So I am applying to many schools, including the ones listed above (no MIT or CalTech though) for a masters in computer science specializing in AI, and was wondering if I have any chance at all of getting in with my subpar GPA, which I believe is the main factor holding me back, alongside a lack of name on any paper. Below are my statistics:
GPA: 3.56/4.00
GRE: 168 Math, 161 Reading, 5 Essay
LoRs: 2 confirmed strong, 1 I think strong but not 100% sure, 1 is from my research professor, 1 is from my AI professor, and 1 is from my manager at a previous internship
Research: No name on a paper, but my name is on a matlab program that is used in conjunction with a published paper from the same lab
SoP: Worked on it for 6 months, ran it through numerous professors, I think it's good enough, don't wanna post it here though
Work Experience: 2 internships, 1 at big financial company as data science intern, another at tech startup company as machine learning intern
I have already graduated in the fall semester a semester early, so trying to increase my GPA isn’t really an option for me. I would just like to know what my chances of getting into Stanford, Berkeley, and Carnegie Mellon are based on these stats. I will let you know which schools I get into once I get the results back.
Sorry if these kinds of posts are annoying, I am a new user, so please let me know if I did something wrong. Thanks for all your help in advance!
Why MS in CS? Generally speaking for recent grads with CS majors, a masters in CS will add little or nothing to starting salary. Did you apply for jobs/get any offers from your internships?
It will be challenging to be admitted to those programs, they are highly selective. If your plan is to find a job if you are not admitted to these programs, then that is a reasonable list of schools. If you are focused on getting a MS degree, then you should look for a program that is not as selective if it has the kind of training you are looking for.
I have already received a job offer, and will begin working in less than 2 weeks
Thank you for your feedback.
I believe that I may have a better chance at a school like UMich with my profile, which is still a very good CS program, as my research mentor’s who wrote me a strong letter of recommendation is a professor there, and I meet their GPA requirements for generally accepted candidates. I am applying to 11 total schools in the strong chance that I didn’t get into any of my top choices, but was still curious about what my chances would be like.
As a programmer myself, I can tell you prestige adds little to nothing to your resume. You’re in an industry driven entirely by hands-on work experience. 99.9% of your education is learned on the job. If you have a job offer right now, that’s worth it’s weight in gold, and you should make the most of that opportunity. A masters degree is definitely worth the money, because it gives you a competitive edge, and a bump in salary. Most people use their employer benefits to get a masters degree at the local university.
Hello everyone. Sorry for not being able to get back to you all earlier, as due to the pandemic situation, many college admissions results were delayed. However, I am pleased to tell you that I was accepted to and will be attending UIUC (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) to do my on-campus MCS degree, which was honestly a reach school considering it’s up there with the other schools I mentioned in my original post. I did get rejected unfortunately from every other college I applied to (Columbia still hasn’t replied but I’m ruling them out now anyways in favor of UIUC), but I am still very pleased and excited to have this once in a lifetime opportunity. Thank you all for your kind words and feedback.
Yes, I’ve already been working as a full time software engineer for about 7 months almost straight out of undergrad, and this is very much true. However, I believe that this masters degree will allow me to further explore my interests in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Natural Language Processing. Not to mention that financially speaking, I am currently trying to get a teaching assistantship position because the benefits that come with it are superb (full tuition waver and a ridiculous stipend every month). I will take your suggestions and think about them. Thank you for the advice.
How are your grades distributed between different subjects? Are you stronger in your major, or are you about a 3.5 student across the board? Also, how strong was your undergraduate university?
I had a similar undergrad GPA. However, it was pulled down by low grades in art and art history classes. I was a math major. Based on graduate school admissions results I do not think that graduate schools cared at all about my grades in art classes. Also, a 3.5 at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell might not be quite the same thing as a 3.5 at MIT (MIT would call this a 4.5).
“I have already received a job offer, and will begin working in less than 2 weeks”
This is very good news, and suggests that you have a good plan in case your graduate school admissions do not go well the first time that you try.
Good work experience can also help your admission chances at graduate schools. If you do not get accepted anywhere that you want to attend, you could just work for a couple of years and reapply.
@Wasario Congratulations and thank you for posting your experience! I had a couple of questions for you or anyone else with insight… My son is a CS major who has a similar interest in AI/ML and is trying to weigh his options regarding working in industry immediately in general software engineering (at a FAANG) vs. going to a top graduate school to boost his credentials to qualify for more interesting AI work. My questions are (1) Did you attend a top twenty school? I am inferring from the thread that you did but am not sure. ( I am trying to gauge how prestige sensitive the undergraduate university attended is in the application process. For context, my son does not attend a highly ranked school but should have his name on two A/I related papers before graduation and has a high GPA. ) (2) Did you take the GRE math subject test or just submit the general GRE? (3) Can you expound on the type of program at UIUC this is? Is the program you will be attending a terminal MS program? If you get the T/A position does that essentially make it funded masters program? How competitive is it to get the T/A position? Do the funded PHD students get first dibs on T/A positions? (Sorry if any of my questions seem obtrusive - I am just trying to gauge if a terminal MS at a top school like UIUC would be affordable for my son without going the fully funded PHD route.