CS Subject Test recommended...?

Graduate School
1

<p>I'm applying to the CS master's programs at Maryland College Park and Texas at Austin. I think that both said that the CS Subject Test was "recommended".</p>

<p>I got a 1510 on my general GRE, and should be graduating with over a 3.9 GPA, a few very good LORs, and a few undergraduate research experiences to my credit.</p>

<p>For people who have experience with the program, will not taking the CS GRE hurt my chances? I could take it, but it does cost money I could spend elsewhere, and it's just another hassle and constant fear (what if I bomb it?)</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>maybe it depends on the area you will study. fwiw, my daughter did not take it (her degree is in Mathematics and CS, so not a straight up CS degree) and she was accepted to PhD program at UMD. Not near as good gpa as you, not quite as good GRE, but very good research and very strong school and dept and very good fit with the area of proposed study at UMD.</p>

<p>But maybe someone will have better insight of not just one particular case.</p>

3

<p>Whew, that makes me feel a little bit better. So it sounds like when they say “recommended” they really mean “recommended” and not “required if you want to get in”.</p>

<p>And my GPA is good, but you have to understand that in the context of my undergraduate institution. A 3.9 at Auburn is not necessarily the same as a 3.9 at Carnegie Mellon, MIT, Stanford, … Still, I’m hoping that a 3.9 from a solid ABET accredited program will be good enough to put me in the running at these two schools.</p>

4

<p>My understanding is that for PhD programs recommended means “required unless you have something extraordinary to show”. For a MSc it’s probably not really a requirement, but it would probably help to have a good score at least if you hope to get funding.</p>

<p>However, my understanding is that many schools don’t really put that much value on the CS subject test due to it’s content… at least so I’ve heard. Why not ask the school about the importance? Specifically how many they tend to admit without the score. They should give you an honest answer.</p>

5

<p>I was thinking about doing that, but just wanted to hear it from somebody else. I didn’t know whether they would think it was a stupid question and blow me off, and I don’t want to make a bad impression.</p>

6

<p>I don’t know how to evaluate your college strength, but you should talk to your profs and advisors about who gets into these schools from your school. I think your gpa is above any hurdle, but you are right that kids who have lower gpa from really well known programs will be just as well considered. </p>

<p>Have you read the paper from the CMU asst prof on applying to grad school in CS? It probably needs to be updated. I think this year was a particular bloodbath and don’t think that is going to let up soon. There were many programs not offering funding, and many programs not even responding to applicants up to deadline time.</p>

<p>My daughter did get some acceptances that she was very happy with, but she is coming from a very selective school with a strong CS dept and she has good research and LOR from well known faculty. That faculty told her she was sure to be accepted to all but the crapshoot top 4 She did not take the subject test, but she is almost more math than cs.</p>

<p>I think it is wise and will be money well spent for you to take it. I know that means some stress, studying and a little money. but I think it will make you solid. With your GRE and gpa, you shouldn’t worry too much about performing well.</p>

<p>And please target a wider range of schools than two, okay? I forgot that you are looking at MS, so you are willing to pay your way? Still, you can find 10 schools, right? Although my daughter gained accept from UMD, she didn’t get any reply from UT-Austin up to when she withdrew her application.</p>

7

<p>Thanks for all your advice!</p>

<p>I am, in fact, applying to more than the two schools I listed. I plan on applying to at least Auburn in addition to the other two. The thing about my situation is that I’m sort of constrained in my choice of locale…</p>

<p>Anyway, I actually hope to get funding, even doing an MS. I know this isn’t nearly as common as for a PhD, but I have high hopes. I realize that with the economy being as bad as it is, this might be a fool’s hope, but still… if I don’t get any support, I’ll either take out some loans OR go directly into the workforce and do the Master’s thing later.</p>

<p>So I guess I’ll go ahead and bite the bullet and take the GRE subject test in, say, early November of next Fall semester. That should give me some time to at least see some of my senior-level courses before taking the thing, and have the results in advance of the deadline for applicants hoping to receive funding.</p>

<p>When I took the practice one, I got in the 90th percentile… I think with a little more knowledge of advanced topics I can guarantee at least this level of performance on any CS GRE test. I guess I shouldn’t worry about doing poorly since, well, if I do poorly, that’s just an indication that I’m not cut out for grad school.</p>

<p>Here’s another question, though - if I do take the CS GRE, should I have it sent to schools that don’t ask for it? For instance, Auburn says the CS GRE is not required, but if I send it, would it increase the love for my application? I think I have a reasonable shot at getting fully funded at Auburn in a Master’s program, certainly better than my shot at UMD or Texas at Austin.</p>

<p>For anybody who has taken the real CS GRE… how did you prepare for it? Did you really just go over material from in-major courses? Are there free practice tests somewhere (besides the one freely available at the ETS website)? If I don’t get many replies for this, I’ll do a search and possibly add a brand-new topic to the board.</p>

<p>Thanks everybody! (especially BrownParent).</p>

8

<p>From what I’ve heard, if your undergrad degree is in CS, and your grades are good, the subject GRE is not as important. I have a disability, and getting accommodations from ETS is like getting blood from a stone… so I applied with iffy GRE scores and didn’t take the CS subject test at all. I applied to 12 PhD programs this year and got into 5 (including College Park), which might not be that worse than the average considering how bad this year was for admissions. If you’re getting 90 percentile on the practice test as a junior in college though, then you might as well take it and send it everywhere. This isn’t like the regular GRE, everyone who takes the CS subject is really good at CS so a 90 actually means something.</p>

<p>If you need funding though, apply to as many schools as possible! And try to wait before giving any school a final decision. I got acceptances from Northwestern and Johns Hopkins this winter that were rescinded in the spring because the funding for new PhD students had completely dried up.</p>