Problem
A canning factory is able to produce 4,800 cans of soup in one hour. At this rate, in how many minutes can the canning factory produce 400 cans?
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SCORE WELL
Undergraduate grades and GRE scores are the only objective ways that applicants from different schools can be compared, so scoring well is key. The bar for graduate admissions, though, is higher than for undergrad, and showing steady improvement won't always cut it. If your grades are not at the top of the class, getting an outstanding letter of recommendation from a professor who knows you and your work well may be a saving grace.
RESEARCH HELPS
Most undergraduates have had some research experience, which is a good thing. Graduate programs value such experience highly. If you somehow managed to get your B.S. without spending time in a lab, doing some engineering-related work between undergraduate study and grad school can help, admissions officers say.
DO A LITTLE HOMEWORK
Do some research about the people with whom you'd like to do research. Graduate students spend a good deal of time with individual faculty members. Check out what other students are researching and which professors they are working with. Visit the campus, and take a stroll around the laboratories. A few hours on campus can tell you more about the place than days spent reading glossy admissions brochures.
RANKINGS AREN'T EVERYTHING
If you already have a particular field in mind, look at schools that have a strong track record of placing graduates in jobs in that area. Don't let a school's overall ranking discourage you from applying if one of its individual programs is particularly strong.
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