Advice needed to find schools that are easier to get in
Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2011 5:07 pm
Hi everyone!
This is my first post here, so apologies if I made any mistakes.
Also, really sorry for such a lengthy first post. I really have quite a lot on my mind.
Summary and main purpose of this post: How do I find/pick schools that are easier to get in (For a Masters program)?
My details:
Undergrad Institution: Foreign
Major(s): Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Minor(s): n/a
GPA: ~3.2-3.5/4.0 (Not sure how it converts. My university only gives honor classifications: 1st class, 2nd upper, 2nd lower etc. I had 2nd upper)
Type of Student: International student
Due to personal issues (mainly monetary problems to keep myself alive), I was unable to concentrate and get the best grades.
Now that I have worked a few years, I am doing fine financially and actively looking for a chance to study Mathematics.
Eventually, I hope to be doing Graph Theory related stuff.
(I picked EEE initially as I desperately need a job after I graduate. I was not certain if Mathematics would get me one for sure.)
Unfortunately, now I find it difficult to even get started.
Not only are my grades not outstanding, I have a mismatching major to boot.
I know for sure that I will not be admitted into good/decent schools.
Hence, I am hoping to enroll in a Masters course in some schools that are much easier to get in.
However, I am not sure how to find them.
The only good things I have going for me are the following:
1) Strong recommendation letters from my current employers
2) Good job records and some rather rich experience to write about
3) Very strong/experienced in programming
4) A Mathematics job: I was doing Signal Analysis originally and now doing Cryptography
Unfortunately, I will not be able to get strong letters from my undergraduate university.
In fact I do not have contact with any of my professors anymore.
I had just taken my GRE and expecting it to be around average. (Perhaps some 60-80%)
Actually, it need not even be a Masters program.
I am also considering all sorts of options that will give me a chance to get started on having experience in pure Mathematics,
up till a point where I will get a good chance of getting into a decent Masters/PhD course.
Except, I cannot think of any outside of redoing a Major in Mathematics altogether. (Which will take too much time.)
It suffice to say that I really want to get started soon.
I would be really grateful if anyone can give me any advice regarding this.
Thank you if you even bothered to read the whole lengthy post!
This is my first post here, so apologies if I made any mistakes.
Also, really sorry for such a lengthy first post. I really have quite a lot on my mind.
Summary and main purpose of this post: How do I find/pick schools that are easier to get in (For a Masters program)?
My details:
Undergrad Institution: Foreign
Major(s): Electrical and Electronics Engineering
Minor(s): n/a
GPA: ~3.2-3.5/4.0 (Not sure how it converts. My university only gives honor classifications: 1st class, 2nd upper, 2nd lower etc. I had 2nd upper)
Type of Student: International student
Due to personal issues (mainly monetary problems to keep myself alive), I was unable to concentrate and get the best grades.
Now that I have worked a few years, I am doing fine financially and actively looking for a chance to study Mathematics.
Eventually, I hope to be doing Graph Theory related stuff.
(I picked EEE initially as I desperately need a job after I graduate. I was not certain if Mathematics would get me one for sure.)
Unfortunately, now I find it difficult to even get started.
Not only are my grades not outstanding, I have a mismatching major to boot.
I know for sure that I will not be admitted into good/decent schools.
Hence, I am hoping to enroll in a Masters course in some schools that are much easier to get in.
However, I am not sure how to find them.
The only good things I have going for me are the following:
1) Strong recommendation letters from my current employers
2) Good job records and some rather rich experience to write about
3) Very strong/experienced in programming
4) A Mathematics job: I was doing Signal Analysis originally and now doing Cryptography
Unfortunately, I will not be able to get strong letters from my undergraduate university.
In fact I do not have contact with any of my professors anymore.
I had just taken my GRE and expecting it to be around average. (Perhaps some 60-80%)
Actually, it need not even be a Masters program.
I am also considering all sorts of options that will give me a chance to get started on having experience in pure Mathematics,
up till a point where I will get a good chance of getting into a decent Masters/PhD course.
Except, I cannot think of any outside of redoing a Major in Mathematics altogether. (Which will take too much time.)
It suffice to say that I really want to get started soon.
I would be really grateful if anyone can give me any advice regarding this.
Thank you if you even bothered to read the whole lengthy post!