Hey GradCafe,
Applying to MSDS for this cycle and am a bit stressed, worried about my chances. Any input would help
Background:
Undergrad: Information Systems + Econ double major, Computer Science Minor. 3.82 GPA (all A’s in CS courses) from T-30 - 40 US Private School
Coursework: stats, econometrics, info systems, computer science electives
Campus: CompSci TA for 2 years, president of Developer Club
Professional Experience:
3+ years in operations, business analytics (MBB Consulting, Samsung, Couple of public tech companies)
Consistent exposure to Excel, forecasting, process automation, and data-driven decision support
Noticing limitations in “light” data work → motivated to get deeper into modeling, machine learning, and statistical rigor.
Extras:
Independent study of AI/ML via online courses
International Student
No GRE
LoR:
1 from CS Professor that I TA'ed for and had all As for his course
2 from Former supervisor
Target Schools: Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, NYU, U Chicago, UCLA, Northwestern, UPenn, MIT, Yale.
Questions:
How competitive am I for top MSDS programs?
Should I emphasize my strong academic record in CS/quant, or lean on the professional exposure side?
Any red flags I should address?
