Top 1 MS vs top 15 Phd

[zliu224]

Dear all,

 

I am fortunate thus far for getting into the following programs:

 

1. Michigan CS phd (fellowship + RAship)

2. Wisconsin CS MS/Phd (scholarship + TAship)

3. CMU MSCS, MSML, MSCV (unfunded program)

 

I am having a hard time deciding which place to go. My current goal is to obtain the Phd degree in CS. Michigan and Wisconsin are both great place for CS research. I know Michigan is really good at CE and AI, whereas Wisconsin is really good at database and architecture.

 

But although unfunded, CMU seems to be a really attractive options for me. One of the key reason is the network, peer group and resources. For instance, the Andrew DFS (one of the first  dfs) is invented there. I think one good advantage of attending CMU is being in an atmosphere of excellence, innovation and leadership in the area of CS, which would be really helpful for personal and career growth.

 

CMU MSCS program is mainly a course-intensive program, MSML has limited research component with a Data Analysis project, and MSCV is purely a professional Computer Vision program just established. I asked many people the possibility of reapplying for phd after >= 1 year. All of the professors I talked to argue against this for some reason. They all suggest me to take the funded phd offer from either Michigan or Wisconsin. Some current students suggest me to the CMU master and reapply. They also got the phd offer from tier 1 CS schools. So I am basically at a lost as to which schools to choose. Yes professor is more experienced in this admission, but what students say seem to suggest there is still a chance of getting into top tier program after MS.

 

What if I attend the MS, and then work for research lab, and then apply for phd, would it be harder to get in than fresh undergrad?

 

Thanks for all your comment and help

Z

[S.W.C]

I have a similar question(though not the ms in top1 school)

 

What I heard is that if you apply again after getting your master degree, they will expect more from you. 

For example, if you go to CMU and study for 1 to 2 year, then they will expect you to have a number of pub on tier 1 conference. You will need to show your research ability in the program.

 

On the other hand, studying in CMU may provides you some chance to cooperate with excellent professor, which may get you a strong letter of recommendation. And also a strong experience in research.

I think these do help you when applying for top-tier program. 

 

And by the way, I also heard that in master in ML department and CS department have RAShip opportunity after one to two semesters.

[Adamah]

I was in a similar situation 3 years ago. I had been accepted to U Toronto and UMass for the PhD programs, and Stanford and CMU (Robotics) for the MS programs. I ultimately chose the CMU MS Robotics, and am now in the CS PhD program at CMU. However, my outcome is not necessarily typical and there are a lot of factors to consider.

 

First of all, the CMU MS in Robotics is a very research-focused Masters. Most of the students get funded RAships (in my year, almost all did, though in some years it is as low as about half). All students spend a lot of time working on a Masters thesis, and the requirements for the first 2 years are identical for the PhD and MS students. This allowed me to spend a lot of time on research while in grad school and get a top-tier publication.

 

Like you said, the MSCS and MSCV programs at CMU are not research based, so if your goal is a PhD then you should avoid them. I don't know much about the MSML program (I believe it's fairly new), but it might be a good option. I would ask them how many students get funded RAships each year, and where past students have gone afterwards.

 

I would also contact professors you are interested in and see if there is any potential for an RAship with them. I think many will be open to taking on a MS student for research if they have funding. Do not expect any commitments, because the professors likely can't predict their funding situation that far out and they also will prioritize PhD students in the fall, but if you find a number of professors that are options then that's a good sign.

 

Going for the MS is definitely the riskier option. You might end up wasting 1-2 years on coursework that you'll have to repeat at another university, not to mention the money you'll spend. It really depends on if you think you can land a funded RAship at CMU and do a fantastic enough job that your advisor will push for you to attend full-time. Unless you get a really good vibe from some professors at CMU, I would lean toward Wisconsin or Michigan, both of which are good schools and may have many good advisors that fit your interests.

[Chai_latte]

I realize that you're in a different field, but UMich + the RA caught my eye.  While it's not CMU, it is a top program with a strong network (particularly in AI and maybe in related, engineering sub-fields?).  The fact that you got an RA-ship is a big deal.  Honestly, I'd take that and not look back.  There's no guarantee that you'll be in this position again after your MS.

[Minione]

I was in a similar situation 3 years ago. I had been accepted to U Toronto and UMass for the PhD programs, and Stanford and CMU (Robotics) for the MS programs. I ultimately chose the CMU MS Robotics, and am now in the CS PhD program at CMU. However, my outcome is not necessarily typical and there are a lot of factors to consider.

 

First of all, the CMU MS in Robotics is a very research-focused Masters. Most of the students get funded RAships (in my year, almost all did, though in some years it is as low as about half). All students spend a lot of time working on a Masters thesis, and the requirements for the first 2 years are identical for the PhD and MS students. This allowed me to spend a lot of time on research while in grad school and get a top-tier publication.

 

Like you said, the MSCS and MSCV programs at CMU are not research based, so if your goal is a PhD then you should avoid them. I don't know much about the MSML program (I believe it's fairly new), but it might be a good option. I would ask them how many students get funded RAships each year, and where past students have gone afterwards.

 

I would also contact professors you are interested in and see if there is any potential for an RAship with them. I think many will be open to taking on a MS student for research if they have funding. Do not expect any commitments, because the professors likely can't predict their funding situation that far out and they also will prioritize PhD students in the fall, but if you find a number of professors that are options then that's a good sign.

 

Going for the MS is definitely the riskier option. You might end up wasting 1-2 years on coursework that you'll have to repeat at another university, not to mention the money you'll spend. It really depends on if you think you can land a funded RAship at CMU and do a fantastic enough job that your advisor will push for you to attend full-time. Unless you get a really good vibe from some professors at CMU, I would lean toward Wisconsin or Michigan, both of which are good schools and may have many good advisors that fit your interests.

Hi Adamah,

 

I am fortunate to be admitted to the Robotics Master's Program at CMU (http://www.ri.cmu.edu/ri_static_content.html?menu_id=469). My goal is to obtain a PhD degree in Computer Science and my research interest is computer vision. 

 

Could you provide more details about the chance of getting funded RAships? Besides, generally, how many students enroll in this program, how many apply to PhD after MS and how many get into CMU or other top 10 CS PhD programs?

 

I am planning to contact some potential advisors. Do you think it is good to contact professors if I do not know much about their work? Could you tell me some tips when contacting professors?

 

I really appreciate any help you can provide.

[Adamah]

Hi Minione,

 

What are your other options? Were you admitted to any PhD programs?

 

As far as MS programs go, I think the MS in Robotics at CMU is one of the best, if not the best. This is especially true if you are interested in computer vision.

 

About 30-35 students start in the Robotics MS program each year (not counting the other Robotics Masters programs; they have a few others that are not research-focused). There are about 20-25 incoming PhD students each year. The MS students are treated essentially identically to the PhD students. They socialize together, they take the same classes, they go through the same orientation, they have almost the same requirements for the first 2 years.

 

I don't know exactly how many continue to PhD programs at CMU or in general. I know of at least 5 off the top of my head that did, but it was definitely more than that. Of those that did, most went to top programs, and most of those continued at CMU (which is a good deal, because you save yourself 2 years by not starting over somewhere else). I would ask Suzanne and she might have data on that. I do know that not everyone in the MS program wanted to continue to a PhD program, so keep that in mind when looking at the statistics. I'd say about half started the MS wanting to continue to a PhD. Some decided during the program that research wasn't for them, and didn't apply to programs.

 

It is easier to get into the PhD program at CMU if you did your MS here and did well in your research. This is true for any PhD program. The reason is that the faculty know you better, so you are a less risky option. Also, your advisor may want you to continue on their team, in which case the admissions committee doesn't have to worry about you not finding an advisor (though you are not required to stick with your MS advisor if you continue to the PhD). IMO, this is a win-win, because if you do your MS here and don't do well in your research, then you shouldn't continue to a PhD program anyway!

 

The chances for getting funding change from year to year depending on the funding situation. In some years (like the year I applied) every MS student gets funding. In other years (like last year), only about half get funding. I would ask Suzanne if she has year-by-year details on this. No matter what, you will not get funding for your first semester, even if you find a faculty match. They are not allowed to give you funding until after the first semester (there is an exception to this if a professor offers you funding with your admission to the program, but this is very rare.)

 

I would visit CMU if you are able to, and I would meet with faculty that you're interested in while you're here. In my experience the faculty were very happy (even eager) to meet with me when I said I was an admitted RI MS student interested in research with them. If you're not able to visit, then it would still be worthwhile to email them. Mention that you are an admitted MS student and interested in potentially working with them. They will almost certainly not commit to taking you on, especially if you haven't met with them in person, but they can at least tell you if they can't take you on for next year due to lack of funding, etc.

Edited March 16, 2015 by Adamah

[Minione]

Hi Minione,

 

What are your other options? Were you admitted to any PhD programs?

 

As far as MS programs go, I think the MS in Robotics at CMU is one of the best, if not the best. This is especially true if you are interested in computer vision.

 

About 30-35 students start in the Robotics MS program each year (not counting the other Robotics Masters programs; they have a few others that are not research-focused). There are about 20-25 incoming PhD students each year. The MS students are treated essentially identically to the PhD students. They socialize together, they take the same classes, they go through the same orientation, they have almost the same requirements for the first 2 years.

 

I don't know exactly how many continue to PhD programs at CMU or in general. I know of at least 5 off the top of my head that did, but it was definitely more than that. Of those that did, most went to top programs, and most of those continued at CMU (which is a good deal, because you save yourself 2 years by not starting over somewhere else). I would ask Suzanne and she might have data on that. I do know that not everyone in the MS program wanted to continue to a PhD program, so keep that in mind when looking at the statistics. I'd say about half started the MS wanting to continue to a PhD. Some decided during the program that research wasn't for them, and didn't apply to programs.

 

It is easier to get into the PhD program at CMU if you did your MS here and did well in your research. This is true for any PhD program. The reason is that the faculty know you better, so you are a less risky option. Also, your advisor may want you to continue on their team, in which case the admissions committee doesn't have to worry about you not finding an advisor (though you are not required to stick with your MS advisor if you continue to the PhD). IMO, this is a win-win, because if you do your MS here and don't do well in your research, then you shouldn't continue to a PhD program anyway!

 

The chances for getting funding change from year to year depending on the funding situation. In some years (like the year I applied) every MS student gets funding. In other years (like last year), only about half get funding. I would ask Suzanne if she has year-by-year details on this. No matter what, you will not get funding for your first semester, even if you find a faculty match. They are not allowed to give you funding until after the first semester (there is an exception to this if a professor offers you funding with your admission to the program, but this is very rare.)

 

I would visit CMU if you are able to, and I would meet with faculty that you're interested in while you're here. In my experience the faculty were very happy (even eager) to meet with me when I said I was an admitted RI MS student interested in research with them. If you're not able to visit, then it would still be worthwhile to email them. Mention that you are an admitted MS student and interested in potentially working with them. They will almost certainly not commit to taking you on, especially if you haven't met with them in person, but they can at least tell you if they can't take you on for next year due to lack of funding, etc.

Hi Adamah,

 

I do not have PhD offers now and I am still waiting for some schools. However, I am almost sure I will choose the Master at RI.

 

I want to treat the Master as a transition between undergraduate and PhD. As you said, if I did not do well in research during MS, I may choose to find a job in industry.

 

I am an international student and I am trying to schedule a visit. Anyway, I will email them to see if they have funding and to know more about their research.

 

Thank you very much for your valuable advice!

[Adamah]

Well if you already know you're coming then actually visiting the school is less important. It's not going to help you find an RAship or anything like that. There will be a lot of time for that in the first semester.

[Minione]

That's true because I don't have other options now... All I want is to make myself well prepared for the graduate school.

[cs_phd]

I would choose michigan PhD or Wisconsin PhD.

Both are great.