victor.s.andrei

Look at the the degree requirements for the undergraduate programs at the schools to which you are thinking of applying. That will determine what prerequisites you need. Regardless of whether you apply to a pure mathematics or an applied mathematics program, however, I would bet on needing single and multivariable calculus (basically, the three-semester calculus sequence), linear algebra, and ordinary differential equations. Take a class in proof-writing, too.

Not always. Depends what you want to do, actually. The benefit of going to a "top" ranked program is that you can get exposure to better research opportunities and networking opportunities with professors and other students. That said, sometimes the best research opportunities in a particular speciality aren't at the "top" ranked programs.

Nothing is impossible, if you want it badly enough.

Yes. Three years is perfectly fine. Just know that it will be a bit of an adjustment if you go full time. As for schools, you did REUs at Cornell. I hope you impressed someone there, because you probably have a good chance of getting in there. Same thing for your alma mater. That said, your credentials are pretty impressive, so you should be just fine at most places. The only reason to get a PhD is if you want to become a professor. Get the master's otherwise. If you want to do research or tackle cutting edge problems, take lots of seminars, go to conferences, and write a thesis. Bonus points if you get your employer to pay for your degree while continuing to work, though this may limit your choices of schools.

Or you could go get the degree while working. Even a few non-degree courses that you can later transfer in can't hurt.

Colleagues at my current place of work have echoed exactly what your reference letter writer told you. Trying to go back to school after a few years is very challenging, to say the least.

Actually, a lot do. Mostly big ones, though.

That's how I'm doing mine.

That's a good goal. What was your undergraduate major, and what school did you attend? Get involved in an open source project. If you have relevant work experience, get a letter of recommendation from a supervisor. I can't speak for UT Austin, UMd. College Park, UCLA, or Toronto, as they are both tough schools. Your lack of research experience might hurt, though. As for the Canadian schools, know that you will be encouraged to apply for a master's degree and then move on to a PhD if you're good and you like what you're doing. You probably will get funded in the master's degree program. As a U.S. citizen you can use U.S. federal loans to finance your graduate degree, even though it's in Canada. Your Canadian degree might also get you a work visa in Canada, which can be a plus. As for George Mason...I'd say your chances are excellent. (I'm currently in the computer engineering program, though I originally considered the computer science program. Having taken enough CS courses, I'd say that the department is excellent.) The only ding you have is a low quantitative score. You might want to fix that. You probably will not get funded, so I would look for an employer with a generous education assistance program. There are many here in the DC area. This is how I am funding my master's degree. Also, know that Mason is part of the DC Consortium, so you may be able to take up to six credit hours from other Consortium schools, like GWU, American, Georgetown, and UMd. College Park. (Hint: this may be a back door into UMd. College Park, if you pick research seminars, produce publishable research, and get a letter from the professor.) Good luck.

I spoke with the folks at Alberta's CS department a few years ago when I was last in Edmonton visiting family. The admissions track at Alberta (and most Canadian universities) differs in that most students are directed to master's programs, which tend to be funded, and then go on to PhDs afterwards once they prove themselves. This differs from U.S. universities, which direct most students to PhD programs and rarely fund their master's programs. Also, completing a graduate degree at a Canadian school can make it easier to immigrate to Canada, if the OP wanted to do so.

If you can, try and find a relevant part-time job that includes tuition assistance. That may help things just a little bit.

Yes, if you are in default (270 days delinquent) on a Federal loan, have exceeded the borrowing limits ($138,500 aggregate, no more than $65,500 for undergraduate, in Stafford Loans; no maximum on PLUS Loans), have committed an act of fraud involving Federal financial aid, have declared bankruptcy (say goodbye to PLUS Loans), or have a drug conviction that has made you ineligible for Federal assistance.

One of my classmates from undergraduate had a 2.8 GPA, just above my 2.7 GPA, in computer science and got into a ranked computer science PhD program, fully funded. Of course, his lead recommender was a professor at the school that accepted him and basically went to bat for him. It didn't hurt that he did a REU with that same professor who recommended him. Middling GPAs can be mostly overcome, but only if you have someone on the inside willing to fight on your behalf.

Google is your friend. See http://www.irs.gov/publications/p970/ch09.html#en_US_2011_publink1000178586. "For purposes of the 10% additional tax, these expenses are tuition, fees, books, supplies, and equipment required for enrollment or attendance at an eligible educational institution. They also include expenses for special needs services incurred by or for special needs students in connection with their enrollment or attendance. In addition, if the student is at least a half-time student, room and board are qualified education expenses." So it looks like you will still pay tax, but no penalty, under certain circumstances.

Startups and small businesses don't care in general. Big companies, however, do. Some do have positions that are only open to candidates with relevant master's degrees, and many others prefer advanced degrees. Of course, it also depends on the sort of job you are looking for.

Stick to Maryland College Park if you can get it. You can do non-degree with GRE > 50 percentile or a GPA > 3.0 there, if I remember correctly. And, it's part of the DC Consortium so you can take up to two interesting and relevant classes at other Consortium schools (like GMU, American, Gtown, GWU) while paying in state rates, if you are a Maryland resident.

I did exactly what you did, except without the research part. Well, unless you count my undergraduate thesis. Plus, I had some rather extenuating circumstances...death in the family, financial problems, etc. Depends what you're trying to accomplish. I ended up working as a network engineer, and my employer is paying for me to get a master's in computer engineering with a concentration in computer networks. Oh, and they are also paying for me to get lots of industry certifications too. Another poster suggested getting a research position. I second this. Or, at least, like I did, get a position that's relevant to your research interests. (I like computer networks.) Definitely apply for a master's degree, do better this time, and get more research experience and recommendation letters. Then, go apply.

Nice. One of my TAs as an undergrad. I forget which class, though...it was so long ago.

I agree with this.

An online degree from where?

My philosophy is that you need to go deep in one or two areas and go broad everywhere else...that way you can adapt to changing environments.

Programming is no substitute for rigorous courses in discrete mathematics, algorithms, data structures, computation theory, computer architecture, operating systems, computer networks, and the like. Most schools also look for mathematics courses like calculus, linear algebra, and probability. As other posters mentioned, you are going to need the requisite background before going into any sort of graduate degree in computer science. In your case, there is only one real way to get that background, and it involves taking anywhere from six to ten undergraduate courses at your own expense. Alternatively, you could study on your own and kill the CS GRE, but that's a long shot. Computer science is more or less mathematics with computers. Sure, there's some branches like networks, databases, operating systems, security, etc. that overlap with other disciplines, but when you get to the core of computer science you will find mathematics...and lots of it. Information technology is more business-ey. And now we get to the heart of the matter. I'm not entirely sure why you want to get a graduate degree in computer science...is it because of the job prospects? Because if it is, that's a piss poor reason to go into a field that you could end up hating. Speaking as someone who works in IT and has a CS undergraduate degree, that's not entirely correct. Of course, it's good to have one or two areas in which you are a specialist, but if that's all you do, it's not terribly hard for upper management to outsource your job.

jjsakurai suggested applying to Canadian schools. I concur with this advice, and I'm a native-born U.S. student. You might face some bias here in the US as an Iranian student (this story should make it quite obvious), plus, even if you get admitted, good luck getting a visa to study here.

This is true. Most departmental and institutional aid goes to Ph.D. students. Same here. But you can get an MS at one school and then apply to a Ph.D. program at another school.

What's an MCA?