How I got into Texas A&M, USA for Master’s in Electrical Engineering

Hello Anish! Let’s uncover how you got into Texas A&M!

Hey! Who are you, what is your background and what are you currently doing?

Hi, I’m Anish. I’m currently pursuing my master’s in Electrical Engineering at Texas A&M University, College Station. For my undergraduate studies, I did a dual degree at BITS Pilani, Hyderabad campus. It was a five-year program, and I earned a master’s in Physics along with a bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Electronics & Communication). I graduated in 2023.

I’ve always been passionate about Physics, even from high school. I worked on a project in the field of device physics, which I later published. This project involved both fundamental device physics and electronics. It was my major project, but I also did a few course projects related to computer architecture. These projects focused on Verilog coding, creating test benches, and working with RISC-V architecture.

I’ve done two internships. One was at Intel, where I worked for four months with the Quality and Reliability team. This wasn’t a hands-on role but more of a learning experience. I was introduced to software like Cadence, which is widely used in the industry. My second internship was at AMD in a software role, where I worked on Python for web development, automating tasks and creating web pages for the team.

While my internships weren’t directly related to my coursework, when it comes to placement or internship interviews, they will definitely ask you about the core courses and projects you’ve completed. The key skills you need include Verilog coding, basic C or C++, and fundamental circuit design (such as adders and multipliers). Courses in computer architecture will help you develop Verilog coding skills, and if you take them seriously, you’ll gain a lot from both the coursework and labs.

Advice

If you’re interested in working in the core electronics or semiconductor industry, foundational courses like digital design and computer architecture are crucial. Most of the placement interview questions come from these areas, so it’s essential to have a strong grasp of the fundamentals.

In your second or third year, it’s important to decide whether you want to focus on digital or analog electronics, as these are the two main subfields in the semiconductor industry. There are courses like analog circuit design and microelectronic devices that introduce you to analog electronics, and these are usually covered early in the program. Once you decide your focus, you should choose electives accordingly. For example, if you’re more interested in the digital domain, you might take courses like computer architecture, advanced VLSI design, or analog and digital VLSI design.

How did you decide that you wanted to pursue a Master’s in the US?

I made the decision to pursue a master’s degree fairly late. It was actually after a conversation with my manager at AMD that I seriously considered it. He strongly suggested that I pursue my master’s, especially from the U.S., because the U.S. is a global leader in the semiconductor industry. Most of the cutting-edge chip design and development happens there, even though many semiconductor companies have offices in India.

In India, a lot of the work done in these offices is more focused on backend operations, rather than design. If you’re interested in working in design roles, you really need to either apply for jobs in the U.S. or pursue higher education there to break into that market. That was my first motivation to pursue a master’s in the U.S., especially with my background in electronics, as it was the only field I wanted to focus on.

One of the main risks I considered was the financial investment—it’s a huge commitment. But after talking to seniors who were already pursuing their master’s or higher education in the same field, I felt reassured. While the market wasn’t perfect when I applied, there was potential for it to improve in the next couple of years. I calculated that the return on investment would likely be significant.

The U.S. has been a leader in the semiconductor industry since the 1970s, when they started making computers and chips. They’ve had a first-mover advantage and have invested heavily in this field. Setting up a foundry, for example, requires over $10 billion, and the U.S. has not only set these up domestically but also in countries like Korea and Taiwan. This heavy investment in chip design and manufacturing is why, if you want to build a career in semiconductors, the U.S. is the place to be.

As for the roles in India, most of the work is focused on verification and validation. The design process typically happens in the U.S., and once the design is completed, it’s sent over to the teams in India for verification. So, you’re not really part of the core design process in most cases.

How did you start your application preparation; can you throw some light on profile building, GRE, LORs and SOPs?

Approach

I approached my application preparation step by step. The first thing I did was search for universities that offered the courses I was interested in. The list might be long—10, 30, or even 40 universities—but that doesn’t matter at first. You just need to start by going to Google and searching for your course in the U.S., then compile the names of the universities offering those courses.

After that, I reached out to seniors, alumni, and friends who were already doing their master’s to see how they chose their universities. I specifically looked for people with similar profiles to mine and noted which universities they applied to. This helped me with shortlisting universities.

As for profile building, I didn’t do anything extra. I had already completed my undergraduate studies when I started applying, so I focused on making my resume stronger. I included all the projects I had worked on—whether they were relevant or not—along with my coursework, internships, and any publications. If you have any extracurricular activities, like being part of a club, playing sports, or even something small like singing, it helps to include that in your resume to show your well-rounded profile.

GRE

My GRE score was 319. I prepared for about two to three months using a Magoosh membership. I dedicated a couple of hours each day to studying, with a focus on the quantitative section, since that’s where you can potentially score full marks. For most people, two to three months of preparation should be enough to get a score of 320 or higher, but it also depends on your background. For the verbal section, the key is memorizing as many words as you can. You can download an app to help with that, and just go over the words whenever you have free time. That’s the best way to prepare for the verbal section, along with regular practice.

SOP

The hardest part of writing an SOP is getting started. Once you do, it flows more easily. I decided to structure my SOP with four to five paragraphs. The first paragraph was about my academic background, the second covered the relevant projects and coursework I completed, and the third was about my internships. Even if your internships aren’t directly related to the field you’re applying to, you just need to show how they helped you learn something useful for your master’s program or future jobs.

The final paragraph of the SOP should be about the university you’re applying to. You need to research the university, identify professors you’d like to work with, and mention the courses you want to take. This section can be modified for each university, while the other parts of the SOP remain mostly the same.

Most importantly, your SOP should show your willingness to learn, acquire new skills, and express a strong interest in the master’s program. It doesn’t matter whether you have years of experience or none at all—what’s important is how you structure your SOP to show genuine interest in the field.

LOR

For letters of recommendation (LORs), most programs require three. I got one academic LOR from a professor I worked with on a project and a publication. The second LOR was from my manager at AMD, which was more industry-related. The third LOR was from another undergrad faculty member. So I had two academic LORs and one from the industry.

What colleges did you apply for and what was the result?

Once you have a list of universities offering the course you want to pursue, the first step is to find people with a similar profile and talk to them. Ask them which universities they applied to so you can get an idea of where to focus. That will help you start shortlisting universities from your initial list of 30-40.

The second step is to visit the websites of those shortlisted universities and go through every detail of the course you’re interested in. Check how many credits they offer, what specific courses are available, and whether they align with the specialization you want to pursue. Most importantly, consider the tuition fees, the overall cost of attendance, and the cost of living in that city, because these factors vary significantly from one university to another.

I ended up shortlisting around 10 universities and applied to 9. I categorized them into three groups:

• Ambitious: UT Austin, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and UC Berkeley
• Moderate: Georgia Tech, Purdue, and Texas A&M
• Safe: UT Dallas, NCSU, and UCSD (though UCSD could be considered between moderate and safe)

Out of the 9 universities I applied to, I received 4 admits: Texas A&M, NCSU, UCSD, and UT Dallas.

I decided to pursue my master’s in June 2023, more than a year before the actual start date of my program. I began shortlisting universities in July, which took me about a month. After that, I started preparing for the GRE and TOEFL. I spent around two and a half months preparing and took both exams in October.

Once my exams were done, I finalized the 9 universities I wanted to apply to. The application process for fall admissions typically starts around September, so I began filling out applications by the end of October and into November. If you’re free during the day, each university application takes around two days to complete. Most deadlines for fall applications are between February and March, so I finished all my applications by mid to late January.

After applying, admits usually start coming out in April. Between January and April, you have time to manage your finances—whether that’s securing an education loan or finding other funding options. I received my admit from Texas A&M in March. Once you get an admit, the process begins to secure the I-20 form from the university. With that I-20, you can apply for a visa, and visa interviews generally open in May. It’s best to apply for your visa as soon as you get your I-20 to get an early interview slot.

Can you tell us more about the course and what the learning outcomes are?

So my course can be completed in three semesters. I’m currently in my first semester. Typically, you take two or three courses each semester. This semester, I’ve taken courses in the Digital VLSI Design domain. These courses are similar to what we studied in undergrad, but they’re an upgraded version with more advanced material. The labs, in particular, are really good and teach you a lot more practical skills rather than just theory. That’s something I found different between undergrad and graduate education.

For the next two semesters, I have the flexibility to choose any courses from the list, as there are no compulsory courses I have to take. Based on what I’m studying now, I’ll likely pick advanced courses that build on the current ones. For example, in the next semester, I’m planning to take courses like Formal Verification or Advanced Digital VLSI Design.

If your goal in pursuing a master’s is to get a job in the US, these courses will help you brush up on the fundamentals from undergrad while also introducing more advanced theory. This additional knowledge can be really helpful during job interviews, as they often ask questions related to the material from these courses.

Another key aspect of the program is the practical training. You get hands-on experience with software like Verilog or Cadence, where you design circuits and schematics. This practical training is really valuable because companies look for students who have this kind of hands-on experience when hiring.

What is the cost of tuition and cost of living, and how are you planning to fund your studies?

The cost of tuition at Texas A&M is around $1,200 per credit. So, for the entire master’s course, the tuition cost comes to about $45,000 to $50,000. In Indian rupees, that’s approximately 40 lakhs. This is just the tuition cost.

As for living expenses, Texas is relatively affordable compared to other states like California or New York. The living cost here is around $800 per month, which includes rent, groceries, and other basic expenses.

I’ve taken an education loan from HDFC Credila, but there are many banks that offer education loans. The loan covers everything, including tuition, living costs, travel expenses, and other educational needs.

How was your experience with the visa process, finding accommodation and travel?

The visa process starts after receiving your admission from the university. The first step is to get a form called the I-20 from the university. To obtain the I-20, you need to show that you have enough funding to support yourself for one year in the U.S. Once you provide proof of funding, the university issues the I-20, which is essential for starting your student visa application.

After getting the I-20, you can begin filling out the student visa form. Once that’s done, you’ll pay the visa fee and schedule your interview. Scheduling the interview can be a bit tedious since so many students are applying for visas. Sometimes, you have to stay up late to book an interview slot, but everyone does eventually get an interview.

The student visa interview itself is straightforward. They usually ask a few questions about the university you’re attending, the course you’re enrolled in, and importantly, what your plans are after completing your master’s. They expect you to show intent to return to India after your studies. If they believe you intend to stay in the U.S. permanently, they might reject your visa. So, it’s important to answer in a way that shows you plan to return to India, either for a job or research.

What does the future after master’s look like?

Master’s students can do their summer internships after the first year. Since I’m a Fall ’24 admit, I’ll be eligible to do my summer internship in 2025, after completing two semesters. For these internships, it’s important to start applying early, typically around September or October of the fall semester, because competition is high and many companies open their positions during this time, a year in advance.

Internships typically last three months, and you get paid on an hourly basis. If you secure an internship at a mid-sized company, you can expect to earn around $5,000 to $6,000 per month, which totals roughly $15,000 to $20,000 over three months.

After your summer internship, many companies offer the opportunity to extend the internship into the next semester, called a co-op. If approved by the university, you can do a semester-long internship while deferring your courses to the last semester. Many students who do these semester-long co-ops end up getting full-time offers from the same companies, as they’ve already worked there for nine months, increasing their chances of being hired.

In the semiconductor industry, there are many companies like Intel, AMD, NXP Semiconductors, Samsung, TSMC, GlobalFoundries, Applied Materials, and Texas Instruments that hire interns and sponsor H-1B visas. However, some companies may only hire U.S. students because they are unwilling to sponsor international students for the H-1B visa, so it’s important to check this before applying.

The average starting salary for an electronics or electrical engineer is around $100,000 per year. If you have prior work experience, this can increase to $120,000 or even $130,000. For freshers, the starting salary is typically between $90,000 and $100,000.

There are many roles in the digital domain. For example, there are design roles such as System-on-Chip (SOC) design, physical design, and circuit design. There’s also a branch for verification and validation roles. For internships, you may not need prior relevant coursework or projects in these areas, but for full-time positions, it’s best to have relevant projects or experience related to the role you’re applying for.

Any final words of advice for anyone who aspires to be where you currently are?

Alright, so here are a few things I’ve noticed after coming here that might help others.

First, having work experience adds a lot of weight to your profile. It becomes easier to get internships and full-time jobs if you have prior experience. So, if you’re planning to pursue your master’s right after undergrad, you might want to consider working for a year or two before coming for your master’s. It will significantly help with your job search and securing internships.

Second, if you’ve already decided on your specialization, that’s a big advantage. For example, if you’re applying for electrical engineering but know you want to specialize in nanotechnology, that’s a plus. Knowing your specialization makes it easier to connect with professors and secure Teaching Assistantships (TAs) or Research Assistantships (RAs), which can fund almost your entire education here. It also saves you time because you’ll only take the courses related to your specialization, rather than spending time figuring it out after arriving.

Throughout the process what were some helpful resources, tools and books you used?

GRE – “What resources did you use for your GRE prep?”

• Magoosh – for both Quant and Verbal GRE Prep
• Magoosh Flash Cards – for learning new words

Financing – “How did you finance your education, are there some reliable loan providers?”

• HDFC Credila
• IndusInd forex card

Other important resources (by the grad post):

• TTP
• MakeMyTrip – for air travel and temporary accommodations in Singapore
• HDFC Credit Cards – for help with international transactions and lounge access
• Yocket

Connect

Linkedin – https://www.linkedin.com/in/anish-apte/

The Grad Post is organising 100s of such case studies for students going abroad. You can have a look at the website here.

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