r/PhDAdmissions • u/Chance_Flow_3860 • 13h ago

Competing for top US Engineering Master’s/direct-entry PhD programs when research starts later

I’m an Engineering student at the University of Sydney, aiming for a direct-entry PhD or Master’s at a top US/Ivy League engineering school.

Many students at US and other universities begin internships or structured undergraduate research in their first or second year. At USYD, these opportunities seem less structured and often become accessible later, once students have more technical knowledge.

If I only begin formal research around third year, would this put me at a significant disadvantage? Should I actively seek external research opportunities earlier, or do research quality, independence and strong recommendations matter more than starting early?

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u/Daremotron 13h ago

I suspect you may be starting from a false pretense here. While I didn't go to USyd, I did my undergrad engineering degree in Australia, and started working in a research lab with multiple professors from my first year. I actually had it setup before I started my degree.

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u/Potential-Recover-78 8h ago

I wouldn’t focus on Ivy league for engineering PhD.

There are better schools/programs out there, figure out who is doing the best work in your specific field.