- #1
leright
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- 19
First, a little background. I am a senior double major in electrical engineering and physics (with minor in chem, with 2 semesters of ochem and ochem lab) at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, MI. I have a modest overall GPA of 3.45, but a physics GPA of 3.92, an engineering GPA of 3.72, and a Jr/Sr GPA of ~3.7. I have to admit my GPA is rather weak. I took the physics GRE and I expect somewhere in between 50th percentile and 70th percentile, since I attempted 60/100 questions and perhaps got 50 of those right. Not great but not terrible. I am not sure what my general GRE scores look like but I plan to take the test next Saturday. Hopefully I will get 770 or above on quantitative...I may reschedule the exam for another weekend to give myself more time to prepare. I have some research experience at Wayne State University's smart sensors and integrated microsystems lab (I was full time for 3.5 months and part time for about 4 months). I didn't get any publications though. However, the experience gave me some good background in UHV systems/tech and plasma source molecular beam epitaxial growth of AlN thin films. I have some industry experience (about 5 months) at an automotive safety system engineering firm. I have also been a staff chemistry/physics tutor at my university's tutoring center, for what it's worth. I am involved in some organizations, such as SPS, sigma pi sigma (physics honor society), eta kappa nu (EE honor society), and IEEE student group. Hopefully, I will have good letters of recommendation: one from my solid state devices directed study advisor, one from my research advisor, and another from my faculty physics degree advisor. I may get additional letters later.
Now, I will discuss my goals. I want to enter a PhD program to do organic electronics/photonics research. Depending on the school, this would mean I would be applying to the material science PhD, EECS PhD, physics or applied physics PhD. Below are some of the American schools/professors that have good active research in this area.
MIT - Baldo/Bulovic group - EECS department
Cornell - Malliaras group - ChE/MSE department
Berkeley - Subramanian group - EECS department
U. Michigan - Kanicki group - EECS department
Arizona State University - Jabbour group - MSE department (He used to be at University of Arizona's optical science department)
U Texas - Dodabalapur group - EECS
UCSC - Carter group - Physics
UCLA - Yang group - MSE
Penn State - Jackson Group - EECS
GaTech - Center for organic photonics and electronics - EECS/MSE/Physics/etc.
These are schools I have an interest in going to for grad school. It seems these people are the big players in the organic electronics field right now. The schools/groups are not ranked in any particular order above. The schools/groups I am thinking about applying to are MIT, Cornell, Michigan, ASU, Texas, Penn State, and maybe UCSC. Which schools do you think I have a reasonable shot at? Are MIT, Cornell, and Michigan completely out of the question? Do I have a solid chance at Penn State, Texas, ASU, and UCSC? I would probably be happy at most of these places given I could get funding and tuition coverage through RA/TA positions and make a reasonable living (for a grad student).
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Now, I will discuss my goals. I want to enter a PhD program to do organic electronics/photonics research. Depending on the school, this would mean I would be applying to the material science PhD, EECS PhD, physics or applied physics PhD. Below are some of the American schools/professors that have good active research in this area.
MIT - Baldo/Bulovic group - EECS department
Cornell - Malliaras group - ChE/MSE department
Berkeley - Subramanian group - EECS department
U. Michigan - Kanicki group - EECS department
Arizona State University - Jabbour group - MSE department (He used to be at University of Arizona's optical science department)
U Texas - Dodabalapur group - EECS
UCSC - Carter group - Physics
UCLA - Yang group - MSE
Penn State - Jackson Group - EECS
GaTech - Center for organic photonics and electronics - EECS/MSE/Physics/etc.
These are schools I have an interest in going to for grad school. It seems these people are the big players in the organic electronics field right now. The schools/groups are not ranked in any particular order above. The schools/groups I am thinking about applying to are MIT, Cornell, Michigan, ASU, Texas, Penn State, and maybe UCSC. Which schools do you think I have a reasonable shot at? Are MIT, Cornell, and Michigan completely out of the question? Do I have a solid chance at Penn State, Texas, ASU, and UCSC? I would probably be happy at most of these places given I could get funding and tuition coverage through RA/TA positions and make a reasonable living (for a grad student).
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
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