Notes to prospective applicants
Dear friends --
Many faculty members at UC Berkeley receive a large number of letters and e-mail from prospective graduate students or postdocs. Because of the volume of mail we receive (I receive about five to ten inquiries each week!) I have written this FAQ on applying for graduate school and postdocs. If you have written me, I will refer you to this note. I regret that I am not able to answer your inquiries individually.
Q: I've already been admitted. Does this FAQ apply to me?
A: If you've been admitted, congratulations! Admissions at Berkeley are highly competitive, and we want to make sure you know as much about Berkeley as possible. If you've been admitted, we welcome your inquiries.
Q: I am applying. Does this FAQ apply to me?
A: Yes -- because of the flood of e-mail from applicants that we receive, I can not respond individually to students and their questions, so I am using this FAQ.
Q: What is your affiliation?
A: I am a professor at UC Berkeley in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences (I am a member of the Computer Science Division).
Q: What is your research?
A: My research interests lie in human-computer interaction, user interface design tools, pen-based user interfaces, end-user programming, mobile computing, and other novel uses of computer technology. You can get an overview of my interests from my web pages, although they are somewhat out of date.
Q: Can I be your student?
A: That's a misleading question -- in my department professors do not admit students. Departments and Schools accept students; once the students are here, they hook up with advisors. Applications are handled by an admissions committee that evaluates all applications. Normally, I only try to recruit students once they have already been admitted by Berkeley.
Q: Who is on the admissions committee?
A: We keep that information private, but if you want information on applications, you can contact gradadm@eecs.berkeley.edu (for computer science).
Q: Can I be your postdoc?
A: Postdoc requests must also be approved by the department. Because of the level of commitment involved, I will only consider someone for a postdoc if I know him/her or if he/she is recommended by someone I know well. Normally, I must know by Fall of the preceding year to consider someone for a postdoc in the next year.
Q: Can I enter in the middle of the year?
A: To the best of my knowledge, we do not admit students mid-year.
Q: What are my chances of being admitted?
A: Admission at Berkeley is highly competitive. We are eager to accept the best, most intellectually exciting students. If this is you, I highly encourage you to apply.
Q: What does Berkeley look for in deciding admissions?
A: We look at a range of factors, including grades, test scores, and recommendations. One particularly important point is evidence of ability to do research -- if you have done research, your chances at Berkeley are far better. I highly recommend stressing this in your application.
Q: Can I apply without submitting GRE scores?
A: GRE scores are mandatory -- this is a campus-wide requirement.
Q: Will sending e-mail to professors help my chance of admissions?
A: No. Most faculty receive a large amount of e-mail regarding admissions. An e-mail contact will not persuade a faculty member to pursue an application. There is a place on the application to mention contacts with Berkeley faculty, but that refers to extended contacts -- not just e-mail contacts.
Q: What about financial aid?
A: We often provide financial support for Ph.D. students -- if you are accepted, we will contact you about this shortly. For masters students, the situation depends on the circumstances of the student, and Berkeley will discuss this with you after you have been accepted.
I hope this simple FAQ answers most of your questions. As I receive further questions, I may extend this list. Good luck with your applications and studies!
(this FAQ is based on that of Prof. Doug Tygar -- I MUST be busy to copy such a thing)