LucKy_StriKe

I'm gonna be joining the Masters in Computer Science program in GSAS, i guess i'm the first one out here going to that program. Are anyone looking for of campus housing? This is an unofficial grad student guide for the CS Department http://cs.nyu.edu/~gradrep/GradGuide.html In the housing section there's some very useful info regarding localities to check out and stuff. Since i've resigned to the fact that i'll have to take the sub everyday(college wont be walking sleepily into the classroom anymore i guess ) it looks like shared housing in brooklyn looks very affordable and comfortable, not to mention a decent locality. Let me know if anyone's interested in looking for a possible apartment share

A1. There is no MS in CS at CMU, so you cannot shift to the CS department for a direct masters in CS(either ways program transfers are almost impossible). However, i have some good news for you. MS in ECE at CMU is a very flexible course and you can switch from DSP into whatever you decide to pursue, your course registrations are done in july or august and you'll be talking to your advisor after you reach there(either ways they wont mind your field switch, you choose the courses you want to take, they can only advise you). Secondly, you can choose most of your courses from CIT(carnegie institute of technology under which the entire CS and ECE departments operate) which would count towards your degree. A2. Students who're in the MS in ECE usually get pretty good internships and later even better jobs, so your $70K would typically be returned within an year of working. Do mail a couple of current students who do work closely relating to what you want to pursue and ask them about their current job prospects so that you can get a clearer idea. p.s: i regret not applying to the MS in ECE at CMU because i thought i was a sure-shot into one of the other programs CMU offers

UNC Chapel hill's been keeping me waiting for ages now, they have rolling admissions and i guess i just missed the last bus by a whisker and the next one's taking forever for them to send. I hope my backup bus doesn't get full. come on UNC you can do it!

All I know about Columbia is that Vapnik's a prof there, thats enough for me to make my decision Hope someone has more information to give you a useful reply.

Thank you all for your advice, the linked-in idea looks really interesting, will give it a try.

In my case they never ever replied to my mails/calls, i've callled a bunch of times. Now i'm freaked. sigh!

In some private schools that i've looked up(USC, CMU), grad courses are about $500-1500 per credit(because you're an out of state student) and courses are usually 3-4 credits or 12 credits. overall course cost would be around $3500-$6000 per grad course for an out of state student.

I was in CMU for a bit and can answer some of your questions. 1. CMU's undergrads and grads have as much confidence, pride and weightage as any Ivy League university for the engineering departments. The students and faculty too are pretty cool and well qualified, if you want to go on to work in a sustainable energy company afterwards, this would be a really strong option to join. 2. The policy changes from school to school and program to program but you can sometimes reach qualification and get out of the program with a masters if you're unsure that you want to continue(of course you'll have to pay back all the funding you received and anything else mentioned in the contract). Do inquire about it from your admissions dept.Many students have this question so i'm sure they'll have an answer immediately. 3.thats a design choice that you'll have to decide upon

Hey there, *new here* I'll be joining a Masters in CS for F'10. I kinda have a split mind between going for a Ph.D and taking a job afterwards(grad school is sure as hell not cheap). Assuming i'll want to find a job in my field of interest afterwards(robotics), how important is it that i join a university closer to a lot of robotics companies, even though the program in another university suits me more. Or have i got it all wrong in this thought?