compiler_guy

I am not sure if improving your TOEFL score will improve your chances of admission to universities like Columbia, Washington University in St. Louis. These universities are very respected and hard to get into even if you have great stats. Better get a high known recommended in some CS field - that would be way more effective.

MS in CS in Canada is usually funded

Did you visit all schools? Do you picture yourself happily living near those universities? Are you more of a City, suburbia or country side person? I personally would go to one of the schools in California because of the great weather. You won't get rich while you are doing your PhD so don't be fixated upon living expenses. Just be sure you are getting enough funding to afford rent and daily expenses.

Where are the better Prof.?

I think you need first to answer some questions for yourself: 1. Could you be happy in a university that is not your dream school? 2. Do you have a plan in case it turns up your not that happy at Duke ( no research fit, bad adviser, you don't get along with fellow grad students ... ) If your final goal is a PhD, and you were accepted to a great school like UCLA, don't take a detour with the MS degree. It's a waste of time and money. Unless you of course have other reasons to go specifically to Duke.

It all depends on your research adviser, and ranking probably is only secondary in importance. Overall UCI > UCS, but each research area has different rank.

There is no common procedure. Every department and research area acts according to it's own policy. A colleague of mine got accepted out of the blue to UCSB, another colleague got accepted to UCSC after an short informal interview, and another colleague got accepted to UCI after two Skype video interviews. But why are you inserted on going to a University in California if you got accepted by great universities such as U Wisonsin Madison and PennState?

I agree. Deferring is the way to go. Beware of getting into debt.

I think it depends on the applicant as well. In my field, I've heard of people getting accepted without ever being interviewed, people getting accepted after a brief email correspondence with a POI, and of people getting accepted after a full hour long video Skype interview ( my personal experience ).

For me, It took about a week+- Seemed like the longest week of my life though :-)

Funding is usually an important issues for most graduate students. If the program is good enough, I would go to the program the gets you better support

yet still silence from Brown.. Some people have other options, so time is not on their side

If you search the forum here, you will find that if prof. that interviews you is not from your specific area of interest, than probably you are an "almost" candidate and the admissions committee is not sure whether to admit you or not. If a prof. from your research area interviews you, than you are on paper a good match and are considered for funding via fellowship. The above are general assumptions, and it could also just be that the prof that will interview you is accepting students and wants to talk to you if you would be interested joining his research, even that you specified other interests.

what about UCLA? they also are very silent.

Whats going on with U Penn, I see they sent admits and rejections, but I personally heard nothing yet.

I see some results from U Wisconsin Madison. Anyone knows when more results expected? I hope he is right

LOL

@TheInfelicitousDandy , what is your area of research? Did you admit offer include funding?

joining..

None here, total silence..

A colleague of mine was admitted last week too. Do you have any specific questions?

Me too. However, I do know that one of my references from my LORs was asked some question regarding my application around 3 weeks ago.

I suggest you link into http://pgbovine.net/PhD-memoir.htm Also, http://pgbovine.net/PhD-memoir/pguo-PhD-grind.pdf is an eye-opener

U Maryland College Park - 20K (with summer)