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I might not bring it up, but I would discuss your commitment to your education and mention (briefly) that you worked two jobs in order to be able to pay for school. I think professors will be looking for signs of dedication and willingness to work hard (since that's what they want grad students for), and they actually don't care much about your grad school grades (as long as you meet the minimum bar), because they want you to focus on your (their) research. Looked at that way, that you were able to maintain a decent gpa in spite of a heavy work load at your jobs could be seen as a positive attribute and work in your favor. But I am not a professor -- so I am just speculating. However, I have a lot of respect for people who are able to manage school and real jobs.

It is unfortunate that the email is not more clear. I'm not sure what I'd make of "can can" either. I think Eigen is right in the interpretation he's given you, and I don't think any promises are being made here to you. It might be considered a positive sign that the professor didn't just ignore your email (many profs would have), but maybe he's just a nice guy (?) and it would be too much to read anything more into it than that. I am also waiting to hear back on my applications, so I understand your frustration. I want to know NOW -- either way -- the not knowing is the worst!

I think if you address it directly, it could be redeemable -- especially if it is removed from your transcript, but you disclose it (don't applicaitons ask about stuff like that?) anyway. It's tough -- admissions are so competitive, and many programs end up rejecting students they'd be perfectly happy to have, if they had the spots/funding/whatever. But I'd hate to think a mistake made when you're still quite young could derail your dreams. You may need to apply to a wider range of schools and see how things go. Is there someone you could talk to at your current school who might be able to advise you or go to bat for you in a LOR?

I think you should not try to read too much into it. In my program, even when people are interviewing on campus, while they TRY to have at least one interviewer be a person the student expressed an interest in working with, it's not always possible to arrange. And since students rotate through labs the first year, many end up in labs they weren't even considering initially. If you are being interviewed at all, it's a good sign, no matter who's doing the actual interviewing! Congratulations and good luck :-)

I teach part-time at local CCs. In some classes, I have complete control -- i.e. I decide what to include, I make all exams. In others, I still control what material I present, but the final exam is the same for all sections of the class, so I have to make sure the students are prepared for that. I try to mix up the format of my classes. Some days are all lecture, others are hands-on activities. If I miss a day, I can condense or skip some of the in class activities. I have also scheduled make-up classes on Saturdays (often optional review sessions). Students actually DO come! That's not my favorite solution, but students actually seem to appreciate it.

Two of the most intelligent people I know have undergraduate degrees from HES. So I certainly respect it! I think the program as a whole is highly regarded, but I don't know anything about the specific program you mention is regarded by employers or people from traditional programs.

If your GPA is really a 2.0 on a 4.0 scale, it's going to be a rough road to acceptance, I think. You might even consider some sort of post-bac course, to show that you are able to perform at the academic level they expect. I have heard of this program, but I don't know how good it is: http://ecampus.oregonstate.edu/online-degrees/undergraduate/computer-science/ and there are (excellent) courses offered through Harvard Extension: https://www.extension.harvard.edu/ Courses like these could potentially strengthen your record, but you might want to email some of the programs you're interested in and ask them for advice.

I am applying without it.... we'll see how things work out.

I came late to this website, so it's probably too late for this cycle. I hope you were able to get friends to critique your SOP. I'm not sure how others feel about this, but is it a good idea to post your SOP here, rather than asking for volunteers and then sending the document via private message? There are definitely parts of this SOP that I would omit (childhood experiences) and other areas I would expand on (actual research and work experience). For applying to schools in the US, I would recommend trying to get at least one American (with good writing skills) to read and comment, as some of your phrasing would not be considered "standard" here. I think you souonds as though you have a lot of experience and could be a strong applicant, but this SOP might not be helping you as much as it could.

It is generally easier to get in to a master's program, but MUCH harder to get funded to do a master's. For CS, you should not have to pay to do a PhD -- you should get a graduate student stipend, either a research assistantship or a teaching assistantship (or a combination of the two) to cover your tuition and living expenses. However, it is generally harder to be accepted to a PhD program. For the PhD, international students should also get funded according to the policies of the department, similarly to domestic students (at least that is how it works at my current school).

It's really hard for anyone to chance you. I know I have no idea how to determine what my chances would be at any given school.... From what I have seen, your GRE Q might be a little on the low side for international students, but since you're applying for MS rather than PhD, that's probably fine (and I also don't know what schools consider "acceptable" for their programs). There are schools with separate programs for HCI -- have you looked at any of those? They might be a bit easier to get into than CS programs. You have publications, and most don't -- so that is a big plus in your favor, I'd say. LORs are important, and there's no way to know how effective yours are. Bottom line -- we're all in the same boat :-) Waiting and biting our nails until we hear something. It sounds like you are a very credible applicant whose application should get serious consideration. Good luck!

I am from a brand name UG school, and it has definitely helped me (very decent, not tip-top gpa). Currently applying to grad school again and spoke with one of the members of the admissions committee who outright said that my UG school would help me, despite my being a non-trad who graduated many years ago (i.e. no letters from there this time around).

I'm still in grad school, but have discovered it wasn't the right path and I will be leaving this spring (kind of knew starting out, but couldn't think of a better option at the time). So, I have a number of "Plan B"s. I have applied to 2 new grad programs in a different field, but I probably have more work to do to show I am qualified for those programs, so I may be applying again. I am working, so I may continue doing that, but there are some things I've put off for a number of years that I wouldn't mind having time to take on now.

Agreed -- she is being honest with you. Letters from full professors carry the most weight. That is how academia works. When I was applying, I had letters from community college instructors (and even 1 non-PhD adjunct). I was told my letters were one of the weak spots in my application package (as a non-trad, I had several). Still, I did get interviews and an acceptance, so these letters are not necessarily going to disqualify you in the eyes of ALL programs (but will from some).

From what I've heard, your LORs are really important. I have heard that many programs want to see letters from people they are familiar with and whose opinions they respect. A hastily (sloppy) LOR doesn't sound as though it will help your application at all. If possible, try to find some professors who will write you good letters. It is not easy to know, when you're asking, who will or will not help you, but I'd like to think a professor wouldn't agree to write for you unless he/she intended to support your application. Given you essentially have to waive your right to see your letters, you could be sending in an application with a weak LOR without knowing it. Here, however, you KNOW you are not getting a great LOR -- and you really do want them all to be very good/great. Why would you knowingly do this to yourself?

On the other hand, your chance if you don't apply is 0. If you are really interested in these schools -- apply. Most undergrads don't have publications at all. Sure, the competition is tough, but you could potentially have great LoRs from your research advisors.

Very much in agreement with dat_nerd. If you are enjoying what you are doing and getting good mentorship/guidance, you will likely be happy, even if you are very busy. If you are not feeling supported in your program, you will be miserable, even if you have tons of free time. Whatever the right sort of "support" is depends on you, what you need to do your best work, and how your working style meshes with your advisor's.

I agree with the advice you've already gotten. I am trying to do something similar. I actually am in a biomed program now, but have been taking lots of CS electives out of personal interest (couldn't stop after just learning some programming to help with my research, which was the original plan). Now I am trying to switch over to CS. I am lucky in that I am getting advice/support from the CS professors I've had here. I will also be applying to the OMSCS program.

If you need to take some CS classes, starting at a CC could be an affordable option, but may only get you through CS 1 and CS 2. You might need to look into university courses for other typical prerequisites for a master's program. For example, U of WA has a summer sessions that is open to anyone; though course offerings are limited, a data structures and algorithms class is generally available. Other schools might have similar programs during the summer. Harvard Extension has a lot of options online for fall and spring, but is very expensive.

She sounds very manipulative and you are better off out of there. Don't let anything she said make you feel worse about yourself. She is a failure as a mentor, and that's that. As to what to do now, ask your graduate program director for advice/assistance. They should realize this is very stressful for you (it is -- I switched labs under practically ideal conditions, and it was STILL stressful), and they should be supportive. If they aren't, I would seriously consider switching PROGRAMS, if you are in a position to do so (not tied down geographically due to family constraints, for example). Best of luck -- you really could use some good friends right now -- I hope you have some nearby.

My only concern would be your Q score (and it is a very MINOR concern, because that is an excellent score), given that the bar for internationals seems to be ridiculously high. But I think the rest of your application would more than enough to stand up against someone with higher test scores, but lower class standing (and being female probably does help...since US universities are kind of unbalanced in CS, apparently)

You have to realize that admissions are very competitive for everyone, but even more so for international students. It seems as though you almost have to be perfect. I don't think lack of a publication is enough to disqualify you, but all the aspects of your application need to be strong, including your statement of purpose and your recommendations (and your GREs).

No idea -- I would be curious, but this information does not seem to be published and students are not informed of their class rank.

I think it is fine that your husband is traveling with you and checking out the area/opportunities for himself. However, you should make sure to attend ALL events scheduled by the school on your own (you are probably already planning to do this), and I would suggest asking the school about the sleeping arrangements specifically. I was not told ahead of time that I would be sharing a room with another student, but no student was given a single room at one of the interviews I attended. Given current funding situations, I don't see why any school would put any student up in a single room, unless there was no other option (i.e. no other students to pair with).

I got a bunch of quick rejections right after the application deadline when I applied -- interview invites took longer to arrive, but did eventually. Hang in there :-)