Hi all, so I'm in a bit of a strange situation. I feel as though I have a very strong application to a top 25-50 MS program in Comp Sci except for one point. Let me know what you think my chances are or what I can do.
First the good,
Research:
15 abstracts/presentations at medical/statistics conferences
4 journal articles in great to very very good journals on medicine/statistics
GRE:
>90th percentile verbal, quantitative, analytical writing
GRE subject test:
90th percentile
Recent non-degree student courses:
I took 4 core courses at the program that I'm applying to, and my average GPA in those courses was 3.9.
Undergrad degree:
At a top 5 public university
Job Experience:
Four years in research and programming at a university
Recommendations:
One from my current PI who is a big name and will write me an incredible letter.
One from a professor whose graduate CS course I had the 2nd highest grade will be solid.
One from a professor whose graduate CS course who will write me a great rec and whom I will do research with if I get in.
The bad:
My GPA is low, but it is the average in my major, which is 2.5. However, the level of my coursework is all very high -- I have over 30 hours in graduate coursework alone in undergrad. My GPA didn't improve over time, but it also didn't decrease. I took the four courses at the school in which I want to apply for an MS program in (top 25-50 school), and as I said above, I have a 3.9 GPA in those courses.
Okay -- let me have it. What do you think?