Should I go to Graduate School? 

For most CEEs, the answer to this question is a definite YES. Since there are so many highly educated graduates in the world and because engineering work requires a high degree of technical training, graduate degrees are becoming more and more of a necessity. Though you can certainly be successful with just a BS, many higher level engineering positions (and an increasingly higher level of entry level positions) require at least a master's degree. Both academics and professionals agree: if you want to work in a technical CEE position, an advanced degree is just about mandatory. In addition to increasing your advancement opportunities, an advanced degree will also give your salary a significant boost. 

When Should I go to Graduate School? 

Okay, so you've decided that you're going to graduate school. The next question is: When? This is one of the most commonly asked--and most difficult to answer--questions regarding graduate school. The decision must be made to either go to graduate school right after you get your BS or to work for a while and return to school later. If you ask enough people, you'll get every possible response: those that when straight through and recommend doing so, those that went straight through and say it was a mistake, those that waited and recommend doing so, and those that waited and say it was a mistake. It's difficult to know exactly whose advice--if anybody’s--you should follow. And we're not about to pretend that we have the right answer for you. However, we do have some good points to keep in mind while making your decision. 

• If you are really sure about what you want to do with your career, going straight through may be a good idea. You can find a graduate program that will provide you with the chance to learn what you really want to learn, you can get your degree, and then get on with what you want to do. If you're not sure about what type of career you want, it might be better to wait before you go to graduate school. Advanced programs are usually very specialized, so you may end up studying something that you really aren't interested in. Taking time off will give you the chance to make a better decision on what to study.
• If you're running low on cash, taking time off might be a good idea. You can make some decent money for a few years, then return to school when your resources are stronger. Just don't let yourself get too financially dependent on your income (by buying new cars or homes, for example) or you'll find it difficult to be able to leave work to return to school.
• If you're really burnt out of school, taking a break from college may be a good idea. Taking time off will let you clear your head and return with more energy. On the other hand, if you're in an academic groove, it might be a good idea to take advantage of it by continuing straight through.

Choosing Graduate Schools to Apply To 

Selecting graduate schools to apply to can be a time consuming task. The following are some suggestions that should make your search a bit easier: 

• CGSS maintains a library of graduate school reference materials, including some information on engineering schools.
• Do NOT apply to school just because of its place in rankings (such as US News & World Report's annual list). Choose a school that has a strong program in the specific area that you want to study.
• Ask your professors or professionals for recommendations on which grad schools to look into.
• Almost every department of every university now has a web page. These vary in quality, but you can usually get a good feel for what type of program a school has.
• If you think you may be interested in a particular school, e-mail them and ask them to send you information. They will usually send you a catalog, application, and other info for free.  UC Berkeley has applications available in PDF format.  You can find it and other information at the Graduate Division WWW home page.

Preparing for Graduate School 

There are various things you can do during your years as an undergraduate that will help you prepare for graduate school. The following is a list of suggestions for improving your chances of getting into a good graduate school and successfully earning an advanced degree. 

Do Well in Your Classes 

Well, duh! Your grades are an important part of your application. Although graduate schools will look at all of your grades during college, most of their attention will be centered on your upper division technical courses. If you screwed up during your first couple years, you'll be okay as long as you do well during your junior and senior years. If you don't have very good grades, don't panic. There are many other factors that admissions officers will look at. Develop other parts of your application to make up for your grades. 

Standardized Tests 

And you thought you'd never see the SAT again! The most common test that you'll be required to take (virtually all US grad schools require you take it) is the Graduate Records Exam (a.k.a. the GRE or the SAT Revisited). The test is similar to the SAT, containing a verbal and math section almost identical to the ones you had back in high school. There is also a section that will test your analytic ability by having you solve silly puzzles about which farmers planted corn and peas in which year. There are many, many study guides and courses available to help you improve your test scores. Currently, you have the option of taking the test either on paper or on computer (referred to as the CAT--Computer Adaptive Test). There are plusses and minuses to each method, so you should really take practice tests under each format to see how well you do with each (they claim you'll get the same score regardless of which one you take, but that's not always true). 

Some grad schools or fellowship programs require you to take the engineering subject test, but these are rare. Find out if any of the schools you're interested in require this test and take it early--like the EIT, most of the material on the test will come from your lower division courses. 

The amount of weight given to your standardized test scores various from school to school. Most high ranking grad schools do not put a whole lot of emphasis on your scores. 

Research Experience 

Many professors consider your ability to conduct research the most important part of your application. Therefore, it's a good idea to get some research experience under your belt if you want to go to grad school, especially if you're planning on doing a doctoral program or a masters that will require independent research. There are many opportunities for undergrads to do research. The College has an undergraduate research program in which students are paid $500 for a semester to assist a faculty member on one of their projects. Look for announcements at the beginning of each semester. You can also develop your own research project and obtain funding from the university. Speak to someone at the Department or College headquarters for more info. You can also speak to professors directly to see what kind of opportunities are available. 

Letters of Recommendation 

When obtaining letters of recommendation, keep a few things in mind. 

• Try to get a set of letters that will show a wide range of your skills. Having three letter all from professors that say the same thing won't get you very far.
• If you’ve worked in a technical job (such as a co-op) get a letter from your supervisor.
• If you’ve done research for a professor (or anyone else, for that matter) have that person write you a letter that will emphasize your potential to do research.
• Have a resume, list of activities and honors, and any other information that will be useful to give your letter writer when you ask them to write a letter.
• Don't ask someone to write you a letter if you're not going to use it.