kraus

Hi everyone, I am starting my graduate program in Computer Science (M. Sc.) this Fall and I had some questions regarding applying for GA positions. I have been offered GAship but I need to apply for the open positions and secure one in order to receive the funding. The department has made available the list of open positions and I am planning on applying soon. I have never done any TA work before but I have done internships for software development companies. I also have a Master's in Engineering with a thesis on a CS topic. Is my lack of TA work going to hurt my chances along with me being a new graduate student? Could you recommend steps I could take to strengthen my application for the positions? How should I tailor my resume? Would really appreciate any pointers. Thanks.

Yeah, you can't get a visa in US, it has to be done in another country. And like fuzzylogician said, summer is a busy time and might be hard to get an appointment. I did it September of last year in London. Booked an appointment a month ahead while in US, got there for the interview (was visiting my sister there too) and got the passport back a week later. So three weeks is enough if you can get an appointment early on, but it also depends on where you have your interview in terms of when you get the documents back. Or you could just opt to change status and not leave the country. I think it's not a change of status since you will still be a student but you should definitely consult the international student office to make sure. You can always leave later if you want to travel and get your visa then.

Hey everyone, I am a bit confused about the funding I have received from a school and would like to know your thoughts. So the offer letter states that I will receive a minimum of 2 Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GAs) over the course of my Master's program, with each GA amounting to X dollars. X is roughly equivalent to my tuition for one term. So say I only get 2 GAs, then it covers only the tuition for two terms out of four in my program. The program does have Co-op opportunities so I was thinking I could cover for the rest with my Co-op program. There is always the possibility that I might get more GAs but I'm considering the minimum scenario for now. Of course Co-op does not guarantee a job, but that would be up to me. What do you guys think about the situation I'm in? I mean I know it's not going to be easy but I feel it's manageable. I am working now and if I work a bit into summer, I could save enough to work with as I manage the GA and the Co-op. Do you think I can ask for a bigger financial package, and ask if I am eligible for any scholarships? Will it not be seen favorably by the department that I am asking for more? I really need some suggestions to help me sort through this. Thanks

Yeah. They said I would hear back by end of April or in May.

Thank you! I needed that. Best wishes for the new chapters in your life.

Hi everyone, I have an acceptance with no funding currently. When I asked the department (where funding info is supposed to come from), they said I will be notified in 3-4 weeks (so mid-May?). This is a Canadian university and maybe that's why the lateness. I am waiting on 3 other universities (all in Canada) and although it's late, I am hoping and praying. I have seen stories of hope here in the forums and I am not giving up. Can I accept the offer now and say no if they don't provide decent funding for me to be able to attend graduate school? Thanks

True. Should the email be any different than if you would contact them at the beginning of the process (if I was contacting new faculty)? What about those I had contacted already? I mean I would give my background and ask them about their research/available positions in their group, but since I am emailing them so late, would I have to add anything else?

I am in a similar situation albeit at a different university in Canada. I emailed the department asking about the status of my application and got two replies. One said the faculty is reviewing files over the next few weeks and I will be contacted if anyone is interested. The other email said that there is no supervisor available for my file yet and they will continue to hold my file in case a faculty shows interest. So I don't actually know what to believe between the two emails (which were received less than a day apart from each other and from different email addresses). Since they say there is no supervisor for my file yet and are holding onto my file, should I contact faculty that I got in touch with before the application process? I didn't hear back from the professors I got in touch with before the application process. What do you suggest? Should I wait or send emails to those faculty I am interested in? Thanks

Is this really too late to find advisors for Fall'11? I have applied to Master's programs and I did try to find advisors during the application process. But the couple I contacted didn't get back to me. I should have kept looking for them and emailing those in the programs I'm interested in. But can I still email potential advisors and see if they have graduate positions available? The reason I want to do this even though it's this late is I was told by a school that they will keep my files in case a supervisor gets interested in my application. Will it adversely affect my application if I email professors now and end up hurting me more? What should I tell them in the email? Thanks