[Is it a good plan?]

If you want to do OS related research, why not also try Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam? Tanenbaum and the MINIX group are there, and the university is closer to where you live (Moscow, apparently). There may be less stringent admissions requirements, but the downsinde is you would probably need a Professor to agree to be your advisor in advance.

I am definitely considering Master's at VU Amsterdam (am not at any level to apply for a phd with Tanenbaum or anyone who works with systems there). thank you for your post anyway I hope you are right and admission is less stringent there for master's

[Is it a good plan?]

If you have no research experience then I think you won't get into the schools you mentioned for PhD. I don't think you can produce a strong SOP, because your SOP should be primarily talking about your research experience and convincing the adcomm that you are capable of doing research. Likewise, if your LORs aren't from academics (let alone well known academics), it is even harder.

There are different applicant pools to the PhD and MS programs; it isn't the case that it is as hard to get into an MS program, which you will pay for, as it is to get into a PhD program, which they will pay for. If you have a lot of work experience and good coursework in CS I think you'll be fine for a masters program (although I don't know how selective the schools you listed are).

Thank you for your response! It is certainly hard to hear that. Would you recommend to change all my applications from PhD to MS?

I have to say that I could get two LORs from my university professors, who will give me good reviews, but I figured that since they are also from an unknown place with zero reputation adcomms won't even look at them, while my LORs from employers are very senior managers, who have certain type of reputation.

Thanks!

[Is it a good plan?]

Hi,

I have a very average profile. I am from a distant country. I have no relevant research exprience. One publication in an absolutely unknown journal. I have considerable work experience in various companies. I will get very strong LORs from my employers. My GRE is Q800 V550 AW4.

However, I really know what i whant to do, which is OS related things. I also believe I can produce strong SOPs.

I want to get into a PhD program. However, I think my changes of getting into a good school are quite weak. In the same time there are only a few schools ouside of top20 who do sensible OS reasearch (or am wrong?).

Anyway I will apply to whole bunch of schools between top 20 and top 50. Here is the list. Do you think I have a standing chance there or should I aim even lower?

University of Massachusetts--Amherst

North Carolina State University

University of California Santa Barbara

University of Southern California

Duke University

SB SUNY

UC Santa Cruz

Ohio State University, Columbus

Rutgers

I also think maybe to apply to some masters programs. But I keep getting an impression that in most schools the admission rate to MS is just as low as to PhD. Here is a list of some top schools which really interest me. Could you say that yes I am right and I have not a chance there even for MS program (or is there one that is worth trying?):

University of Texas--Austin

University of Wisconsin--Madison

University of California--San Diego

University of Michigan--Ann Arbor

Thanks a lot in advance! I would appreciate any response.

[Operating systems research: what are my changes?]

Hi all,

I am an international applicant. I have a BS in Mathematics, and an MS in Finance from a reputable Russian University (considered to be among top 5 in russia for Math). I have a poor GPA because I started working since my first year. Will this be relevant by the way since this was a Russian school?

I have 4 yrs of working experience for a world leading accounting and consulting firm (it may be a bit controversial, I know). I am currently based in Russia where I am the leader of data assurance and complex business data analysis group. I am considered to be the leading person in this data analysis thing and will receive good recommendations from partners and directors (they have CS background). I also have professional qualification in Accounting as well (I had a strange career really).

My GRE is estimated at 750-800 Q and 540-640 V.

I did some tiny bit of research in my University. Specifically I have some experience with linux drives programming and microkernels, L4 and MACH. But, I have no publications at all and is not listed on any projects. I also have working knowledge of some 12 computer languages.

I figured I have no chance of getting into top 10 or even top 20 programs.

So I want to apply for a PhD at Yale (which is ranked exactly 20th). I found one professor there who is doing exactly the thing I dreamed all my life. This would be the perfect fit (I am now reading recent reaserch paperers in the field and think to write a letter to this professor in a couple of days).

I also consider UC Santa Cruz for various reasons. But apart from that I don't know any other good school for operating systems (and microkernels) research.

Could you recommend a school (PhD program)? and what are my changes at Yale?

Thanks in advance!