Graduate School and
Funding Opportunities
Brian Trease
Mechanical Engineering
Compliant Systems Design Lab
Jessica Williams
Biomedical Engineering
Skeletal Engineering Group
University of Toledo Alumni
University of Michigan Graduate Students
National Science Foundation Fellows
Why are YOU here?
Considering Graduate
School?
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Enjoy doing research
Desire to continue learning
Job perspective
– Industry: Head of research team, creating
your own projects from your own ideas
– Academic Career: Professor, Researcher
Deciding on a school:
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Location. Take into consideration all of
your hopes and dreams.
Decide on a professor, NOT a school.
– Decide on a specific project
– For industry jobs, make sure the prof
uses cutting edge technology
Application Requirements
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Application
Statement of Purpose
Transcripts
Letters of Recommendation
GRE general
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Application
– Application Deadline is Jan. 15 for Fall 2003
(UofM). Some are earlier.
– The earlier you get it in, the better.
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Statement of Purpose
– 1-2 pages double spaced
– Your goals for going to grad school
– Research/Internship highlights
– Identify faculty/labs where you might be
interested
– Explanations, e.g. a bad semester
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Transcripts
– Order early (in October)
– You can have the school mail it directly to the school
you’re applying to, or you can send it with any other
material as long as it is in a sealed envelope.
– If you are unsure of which schools you will be
applying to, get multiple copies mailed to you in
signed, sealed envelopes.
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Letters of Recommendation
– Most schools require 3 letters (at least 2 of the 3
should be from faculty).
– Ask early
– Provide a cover letter with information about the
deadline, the address, and any information about
yourself that might be helpful to them.
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GRE
– Most schools require the GRE general
– Scores take about 4 weeks to reach schools,
so plan on taking it with plenty of time before
the application deadline.
– The GRE changed its form on Oct. 1 to
include an analytical writing section.
– Study for the GRE. You can download some
practice tests at www.gre.org
Financial Aid
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4 types of financial aid
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Fellowships (departmental scholarships)
GSI (TA) positions (given by department)
Research Assistant Positions (given directly by faculty)
Outside Fellowships
Everyone is considered for departmental
financial aid when they apply to the program
Financial Aid is Extremely Competitive
Outside Fellowships
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National Science Foundation (NSF)
Hertz
National Defense Sci and Eng Fellowship
Department of Defense
NASA
GEM Minority
Ford Foundation Minority
Bell Labs Fellowship
Gates Millennium Scholarship
National Science
Foundation Fellowship
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Offers three-year graduate research
fellowships in science, mathematics,
and engineering
Duration: 3 years, usable over 5 year
period
Benefits: $30,000 stipend for 12
month tenure plus $10,500 tuition
allowance
How to Apply:
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Provide the following documents
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Information Form
Application Form
Proposed Plan of Research
Previous Research Experience
4 Letter of Recommendation (typically from
professors and co-op supervisors)
Submission is done online
Deadline: Early NOVEMBER
Why you should apply?
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Good Money!!
Good for resume (prestige)
Self-confidence
Academic Freedom
Good preparation for your academic
career
Keeps your PhD advisor happy
Tips for a successful
application
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Get a good GPA and good letters of
recommendation
Get involved in undergrad research
Get to know faculty members
Talk to professors and grad students about
cutting edge research
Ask professors for feedback on your essays
Get a copy of a successful grant from a
professor
Preparation of Critical
Documents
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Proposed Plan of Research
– Needs to be specific about a particular
project
– Should address long-term goals as well as
well-planned research activities
– Can be based on (a) technical journals
(b) seminar talks (c) your own
undergrad/grad research and (d) a
professors successful proposal
Preparation of Critical
Documents
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Previous Research Experience
– Internships
– Co-op experiences
– Undergraduate Research
Planning your research
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Your research proposal needs to describe:
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Research background and technical problems
Solutions for these problems
Objectives
Impacts
Ask a professor for help
Summary Timeline
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NOW!!!
– Take the GRE
– Get Research Experience
– Obtain Application Materials
– Research the faculty/areas of interest
– Contact recommenders
– Look at Fellowships
Timeline cont.
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October
– Work on Application
– Ask for Recommendations
– Do Fellowship Applications
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November/December
– Finish Application
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Early March, decisions from us
Timeline cont.
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Decisions usually come out in early
March
University of Michigan
Fall 2005 Admission Applications
http://www.engin.umich.edu/students/prospective/graduate/admissions/ap
plying
.html
 Engineering Departmental Contacts
http://www.engin.umich.edu/admin/adge/contacts/gradprogcontacts.pdf
 Fall 2005 Recruitment Travel Schedule
http://www.engin.umich.edu/admin/adge/recruiting/events/index.html
 Funding Resources
http://www.engin.umich.edu/students/current/graduate/scholarships/otherf
undi
ngsources.html
 Additional Recruiting Events
http://www.engin.umich.edu/admin/adge/recruiting/
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