Ph. D in Electrical Engineering Cornell University
- ParvathinathanIndia
- Cornell University, USA
- Ph. D in Electrical Engineering
I was admitted to the PhD program in Electrical Engineering at Cornell in the summer of 2002. My experience as a PhD student at Cornell has been truly amazing and I can say the same for all my friends who are or have studied here. The following essay contains some facts and lot of my personal opinions formed from my experience here. While I say these things with conviction, they should not be viewed as hard rules.
Ph.D Admission: As far as the selection process is concerned, the crucial components of an application are academic credentials (combination of grades and reputation of undergrad school), statement of purpose, and letters of recommendation. While a great GRE score may not be of much help, a poor one can be detrimental. A good TOEFL performance is necessary to be considered for Teaching assistantship.
Admission to the PhD program in Cornell always includes an assurance of financial aid for upto 3 years provided the student finds an advisor within a stipulated period of time (varies across departments). Financial aid fall under three categories: Fellowship, Teaching assistantship and Research assistantship. Fellowships are typically offered for one year (after which you become a TA or RA) and are hardest to get as there are few awards available to International students every year. Teaching assistantships are the more common financial aid package. The duties of a TA depends on the particular course ¿ it could range from handling laboratories, grading homeworks, giving supplementary lectures, to holding office hours. Research Assistantships are offered by specific Professors who are looking for students to join their research group and find suitable candidates from the pool of applicants. This process can be catalyzed during the admission process by students writing to Professors early. However, unless there are aspects of the resume that really stand out, they are less likely to receive a response ¿ Professors receive upto 400 such emails.
Finding an advisor is THE most important part of a PhD. Students who are Fellows or TAs have the luxury to interact with different Professors, students, attend research group meetings before they decide on a research group. Once a Professor agrees to take a student, it is likely that the student¿s financial aid will be converted to a research assistantship (unless a student has a Fellowship that spans multiple years). Students who are admitted as RAs start working with the particular Professor almost immediately. It is therefore important that the student is sure about joining the research group before accepting an RA offer. From my experience at Cornell, I have found that the atmosphere is extremely friendly and there is a lot of flexibility for students; I have known people who have switched advisors, switched research areas and even changed their department during their PhD. It is really hard to describe what a PhD is, it has to be experienced to be understood. In terms of formal evaluation, there are three examinations: Q, A and B (qualifier, proposal defense and thesis defense). The Q exam tests the student on technical skills and understanding of necessary subjects in the field. The nature of the exam depends on the particular department. In EE, we have an oral exam conducted by the advisor and one additional member of our PhD committee, whereas in the CS department at Cornell, there are five written examinations spanning different areas. The A-exam or the proposal defense happens when the student has decided on a topic to pursue, has obtained some basic results to indicate the solvability of the problem and has chalked out possible path for his/her thesis work. This is an oral examinations where a student is required to convince his special committee that his topic is important, interesting and solvable. The final exam is, of course, the defense, which is quite self-explanatory. The timing of each of these exams is a decision made by the student and the advisor.
Ithaca is a small collegetown in upstate New York. More than 60% of the residents are associated with the University. It is a very beautiful town with waterfalls, creeks and gorges within every half a mile. The weather however is nothing like what anyone has seen in India. While spring/summer/fall are pleasant and beautiful, winters are cold and harsh. Temperatures go as low as -30degrees during winter which lasts for a good four months. The location of the town is kind of secluded, where one needs to travel 30 miles to get to an interstate highway and about 60 miles to get to the nearest city which is Syracuse. Bigger cities such as New York and Philadelphia are about 250 miles away. The lack of proximity to big towns however does not mean a shortage of activity. Being in a collegetown has its own advantages and there are several student associations that organize activities ranging from parties, dance/music to outdoor activities.
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