you are admitted, make
sure you visit the campus if possible. Be on time, be organized, prepared, and
thorough. No application to any university will be processed unless all
materials are in. All application materials are usually available in August.
You can apply on-line (the preferred method) in October.
Following
these guidelines will help strengthen your application to UC Berkeley and any
other graduate school you wish to attend.
You
may consult Dr. Carla Trujillo, Director, Graduate Opportunity Program,
University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720- 5900 regarding any application
questions. She can also be reached at (510) 643-6010 or
gop@uclink.berkeley.edu, web:
www.grad.berkeley.edu/gop.
This information as well as other tips for applying to graduate school, is
available on the web at www.berkeley.edu/cues/grad.html. Good Luck!
Dear Madam/Sir On be haft of N.R.Engineering Co.,Ltd Thailand, would like to invite you to visit our Exhibition ,Booth C18 at...
Dear Madam/Sir On be haft of N.R.Engineering Co.,Ltd Thailand, would like to invite you to visit our Booth C321 at the exhibiti...
High Education does not means high of success but we learn how to succeed. T Learn to Succeed Many Things at One ...
Planning for Success You've no doubt heard the expression, "Failing to plan is planning to fail." Many entrepreneu...
Ten Things Money Can’t Buy? We talk a lot about money: How to get it, how to spend it, where to spend it, and how to save it. For al...
Some Things Money Can’t Buy The verdict is out on whether or not money can buy happiness , however, there are certainly thi...
