<p>Hi Everyone,</p>
<p>I am new to the forum and I would like to introduce myself. I graduated from the University of California Irvine this year (June 2009) with a B.S. in Computer Science. My cumulative GPA was 3.25 and my major GPA was a 3.31. I am currently working full-time at Northrop Grumman as a Software Engineer. I also had an internship at Western Digital for a year during my senior year in college. Unfortunately, I did not do any research in college and as a result I am not close with any professors. I regret not doing any research. However, I was actively involved in the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) - where I was the secretary and the web master of the club.</p>
<p>Although I am currently working full time, I have decided to apply to graduate school towards a Masters in Computer Science. I am particularly interested in getting into the USC Distance Education Network (DEN) which is an online program for students and working professionals who wish to watch lectures via online. Homework is said to be submitted electronically and there are administered tests in multiple regions of the country. Surprisingly, the application deadline for this is April of 2010. I am also considering UC Irvine, however UCI does not over distance education (online).</p>
<p>I have taken the GRE and did horribly (verbal 410, math 700). I am terrible when it comes to verbal and I find it very difficult to improve my score. However, I feel that I can improve my math score. I am aiming to get a 800. I believe I am capable of this because I got a 800 on my math for the SAT (verbal 500, math 800). I am hoping to get the same score from my SAT on the GRE. I hope that the school weighs math more than the verbal because my focus is in Computer Science. </p>
<p>As far as letters of recommendation, I am planning to get one from my previous boss at Western Digital, my current boss at Northrop Grumman, and I am unsure of who to get my 3rd letter from. Again, I regret not doing any research during my undergraduate education. Also, I was not very close with any of my professors. Who should I get my 3rd letter of recommendation from? Of all the variables (GPA, GRE, LOR), I feel that my biggest strength comes from my professional working experience as a software engineer. I feel that I understand the technology industry and as a result I feel that I will take graduate school seriously. I am not sure but does the state of the economy have any affect on my chance of admission? I understand that schools are raising tuition prices, but I am more than happy to pay the expenses.</p>
<p>Based on my GPA, Work Experience, GRE, and possible letter of recommendations, what is your opinion on my chances of getting into graduate school? I feel like my GPA and GRE is very low and I feel ridiculous for even thinking about applying to graduate school. I have considered mainly schools in California such as Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UCSD, UC Irvine, UC Riverside, Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Long Beach, and a few others. What are my chances of getting into these schools? Also, do you have any other suggestions for schools I should apply to? I am willing to apply to any respectable school preferable one that offers distance (online education). Feel free to provide any suggestions. Thank you in advance.</p>
<p>Thank you,
Neo</p>