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Ah - I see, hadn't considered that. You're correct - Masters courses here are only 1 year - there is no flexibility in the timing of the course - so you will definitely be out in 12 months. As for PhD length - I've not met a single person who has finished their PhD in 3 years, it's normally more like 3-4 if you're good and at least 4 on average. Are you considering any other universities? Perhaps those three will suffice for a Masters course but there are very many other CS departments which are good - have a look at this table here. I don't know how they equate to the departments there in the US. Regardless, the Imperial College MRes and the Cambridge MPhil courses should be at the top of your list. If you're keen on going down the Masters route - you should to apply to some places in the US too to keep your options open since there far more 'top' CS departments there than here. You can always apply for a PhD in the UK after finishing your Masters in the US.

Firstly - I personally wouldn't do a Masters degree in the UK if you were looking to get research experience*. Most of the masters here are taught masters and it's highly unlikely you will get significant research exposure or publish anything. I don't know how Masters courses in the US compare to this but the reason I'm applying there is because the courses are more flexible and the breadth of courses is greater. Bear in mind that several CS Masters degrees here are more suited to people who haven't studied significant CS before and courses are less flexible - so you may end up having to study the same content you studied previously. (*This is not the case with the MPhil course at Cambridge. Several of my friends have completed this to go onto PhDs - so this one is worth applying to!) Secondly - I meant that you might struggle to get into a PhD course without much research experience. From what I've read they're intensely competitive. Could you do a Masters course at UT Austin? That would let you continue your work with the research group you're about to get involved with and it might be easier to navigate their admissions process having studied your undergraduate there? The cost effective (and time efficient) options would be to apply straight to PhD programs as long as you can demonstrate sufficient research experience - which might mean, as you say, spending more time as an undergraduate there. However, if you're keen to do a Masters course, apply this year! I wouldn't bother applying to both Masters and PhD at the same time - it's likely to seep into your application and make it seem less focussed. (Plus, presumably a lot of places only let you apply to one program.) It depends on your financial constraints more than anything else since the Masters route will ultimately be more expensive. Bear in mind that British PhD programs are much shorter (an average of four years) but do mostly require a Masters degree first. Hope this helps a little, sorry if it's a little unclear, you've got very many options! Separate to your question, what is your opinion of the graduate course at UT Austin as a current student there?

I studied at Cambridge and have friends who have studied at undergraduate and postgraduate level at Oxford, Cambridge and Imperial. I don't think you'll have a problem getting admitted into those programs this year if you wish to do a Masters course - they're not nearly as competitive as US universities and you have a good profile. PhD programs are a little different since you need to find a professor first who will take you and then apply to the universities. I suspect you might struggle to get into a US university though but if you intend to do a PhD, I'd almost say it's worth trying to stay there as much as you can. The British universities are good but from what I've heard, the breadth of what's available (in terms of research areas, cities and so on) is much better in the US. Of course, you may want the cross Atlantic experience - which is quite valuable, especially if you plan to return home afterwards. Personally I'd wait, join the research group and spend some time there and try and get something published. That experience is invaluable and the opportunity to participate in research is quite rare at undergraduate level. That will help you both with your PhD application and, with Java being ubiquitous in industry, will definitely help any job applications you make later on. (Perhaps do a Masters afterwards there and apply to some PhD programs in the UK later too.) Good luck!

I think the CS GRE subject test would help significantly - especially without a background in Computer Science (i.e. having majored in it). From all the various admissions FAQs I've read, you sound like the exact sort of applicant who would benefit most from taking it. I did see a forum post somewhere on the internet with preparation advice so will try and track that down later. I can't comment on the rest of your application but it sounds like you're driven enough. Since you already have a steady source of income and you're determined to go to graduate school, take some time (as long as necessary) to prepare your application (and in particular to prepare for the CS GRE) so that it's as strong as possible when you do apply. (I think that most people can strengthen their applications enough to get in to most places, it's just a question of will, time and money, the last two of which are luxuries which most students don't often have.)

The only one I've found so far is from UPenn although it doesn't offer a domestic / international breakdown: http://www.cis.upenn.edu/grad/admission-stats.shtml Also, to confirm my earlier point, from this article:

That might be explained by the tendency of international students to apply mainly schools they've heard of. I've noticed this from reading the Edulix forums - a lot of Indian applicants will go for schools they've heard, as opposed to schools which might suit them better (in terms of fit or competitiveness). Domestic students probably have a better idea of where might be best for them (and likely better careers advice too). Interesting find - I had a brief look at the schools I am applying to but couldn't find analagous statistics.

Thanks queller!

I haven't studied in the U.S. or been accepted into any graduate program so feel free to ignore me. A friend who did a summer research internship at USC didn't enjoy his time in LA at all - he said it's almost impossible/infeasible to get around without a car. He spoke quite highly of San Diego and the Bay Area as places to study but recommended against studying in LA. (Again, this is a European view, so YMMV, literally.) Regardless, those two schools are both very reputable from the research I've done, so well done.

At this point, I'm not considering continuing into a PhD - the plan is to return to industry. Brown is close to New York so I guess that might help find certain types of jobs after graduating. Any idea what technology employers think of it?

I haven't seen this mentioned in a lot of places but it ranks fairly well, the university is generally well reputed and the course looks interesting. Any opinions on their Masters program / CS department?

I took this test at a testing centre here in London and I had a similar experience. Since this was my second time taking the test, I specifically asked for a booth in the back row. Because I was the first person in that morning, I had to sit at the end - which meant that there were still people walking past me but it was definitely not as bad. The test centre was very close to a train station so every 2-5 minutes there would be a rumbling as the next train passed through. There was also building work on the floor below - occasionally hammering and drilling would come up through the floor. The provided ear plugs and ear muffs helped but if I sat it again, I'd probably bring my own ear plugs since theirs didn't fit very well. I was quite glad to get the two essay sections out of the way first - the first time I sat the GRE, I was continually being distracted by another loud typist in the room. This time, I was early enough that by the time people started arriving, I was well on the way through the second section. Anyway, I found this didn't have too much of an impact on me - it was distracting, yes, but aside from the essay sections, I didn't really need to focus for a long period of time. I did considerably better the second time than the first. If you resit, make sure to plan your test tactically. In addition to arriving early and asking to be sat in a quieter corner, I also made sure to book it in the morning (when I work best) and on a Monday (after I'd had the weekend to rest). (I also am guessing that morning tests are less popular, but that's probably an unfounded assumption.)

Thanks for your replies and advice guys. With the subject GRE test, are you able take it without submitting a list of schools? IIRC, ETS lets you submit scores afterwards? I understand that this will cost me more but that way I can take the test and only submit the score if it is good? Senior lecturer is about as high as it goes before head of department, so I'd probably equate it to professor. I think my course of action is going to be- Retake the GRE and try and get full marks (whatever that is on the new system). Take the CS GRE in October and submit scores if they're good. Try and get something published before November-time. Apply to more schools.

Hi all, I applied to Stanford, CMU and UT Austin for their MS CS courses respectively. The first two rejected me and I think the third was incomplete because one of my letters wasn't submitted. I'm wondering whether it's worth applying again next year with an improved application, and to more universities. My application was as follows- Statement of Purpose - reasonably good, I had it proof read by a lecturer, a couple of current PhD students and as many well spoken friends as I could. Post rejection though, our careers service had a look and said that it wasn't crystal clear why exactly they should give me a place over another candidate. GRE - 780Q, 590V. 89th and 84th percentile respectively. Transcript/GPA - this is different to most US universities. I studied my undergraduate at the University of Cambridge and graduated with a 2.i degree which roughly equates to a 3.0 - 3.4 GPA. We don't have a calculated GPA and my transcript shows raw marks which, I imagine, look quite unimpressive. I struggled during my first two years and my exam scores are low - between 50 and 65%. My final year I did much better but the scores are still between 55% and 79%, putting me in the top half of my year group. Letters of Recommendation - with the exception of one referee, two of my letter writers had no experience of the U.S. university system. Whilst I tried to give them as much guidance as possible, I suspect that at least one of these letters was rushed and not nearly as strong as it could have been. That was a from a senior lecturer too. I graduated in 2009, I've been working in London for the last two years - first at an investment bank and then I left to join Last.fm. I'm also doing some research in collaboration with a lecturer from a nearby university. I have no idea whether this will yield a paper or not by application time in Autumn. I'd love to hear what you think- 1) Do I have a chance? Is it worth applying again? 2) Is it worth taking the GRE again? Is it worth taking the Computer Science GRE? (This is quite inconvenient in the UK because they only have one sitting with enough time before the applications close.) 3) If I apply again, is it better to get a strong recommendation from my manager than to ask the senior lecturer? I will then have one academic reference and two industry. 4) Do admissions tutors take into account the way exams are marked/scores are reported in different countries? Will my transcript be putting me at a significant disadvantage (so as not make it worth applying again)? Thanks in advance for any feedback! (P.S. Does anyone have the link to that PDF regarding MS applications?)

Just emailed, apparently should have a decision by the end of March for MS.

Any idea about MS applications? I've yet to receive any news about my application.

Thanks for sharing - makes me feel a little better after receiving two rejections from CMU for the MS in Robotics and MS in CS. Supposedly they had 800+ applicants for the MS in CS. As for the MS in Robotics, the email is phrased as 'over 600 applications to the Robotics institute this year', which I surmise considers all of their programs. Having looked through their students directory, it seems that they have 33 (or so) Masters students and given that there is a two year course, this would roughly imply a ratio of 600 to 15 - or 40 to 1.