MS Admits: Interview with Ritika Sridharan
Written on April 25th, 2020 by {"login"=>"jcbitshyd", "email"=>"journal@hyderabad.bits-pilani.ac.in", "display_name"=>"Journal Club, BPHC", "first_name"=>"", "last_name"=>""}Q. Where and which programme have you been offered?
A. Master of Science in Environmental Engineering at Georgia Tech, Atlanta.
Q. What made you choose this particular field?
A. I was always interested in doing something environmentally-related for a really long time, even before I started my graduation. I wasn’t sure which specialization to pursue until the end of second year, so I took up the elective “Introduction to Environmental Engineering” in 3-1 to see if I’d like it and I ended up enjoying the coursework a lot so I decided that’s what I wanted to do.
Q. Can you elaborate on the importance of CGPA and projects for pursuing masters?
A. I would say that a good CGPA boosts your profile, but you could make up for it by having an otherwise excellent profile in terms of research projects, publications, strong LoRs and a good SoP. But in general, having a good CG leads to more opportunities, as it’s one of the basic cutoffs that professors look for, whether it’s for an off-campus thesis or Masters or even doing a project under a professor on campus. At the end of the day, universities make decisions based on the CV you submit to analyze if you’d be a good fit for their program and your CGPA is definitely one of the metrics that speaks to how well you have performed in your undergrad and how you can contribute to their grad programs. Coming to projects, they’re definitely very important. Universities are always looking to take in research-oriented students and doing projects in your undergrad is the best way to build up your research profile. Projects also expose you to potential topics you may want to pursue further research in and working on them could eventually help you figure out what topic you would want to do a thesis or PhD in. So to summarize, a good CG with projects goes a long way.
Q. Other than grades, what should someone focus on in order to find their interests?
A. Being open to learning new things. There’s infinite resources on the internet to explore a variety of subjects including the ones that are currently unexplored in our curriculum. If you feel like you’re not into core and would like to develop some other skills, say coding for example, there are plenty of platforms available online to do so. Of the resources available on campus, a good idea would be to take up electives from different fields that seem interesting to you. A lot of students don’t usually end up taking certain courses because they hear that the grading is strict or the professor is not great; this information could be biased and may not be entirely accurate so do not give up this chance to explore your areas of interest.
Q. What suggestions would you give to the juniors who are still confused on whether they should do MS or focus on placements?
A. This is very subjective and depends entirely on your interests. If you’re into research and are almost certain that you want to pursue a PhD eventually, then MS is definitely the way to go. If you are unsure about working right after college as you would like to study the subfield of your interest more (as I am), then again MS is the right option. Plus you can apply for MS after working for a few years. If you decide that working doesn’t suit you, you can always choose to study more! It’s a choice between gaining work experience (and money) vs specialized knowledge and you’ll have to choose what’s best for you.
Q. What would you suggest to your juniors who are interested in core but still ambivalent about pursuing it?
A. I think that there’s no right answer to this. You’ll have to weigh in factors like your personal interest and financial gain. I will say that doing a Masters being a core student is pretty important as specialization is something companies look for. So if you intend on pursuing core, you might want to look into doing a Masters as well. Of course it’s not a necessity, but it certainly makes you more marketable and the pay is higher. On the other hand, finance companies pay good salaries right after undergrad. So if getting a high salary as soon as possible is important, then core might not be a good option. It is also more difficult to land a job in core but there is good growth. The best way to make a decision would be to stay in touch with seniors who have pursued core (both MS+job and PhD) so that you are aware of the latest opportunities.
Q. Do you have any other advice for juniors whether or not related to academics?
A. It is really important to be in touch with your professors and I’ve found that one of the best ways to do that is to attend classes. Attending classes really reduces your workload and professors are more willing to give you projects when they see you in class. It also gives you a lot more time to pursue your own interests in the evenings without having to catch up with classes on your own or cram the night before the exam. It’s also very helpful to be in contact with your seniors. Because they’ve gone through the drill before, they can guide you the best.
Q. How important are LoRs ( Letter of Recommendation) in the process to get admits?
A. Universities review applications holistically but LoRs are a very important aspect of your application. It is a personal letter written by your professors reflecting the work you've done under them and your potential as a research scholar. Because it's a direct "review" of your performance as an undergraduate student, it adds credibility to your profile. Strong LoRs can also make up for weaker areas of your profile like low CG. Universities can usually differentiate between a "generic" LoR and a letter written by a professor that knows you well, which is another reason why regular interactions with project supervisors and course instructors could really help your profile. As to how to seek them, usually professors under whom you do a project should write you strong LoRs (as long as you work hard). If you have not done any projects, it is more difficult but you can still approach your course instructors under whom you have done multiple courses or secured high grades.