• I am thinking of applying to Princeton. Can I visit and talk to some of the professors? Princeton has informative organized tours of the School of Engineering and Applied Science. You may make arrangements to take a tour by calling Ms. Vanessa Carter at (609) 258-4554 or by e-mail to vanessa@princeton.edu. You can find further general information on the SEAS web pages and on our web pages in the academics section. Meeting with a professor normally requires submitting a request in advance.
• How can I obtain an application? Applications for admission as an undergraduate are available from the Princeton Admissions Office. See Princeton's Undergraduate Admissions web page.
• Is your Electrical Engineering degree ABET accredited? Yes. More information is available on our undergraduate program web page and on the SEAS webpages.
• I have had two years of study at another university. Would I be able to transfer to Princeton University's engineering Program? For some years now, Princeton has not accepted transfer students.

• I am a first-year PhD student. Do I need to take written generals in January? No. PhD students can take generals in either January or May of their first-year. You MUST attempt written generals once before the end of your first year though.
• What's the pass rate on written generals? Roughly 90% of EE PhD students pass written generals on their first try. Hardcopies of past exams are available from the EE grad office for study purposes.
• I am a second-year student and don't feel quite ready for my research seminar. Can I postpone my oral exam until my third year? It is a university requirement to do your research seminar/ oral exam by the end of your fourth term at Princeton. Postponing beyond this is possible in very special circumstances, but requires that you speak with the DGS and petition formally.
• I am an international student interested in doing a summer internship in industry. What sort of visa paperwork is required? Please see the posted guidelines on how Curricular Practical Training can help with this.
• Are there travel funds available to help with a conference trip? Yes. Please see the information on quarterly applications for the Dean's fund for scholarly travel.
• I am getting ready to finish and defend my PhD thesis. When should I schedule my FPO? Please see the FPO completion guidelines for information on the steps in finishing.
• I would like to include a non-Princeton researcher as a reader of my Ph.D. thesis. What do I need to do? Please submit the researcher's resume to the graduate office for approval. In almost all circumstances, external readers need to have a doctoral degree to be eligible.
• I am getting ready to start writing my Ph.D. thesis. Are there formatting requirements? Yes, please see the university formatting requirements.

Graduate Admissions and Applications

• If I am ultimately interested in a Princeton EE Ph.D., do I first need to apply for a master's program? No. If you ultimately want a Ph.D. degree, you should apply to our Ph.D. program. Funding opportunities are excellent for PhD students and you will have the opportunity to earn a Master's degree "along the way".
• When should I apply? For the academic year beginning in Fall, 2003, the application deadline is Dec 2, 2002 for applicants who DO NOT RESIDE in the USA, Canada, or Mexico. The Application deadline is Jan 2, 2003 for applicants who DO reside in USA, Canada or Mexico. Please ensure that your recommendation letters and test scores are routed to us in time for these deadlines. Applications received before Dec 1, 2002 have a lower application fee.
• How should I apply? The graduate school admissions office webpage includes a pdf form you may fill out or print out. Alternatively, you may apply on-line. As a last resort, hard-copies of the application form may be requested from the admissions office.
• The application asks me to specify a sub-field. What does that mean? For organizational purposes, we divide the EE department into four groups: Computer Engineering (CE), Electronic Materials and Devices (EMD) Information Systems and Sciences (ISS), and Optics and Optoelectronics (OOE). Please specify the area that interests you the most so that the right faculty members will see your application.
• Do I need to take the GRE Subject test? No. Our program requires GRE General Exam scores, but does not require applicants to take a GRE subject test. Your application folder must have original copies of GRE scores; photocopies are not acceptable.
• I hear that the GRE Analytical Test is changing this year. Which version should I take? From Princeton EE's perspective, you can take the exam either before or after the change, as long as your scores arrive on time. Given the timing of the change, we will in any case be dealing with a mix of old and new style exams among our applicants.
• How can I get information on the Master's of Engineering Program? Detailed information on the Master's of Engineering Program is available here. Also see our web pages under academics for information and additional links.
• Does your graduate program provide financial support? Yes. For the Ph.D. program we offer financial assistance normally until satisfactory completion of the program. All first year Ph.D. students are supported on University Fellowships. Prestigious Wu and Upton Fellowships are also available to first year students. Some fellowship assistance is also available for the Master of Engineering Program. Note, it is not possible to transfer from the Ph.D. program to the Master of Engineering Program.
• I think I forgot to include something in my Graduate School application. Can you check for me? If you have left out something important, we will contact you and ask for it.
• How can I check on the status of my Graduate School Application? Once your application is submitted it goes through several stages of processing and review. We cannot give out any information until the final admission decisions are made. You will then be contacted as soon as possible.
• All of my friends have received their notices from Princeton and I haven't. Will you please tell me if I have been admitted? We do not give out admissions information on the telephone. Please be patient, the Graduate School will contact you as soon as admission decisions are finalized.
• I wrote to some professors about my chances of being admitted---why didn't I hear back from them? While the EE faculty welcome your interest in their research and our degree programs, they cannot prescreen your resume and offer guesses on the likelihood of acceptance. Since ALL first-year PhD students are supported on fellowship, there is no need to line up faculty financial support prior to admission. We give all applications a thorough reading, and look forward to seeing yours!
• Is there a minimum GRE score for admissions? No, we read all applications received and determine admission based on the applicant's overall credentials.

• I have submitted a job application to your department. When will I hear back from you? It normally takes several weeks to circulate your resume. You should here from us no later than 4 weeks after submitting your resume for an advertised position.

• How can I contact Professor So-and-So? The best way to contact professors is via email. Please see the faculty contact webpage.
• What is Professor So-and-So's telephone number? Email is the best way to contact a professor. If you must use the telephone, each professor's telephone extension is available in the on-line university telephone directory. Failing that you can call the main University operator and ask to be transferred.
• Is Professor So-and-So available? Please see above.
• I am writing an article on gizmos and would like to speak to Professor So-and-So. Is she/he available? Please see above.

• I have seen some interesting research described on your web pages. How can my company learn more about work underway at Princeton? Please consider joining our Corporate Affiliates Program. If you would like to explore other possible interactions, please contact the department chair, Peter Ramadge.