What Students Say
Likes
- It is an ethnically and culturally diverse campus
- It has very vibrant student life, with lots of student organizations and events
- The professors and programs are great, especially in engineering
Dislikes
- Speedway, the main walking street on campus, gets super packed between classes
- There are limited public transport, and they often feel unsafe because of homeless people riding them
- Housing and food can around campus are expensive
Course Curriculum
- The curriculum is challenging, balancing both theory and practical application
- Positive aspects: rigorous academics, strong faculty. Negative aspects: heavy workload
- Typically I have 2 classes per day, from morning until evening. Totally depends on the courses you choose
- There are around 20-40 students per class, on average
- About 40% of the cohort is from India
Admission Experience
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I applied to 7 Universities in the US:
- Waitlisted: UCSD
- Rejected: Stanford, UCB, Georgia Tech, USC
- Admitted: Purdue, UT Austin -
Possible reasons for rejection (these are never revealed by the admissions committee, so I am purely hypothesising):
- There might have been too many competitive applicants for the number of available seats
- Some schools might be paying attention to unique skill sets (having prior research experience or courses taken in a particular field) that I might have lacked -
I chose UT Austin for its strong reputation in electrical engineering and world-renowned faculty members. Its location in the technologically and culturally booming vibrant city of Austin also made it a favorable choice
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I had applied for the Fall 2022 intake, but deferred my joining until Spring 2023. There was no specific factor influencing this decision
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The entire process took ~4 months. I applied online by the regular deadline of December 15th, and had an interview in February. The admission letter came in early April, and I had time until April 15th to accept it
Faculty
- The faculty-to-student ratio is around 1:40 - this allows faculty members to give some personalized attention, especially through office hours
- Faculty members use a mix of lectures and homeworks/projects based on real-world problems. This approach prepares us well for jobs, by giving us exposure to both theoretical knowledge and real-world skills
- For students developing a good rapport with faculty members, some faculty members may reach out to their professional networks to help those students find internships or full-time job opportunities
- I particularly admire my PhD supervisor Dr. Alex Hanson. His lectures/homeworks are designed to build deep intuitive understanding of complex engineering concepts
Campus Life
- There are 8 institutions in the University of Texas system: Austin, Dallas, San Antonio, Arlington, Rio Grande Valley, El Paso, Permian Basin, Tyler
- There is a common library for the University, and almost each department has its own library. There are tons of sports facilities, including an American football stadium that can accommodate 1 lakh people. There are ample medical services
- There are a plethora of events that happen every day - refer to https://calendar.utexas.edu/
- There are far too many to name - please refer to Google.
Part Time Jobs
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Students securing positions:
1.TA: My guess would be 20% of grad students.
2.GRA: Common in research fields for grad students, especially PhD
3.DA: never heard- Pay Range: Same for all positions, for Electrical Engineering grad students: $3000/month
- Other Jobs Library, dining, student center, admin support (pay $12–$18/hour)
- Max Hours: 20/week during term, 40 during breaks
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Job Availability
1. TA/GRA: Competitive.
2. Other jobs: Easier to secure, especially in dining or libraries
Students typically earn $12-18/h. Securing part-time work as a student usually involves: 1. Job Search: Look for job openings online, through university career centers, or by networking with peers and professionals. 2. Applications: Submit a resume (and sometimes a cover letter) either online or in person. 3. Interviews: Attend phone or in-person interviews to discuss your suitability for the position.
Placement
- Employment data is unavailable with me
- I cannot speak for the average, but I was offered close to $100k/year after my Masters
- Campus recruitment is the primary means only for some or the big companies (e.g., TI, Apple). Most other companies do majority of their hiring through online applications, or though networking via LinkedIn or other opportunities
- Magnificent Seven companies (NVIDIA, Google, Apple, Tesla, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta)
Accommodation
- I found my off-campus accommodation by searching through websites like Zillow and Facebook groups, as well as recommendations from senior
- The rent is around $1500 per month, for a single-room apartment, and has access to a laundry machine in-unit
- The main challenge was finding a place within my budget, but having nice amenities
- Recommendations: Start looking early, join University housing groups on Facebook, and try to find roommates to live in a budget-friendly shared apartment
- My accommodation is about 30 minutes from campus by bus. Most Indian students tend to live closer to campus, in nearby neighborhoods like Hyde Park or Hancock
Exams
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GRE and TOEFL/IELTS are required
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Statement of Purpose, LoR, CV and transcript are necessary while applying. Official transcript needs to be sent by post after being offered admission
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Yes, I had an interview with my faculty member of interest, because I was getting admitted to the PhD program with funding (Graduate Research Assistantship). MS students admitted without funding do not have interviews
Fees
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Tuition and fees: $11575 per semester for 9 credit hours
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It is charged on a per-credit basis - please check website for details: https://onestop.utexas.edu/managing-costs/cost-tuition-rates/
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Total monthly expenses: $2200 including $1500 on rent (single room with private bathroom), $400 on groceries/food, and $300 on other expenses (transport etc)
Scholarship
- I have been on Graduate Research Assistantship for my entire PhD. All graduate students are eligible for this
- I receive a stipend of $3000/mo, and the entire tuition fee is waived
- Yes, most of the other PhD students in my cohort also received either Graduate Research Assistantship or Teaching Assistantship. Some MS students also received them
- That data is unavailable with me. All 20-hour Assistantship positions in Electrical Engineering receive the same amount. External fellowships also typically pay the same
