dat_nerd

Bamboo! Also, I'm about to try an exercise ball instead of a regular office chair in hopes that it'll be more ergonomic (and fun). Wish me luck...

That's great to hear! I am so glad that your first semester is working out so well for you. I really want to know -- how are you balancing classwork with research? I'd like to put more time into research, but I find there's so much reading and writing to be done that it distracts from research time.

Is this the program you had been looking at? http://www.cc.gatech.edu/future/masters/mscs/program It sounds like a specialization in interactive intelligence or machine learning would fit your interests.

Assuming you have a December 15 deadline for applications, you have time. Take the exam this Saturday knowing that you do have time to retake if needed. While that does not mean you shouldn't do your best, do know that it is OK if the score is not yet what you would like. At the minimum, this exam will give you additional practice for a second try. Have you taken a practice exam yet? If so, what was your score? It's hard to say what a "bad" score is, especially since I don't know your field or the schools you are applying to.

How long have you done research, and do you have publications or some other method of communicating your research results?

Exercise and dark chocolate. Though the problem with chocolate is that the stash eventually runs out...

Thanks for starting this, callista! Good to hear that the semester is going well for you. I've been pleasantly surprised by my first semester. I'm starting week 3, and I haven't found any reason to dislike grad school. Suddenly, I get to take classes in whatever I want, I get to do research in whatever topic I'd like, and I get to spend my time however I decide. My co-advisers are fantastic. It all seems overwhelming when I think about the long term goals (quals, papers, TAing, more papers, etc), but then I remember to take it all one day at a time.

The success of your application depends on, well, your application. Coming from a top tier university helps an applicant if one of their recommenders knows the applicant well, can write a strong letter, and is well known in the program of study. It won't hurt your application to come from a lesser-known school, but you may have to put in the extra effort to show that you took advantage of research opportunities and to obtain strong, positive letters of recommendation.

What CS programs are you applying to that would require the GMAT? Or are you not applying to a CS program?

Agreed on this. Actually, many of those have admission percentages of <5%. I'm not trying to discourage, but do realize that at such low admission rates, it's pretty much up to chance whether the person reviewing applications is having a good day or not. It's definitely worth a shot, but I also recommend applying to about 10 schools. Are you looking into doing AI research? Some other great places to apply to would be UT Austin and USC. These places do have low acceptance rates as well, but the more options you look into, the better.

http://www.cs.washington.edu/prospective_students/grad/application#prerequisites I've found that an average score for a top 10 school will be at least 90th percentile Quant and 85th percentile Verbal. A strong score is at least 90th percentile in both categories. Harvard isn't a top 10 CS school, so their scores might not be the scores you'd want to compare with.

It's hard to say whether a GRE score is "good enough" for a top 10 school. How are your LORs, SOP, and research experience? Those are more likely to get you into a top school than a GRE score. That being said, I think your scores are fine for a top ten school, though some may be expecting a quantitative score over the 90th percentile.

Is there a particular course that sparked your interest for graduate work? If so, that's definitely something that should be brought into your SOP. You can also play up the fact that you took courses on your free time to advance your computing knowledge and understanding of the research field you'd like to work in.

As a CS student, I would highly recommend that you introduce yourself. At worst, it does nothing for or against you. At best, it shows you are a proactive and dedicated applicant. I've heard of some people attaching a CV or talking about their credentials, but I didn't end up doing this. I think the purpose of your emails should be to introduce yourself to your future advisor and make sure you're a good fit, not try to gain an advantage over other students or convince the POI that you should be admitted. Format of my letters: Introduce self, where I'm from, what I'm applying for My interests, the POI's interests, and why I want to work with the POI (list particular projects or labs) Will the POI be accepting students, and if so, for what projects? Express interest again, and ask if they recommend that I read a particular publication from POI's lab I mostly got canned responses, but a few wrote back with a personal letter. When I got accepted to a few schools, the POI at each school responded to my original letter, so I think the introduction helped.

Non-CS majors can always apply, but each program generally has a list of prerequisite courses, including operating systems, compilers, CS theory, and computer hardware. Intro to programming just won't cut it.

You could ask a professor at your university and volunteer to work as a research assistant. These won't be posted as "job opportunities", but rather as opportunities that you have to ask for in person. What about applying for masters programs? You could work on your graduate GPA then, and reapply for a PhD program afterward with a higher GPA.

No, all three matter. They'll look more closely at your two most recent years, but I wouldn't go as far to say that only the 3rd year classes matter. You'll also be admitted as a "conditional admit", which means that you are admitted on the condition that you have your degree prior to starting, and that you maintain a certain GPA in your last year. They then look at your official transcript once you graduate to ensure that you've met the conditions.

They'll see the grades you've gotten so far, and then require a final transcript after you graduate.

I think it depends on how you ask the recommender. I had two recommendations from professors, and one from my (non-research) internship supervisor who did not hold a PhD. I asked the two professors to write about my research ability, and asked my internship supervisor to write about my work ethic. It worked out really well. That being said, I think you should try to have professors, advisors, or PhD-holders as your recommenders. However, if you're in a situation like mine, where a non-academic recommender knows you better than a professor, it's not a bad idea to ask for a non-academic letter. The rule I heard about, and followed, is that at least two LORs should be from professors.

I'm with you there! I started off with similar scores and took about 3 months off-and-on to study. After a bit, I realized that the GRE only measures how well you take the GRE. Once you look at it that way, you can learn how the exam works and avoid the little tricks they throw in there. It's a different ballgame than regular academic exams, but it's predictable after a while. You can beat the GRE! Don't let a score hold you back. Right on. That's the important part of the application, more so than the GRE. Just get your scores to a point at which they won't limit you, and then spend your time on the LORs and SOP, which is what admission decisions are mainly based on. If you're trying to figure out the "tier" at which you should be aiming, ask an advisor or professor who knows you and your work well. They can give you good feedback, and help you understand how to get into your target programs.

CS programs generally have a list of required background courses. You'd have to look and see if you meet all the requirements. I don't think that IS and CS programs are equivalent, but you could of course check with the schools you're applying to.

I agree with Eigen, you really shouldn't choose a school based on your GRE scores. Your scores aren't even a reflection of your abilities as a researcher, so why let that limit the strength of programs you apply for? What's keeping you from trying the GRE again?

Any idea when we should be registering for fall classes? I haven't heard any information about this, and I'm trying to figure out if that's normal.

Accepted grad students: Could you share a piece of advice, a website, an advice article, or other piece of information that helped you the most when completing your applications? I'll start: https://sites.google.com/site/gradappadvice/ This website, especially the application timeline page, helped me immensely.