ABJ

Thanks everyone for their input. I have had discussions with many people including current PhDs and professors. PhD is about 5-7 year commitment. PhD is designed to prepare you for a career in academics. Yes PhD is funded and involves research but it also includes other boring aspects of research like writing papers, grants, orals, and defense. I wish to have a future in corporate world especially in sillicon valley. i think my research experience will help me get a better understanding of that environment. I have researched for just 18 months, it isnt long when compared to 6 years of PhD. Hence I chose MS.

Thanks! I like research but but dont know if i have what it takes to do a PhD.

Hey, I am a senior at a top 10 ranked university in Computer Science What are my chances into Stanford MSCS? I will be really blunt: My GPA: 3.34 (Major: 3.43) GRE: Q:800 + V:630 Research: Plenty! will be publishing 3 conference papers in next 5-6months, and an undergraduate thesis. I have also co-authored a provisional patent with a professor. Recommendation letters: 1) Research advisor, an associate professor. 2) A distinguished professor in 3) PhD student All this is OK. Not that great. However, here is the big deal. I met with a professor from Stanford in a conference, I talked to him about my research. The talk lasted for 30-40 minutes. I explained all that I have done and the people I have been working with. Next day, he wrote an email to the CS admissions telling them that he was impressed with my research and that in HIS opinion I should be a guaranteed admit. I know of this because he CCed me on the email. The professor also happens to be in the same field of computer science as me. And if i attend Stanford I will be taking lot of his classes. Now he doesnt know anything else about my application, mostly my low GPA. How much should I read into his email. What do you think my chances are without the email and with the email.