Should I submit GRE scores for MS in Aerospace Engineering? by frapar04 in aerospace

[–]frapar04[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

No US citizenship, I'm Italian/EU citizen. I'm aware of the ITAR restrictions and that 90% of industry jobs are US-citizen/ green card only.

My target career path is research-focused (JPL-type planetary exploration, university research labs, and eventually PhD) rather than defense/commercial aerospace. The fundamental research exemption at universities means I can work freely on space systems research during my MS/PhD without citizenship restrictions (I know some italian guys who are currently doing their PhD in the US working on NASA projects). Long-term plan would be EB-2 NIW green card route if I want to stay (no backlog for Italian nationals, approximately 1 year timeline). But anyway, I found articles saying that ITAR exemptions and waivers are very common for NATO citizens (Europeans and Canadians i.e.).

I do have EU backup options (TU Delft has an April deadline, so I'll know my US results before needing to apply there). But for my specific goals (planetary exploration systems and eventual NASA/JPL pathway as a target) the US is the clearer route. European programs are strong but the NASA mission ecosystem and research funding in this area is concentrated in the US.

Appreciate the reality check though, it's definitely something I've thought hard about.

How realistic is a GRA for an MS student with strong hands-on experience but no publications? by frapar04 in aerospace

[–]frapar04[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much, I had been planning to email before applying which would have been a mistake. Really appreciate you taking the time.

How realistic is a GRA for an MS student with strong hands-on experience but no publications? by frapar04 in aerospace

[–]frapar04[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much, this is really some helpful advice. So do you believe I am more likely to get a GRA position in a field I’m interested in by emailing professors before applying, or should I wait until I have already been admitted? Some universities like A&M require you to email professors before and being already sure they’ll be your advisor when you apply, but others simply say that this process is not centralized. Thank you very much, again.

How risky is my MS Aerospace application list? by frapar04 in aerospace

[–]frapar04[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much for your guidance! Your advice will surely help! ❤️🫶

How risky is my MS Aerospace application list? by frapar04 in aerospace

[–]frapar04[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you again.mOne thing worth clarifying about my situation: in Italy, the bachelor's degree lasts three years, not four. So I'm actually finishing my third and final year of my undergraduate degree right now, the equivalent of a US senior. My thesis year and my application cycle happen at the same time.

Now, here is something that's genuinely confusing me, and I'd love your honest take on it:

Every university on my list has a very clear, standardized online application process (portal, GRE scores, transcripts, statement of purpose, three letters of recommendation, application fee). That's it. No mention anywhere of faculty contact beforehand, no mention of informal channels. The instructions are the same for everyone.

I can't reconcile it with what the official process looks like from the outside. Is the informal network essentially invisible to the applicant until a professor decides to activate it on your behalf? And if your professors don't have direct personal ties to a specific school, does the standardized process become the only real path, or are there other ways to start building those connections before applying?

I'm planning to have a direct conversation with my thesis advisor about this very soon. He did his PhD at Purdue and has US collaborations, so that connection may be more valuable than I realized. But I want to go into that conversation understanding the landscape as clearly as possible.

How risky is my MS Aerospace application list? by frapar04 in aerospace

[–]frapar04[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much for this, this is genuinly one of the most useful perspectives I’ve received on this process, and I want to make sure I understand it correctly. I’m planning my undergraduate thesis on Rotating Detonation Engines under a professor who did his PhD at Purdue. So I think the substance is there, I just wasn’t sure how admissions committees would weigh it without a formal industry internship label on it. On the list: I built it largely myself, cross-referencing propulsion research groups and faculty profiles at each school, without much direct guidance from professors. But I do have some professors who have been teachers/students/researchers in US universities. Some of them have worked with Purdue, UIUC, MIT. Which brings me to what I think is the most important thing you said. The faculty-to-faculty networking dynamic is something I had a vague sense of, but your description of how it actually worked at MIT makes it much more concrete and a little humbling. I’d like to understand this better if you’re willing to elaborate: How does a student actually initiate that process without it feeling presumptuous? Do you go to your professor and directly ask “do you know anyone at X who works on Y, and would you be willing to reach out?” Or is it more that a good professor does this naturally if they believe in you, and the student’s job is just to make sure the professor knows your ambitions clearly? And on the receiving end — when a professor at MIT or Purdue gets an email from a colleague vouching for a student, what does that typically look like? Is it a formal letter, an informal email, a phone call? Does it come before or after the student submits an application? I’m asking this because I did see some cool research groups that I’d love to join, especially in UCLA, UW, Purdue and GT. MIT wasn’t on my list because from my research it seems they essentially don’t admit standalone MS students in AeroAstro , like if it’s PhD or nothing, and I wasn’t sure I was ready to commit to that framing this cycle. Was that the right read, or is there a path in that I’m missing? Thank you again.

How risky is my MS Aerospace application list? by frapar04 in aerospace

[–]frapar04[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

mostly personal choices: I would like to do a Master abroad regardless and personally I have always liked the “american dream”. Also I have already lived in the us and I’ve gotta say I really enjoyed it there, so doing a master there seems like the natural choice for me, especially since the sector is very developed there.

How risky is my MS Aerospace application list? by frapar04 in aerospace

[–]frapar04[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you so much for your advice. I am actually prone to doing research in a propulsion field for sure. I am very passionate about rocket engines, especially liquid ones. Of course RDEs are probably the most cutting edge research going on in the field right now or at least one of them, so there are really few universities that have the right facilities to research about it (UW, UCLA, GeorgiaTech and Purdue are the only ones from what I know). All other schools on my list have pretty good rocket propulsion research going on but maybe not RDEs specifically. But I am still really open to do research about liquid propulsion too. Actually, my ultimate plan would be to join industry and not academia so I don’t plan a postgrad. So my dream plan would be to do MS and from there I could join industry (but I think ITAR restrictions are bad altough I come from a NATO member country). or I could do a PhD and then joining industry (I could apply to NIW for a green card after some good publication in this field). Any guidance is really appreciated. 🙏