JotCast | Applied Graduate Student Chat, Dec 18, 2019 - Now starting at 10:30AM EST - Sorry for the Inconvenience.

Prev Page View Full Chat Next Page

Bryan

10:35

Hello Will!

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:35

Hi Bryan.

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:35

Which programs did you apply to?

Master's (39.1% | 9 votes)

PhD (60.9% | 14 votes)

Both (0% | 0 votes)

Total Votes: 23

Kushan

10:36

Hi Will, I have applied for the CIS program (early deadline). Could you tell me what steps I need to follow in case I wish to apply for another program, namely Data Science? Do I need to send my GRE, TOEFL score reports, Personal Statement, etc. again? Do my recommenders have to upload their letters again as well? Also, will there be any application fee waiver in this case?

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:37

Kushan, sure thing. You will need to submit a new application. You will not need to resend the GRE/TOEFL score reports, but you will need to upload all new documents. If you want to re-use your recommendation letters you can do so by filling in the Letter writer’s full name and other information and then selecting “No,” to the question, “Will this provider be submitting the letter of recommendation online?” Once you submit the application, you’ll need to send an email to admissions2@seas.upenn.edu with the name of the program to which you’ve applied, so that we can then upload your letters of recommendation to the new application.

Keyang

10:36

Ok, thanks Will!

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:38

You're welcome, Keyang.

Phil S

10:36

Hi Will - Quick question: If admitted to the MSE program, would I be able to seek admission to the MBA/MSE dual degree program in the future?

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:38

Phil, you would need to apply to Wharton separately. If you were admitted to their program next year, you would then work with your program advisors to figure out what you can cross-count and how you can complete the program.

Parth

10:37

Thank you Will! Are there provisions for Masters students to apply for TA and RA positions?

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:40

Parth, some programs to have these positions available, but you need to have finished at least one semester in good academic standing.

Bryan

10:37

I sent my GRE scores before I finish submitting my application. Is it possible to know if the results won't get lost or something?

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:41

No, they are all stored in a score database that we have. They are automatically linked to your application after you submit it.

Siddharth

10:37

Thanks for the response!

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:41

You're welcome.

Tanuj

10:37

Hi Will, thank you for hosting this chat. I've read the question above about interviews; does the ESE department also not have a formal process for Ph.D. candidates?

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:42

Tanuj, that is correct, they do not have a formal interview process for PhD candidates.

Jianning Cui

10:38

Hello, Will. I am a current MS student in GT and I submitted my application to the PhD program in your ESE department well before the deadline. Yet when I am now checking my application status, it shows "Material Needed" and my GRE status is "Needed". Is this a normal state? May I confirm what should be the normal state shown in my application portal? I sent my official GRE report through ETS 2 weeks ago. Are you still processing it? Or is my Official GRE score report lost? Do I need to resend it again? Thanks!

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:42

Jianning, we have been made aware that our "automatic-test-matching" system is not matching all scores that we have in the database at this time. However, if we have your scores on your application we can still start the review process.

Eva

10:38

Hello Will! I have applied for the Bioengineering PhD program and I wanted to find out if it would be possible to know the number of applicants and the percentage of students admitted for the last academic year. Thank you!

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:43

Hi Eva, yes it is: we had 300 applicants last year and admitted 15%.

Siddharth

10:39

Could you share the number of applicants and the number of accepted students for the ESE PhD Program at Penn last year?

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:43

Hi Siddharth, yup - 300 apps and admitted 15%

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:39

be right back everyone.

10:40

And I'm back - sorry about that, everyone!

Kushan

10:40

And another question, Will. I do not want to be jumping the gun, but could you tell me a bit about what the monthly living expenses (housing, food, travel, etc) are at Penn? Apart from academic tuition, what would be a rough estimate of expenditure?

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:45

Kushan, you can use this list here: https://www.expatistan.com/cost-of-living/philadelphia, as for housing costs, it really varies by where in the city you want to live and what kind, if any, roommate situation you are looking for. It can be as little as $500 (or less) a month, up to $3000 or more a month.

Terry

10:40

Good morning Will, I have submitted the application the PHD program of Materials Science and Engineering, am I encourged to contact some professfors who I mentioned in my essay before the decision? Will it make sence if I contact them? Thanks!

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:46

Hi Terry, you are welcome to do so, although we usually recommend doing this before the deadline. Ultimately, this can be the busiest time of year for faculty, so they may not get back to you right away, especially if it's an unsolicited email.

Jianning Cui

10:40

Also in your question of where do you live at the beginning of this talk, do I need to choose based on my current living address or my hometown address? Thanks!

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:46

Jianning, it is up to you. That is for informal reporting purposes.

Guest

10:40

I took the first round Data Science program, its deadline is 11.15

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:46

Hi Guest - I'm sorry, but what is this in reference to? We've had a lot of guests in the chat so far.

Phil S

10:40

Got it. Thanks Will!

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:47

You're welcome, Phil.

Xin

10:41

Hello Will! I would like to ask whether our application materials will be reviewed by the potential advisors we listed in the statement of purpose? Or they will only be reviewed by committee?

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:48

Xin, they are usually reviewed by those that you listed on the possible advisor list, as well as the faculty review committee and they may be reviewed by those mentioned in the personal statement. It is really up to the program as to how they want to have faculty review applications.

Guest

10:42

Hello Will, I have applied for the PhD program in Computer Science. While I submitted the application before the deadline, two of my Professor are yet to send my recommendation letters, since they travelling. would that disqualify me as an applicant?

Will Fenton, Enrollment Specialist

10:48

Hi Guest, we do require that all application materials, including the letters of recommendation, be submitted by the application deadline. If they are not, your application doesn't meet our requirements to be complete by the deadline.

Bryan

10:43

Thanks for the response Will! Thank you for hosting this chat!

Connecting…