pclaradactyl

I'm applying to MS Computer Science programs this fall. Wanted some feedback on what I could consider safe and reach schools. My undergraduate degree was an unrelated field at a fairly small liberal arts school in Washington, but I've taken a lot of foundational CS coursework at my local community college (all my relevant course work has been an A and one B, but some C's from 5+ years ago that are completely outside my major at this school bring my overall GPA down). GRE Scores: GPA: My CS coursework will include Calculus 1-3, Java and C++ Programming, Discrete Math, Elementary Computer Organization and Architecture, and Data Structures and Algorithms with a a few other elective CS classes.I graduated with my BA in 2015 and have some research experience in Cognition and Learning Labs with rats and risk behavior research, but no publications. I also have a minor in Studio Art. Project-wise, I made a third person maze game for a mobile game class (group project), but don't have many other side projects. I'm involved in my community college's robotics club this year which will complete in NASA's Swarmathon in spring and I'm doing a Hackathon which I assume will give me something for a resume, but I don't have any work experience in the computer science realm and don't have any non-school related solo projects. I am a tutor this year in my school’s CS department. I have some vague interest in Human Computer Interaction fields (knowing that my art/psychology background connects), but I don't really feel like I am familiar with all of the options to rule any thing else out. I'm also vaguely interested in AI and Data Analytics if I'm a good fit, but I'm sure there are other interesting areas I could connect with. My current school list include Georgia Tech (reach?), University of Wisconsin Madison (reach?), and University of Colorado Boulder (?). I have a lot more schools I'm researching, but I would appreciate any suggestions for schools to look at more closely if I would stand a chance of getting in or could qualify it as "safe."

I graduated with a BA in Psychology in 2015. Since then I have been pivoting into Computer Science. My community college level coursework includes: Java and C++ Programming Data Structures and Algorithms Internet Programming (Javascript, CSS, HTML) Elementary Computer Organization -- currently enrolled Calculus I and II (III is planned) -- currently enrolled in II Discrete Mathematics (planned) My undergraduate GPA was 3.54. My current Comp Sci GPA is 4.0 (though is all undergraduate level). I'm a tutor this fall for the college's CS department, though I have no work/internship experience. I did do research in the cognition and learning labs for my psychology department in 2014-15. From my research into schools, I will be eligible to enroll in some MS CS programs. Given my background in psychology, I have some interest in Human Computer Interaction. Are there any schools that have particularly good programs for someone with that emphasis? Any recommendation for schools I should look into? Also should I pursue the MS CS with emphasis in HCI or should I be looking into MS HCI programs instead?

Hey. I'm hoping to apply to MS programs in Computer Science this fall. I'm looking for schools and am completely overwhelmed by the options. What advice is there for putting together a list of schools I'll apply to and finding programs that will have my interest? I was trying Peterson's or The Princeton Review, but I noticed that some big name schools were missing from my searches. I was wondering if there were similar sites worth using to discover new programs or if there were some tips on how to find the programs that I'm looking for.

Hello. I graduated from a private liberal arts school with a BA in Psychology (minor in Studio Art) in 2015. Afterwards I changed gears in what I wanted to do and started taking courses half-time at my community college. I fell in love with the Computer Science department and now want to earn a degree to do work in the field. My coursework will include at minimum: Calculus I Java Programming (two semesters) Data Structures and Algorithms Discrete Mathematics Elementary Computer Organization Networking Fundamentals Mobile Games PERL Programming Internet Programming I will be completing a Certificate of Achievement in Programming (an AS requires me to take too many non relevant classes). In addition to the courses I've already planned, I will have room for 2-6 of the following in the next year: Calculus II and III, C++ Programming, Intro to Operating Systems, Cloud Programming, and Computer Security. I've discussed my plans with my current professors and they agree that an MS will be a better move for me than pursuing a second Bachelors. I'm taking many of the courses that are listed as prerequisites for MS programs and my community college has a reputation for having a strong program for the major. I believe for most programs I will have the majority of its foundational prerequisites (possibly will need to take a couple higher math with conditional enrollment, like Linear Algebra and Differential Equations). In some cases, I may have all the necessary coursework, but those are rare. My undergraduate GPA was 3.54. So far I have a 3.90 in the CS coursework I've taken (I took a couple non CS classes at community college in 2007 and 2012 and that's bringing my entire community college GPA down to 3.45). My GRE was a combined 320 (161 Quantitative and 159 Verbal), but I hadn't studied as much as I wanted to and would like to bump my score up with a more strategic study plan this summer. My goal is 330 with a lot of studying. My question is what expectations should I hold for myself? I clearly realize I should not anticipate getting into a Top 10 school without a stronger science background. I plan to cast a wide net, but do you have any recommendations for schools that would be a realistic goal for me? Any suggestions which classes would be best for me to focus on out of the courses I'm considering for the next year?