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Ancient CS Grad

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Everything posted by Ancient CS Grad

  1. Depending on the school you can apply without some of the pre reqs but the school will usually require that you then take the required courses and the credits will not count towards your degree. In the NYC area I believe Hofstra, Pace, Fordham, Iona College and CUNY have career change type degrees as an option. They do not specifically call it that but you can tell by the pre reqs which usually require math thru calc 2 and some basic programming courses. Obviously some of these programs are better than others. You really want to talk to recent grads if possible.
  2. In addition to Victor's comments I would suggest that you look for a program that is aimed at career change vs research. If your goal is to combine your business skills with a new set of CS skills, there are programs out there that would fit you needs quite well. I would not suggest that you look at a top 15 research institution for your MS rather look for a program that focuses on career changers. If you try to compete with other students who already have their BS in CS you might find it a bit overwhelming. Career change programs generally allow for the fact that you might need extra courses to come up to speed and will probably be able to teach you what you want to know. In addition most career change programs are part time with classes at night that allow you to continue to earn a living. This is important since most MS programs do not have any kind of funding available.
  3. A couple of observations. Stony Brook does have a good program but if your partner will be studying in NYC you really do not want the commute. On the other hand If you are a gluten for punishment commuting to New Haven (Yale) or Philadelphia (U Penn) are both possible but obviously time consuming, I have know people who have done both train commutes though not for grad school. The best choice in NYC for Biomedical related CS research is definitely Columbia. If you are interested in Cyber Security NYU-Poly (cs.poly.edu) has an excellent program, it is a different application than NYU-Courant Institute.
  4. Good question, I would be happy to look at it but you are right there is probably a correct place to post it.
  5. While it gets harder with age 27 is not old by any standards for a Doctoral program. Graduating with a PhD in your early thirties will not be an an employment issue either. Being prepared and ready are far more important. Working towards a PhD requires 100% commitment, a little extra time to be sure that you are ready will not harm you. Getting into a top program will not be hurt by your age. Many professors like to have students with a little extra real world experience under their belts since it usually means more commitment. FYI if you are worried think about starting your PhD at 53. Trust me its and interesting experience.
  6. Having lived in Westchester and the city most of my life and commuted to just about every point in the city at one time or another I would agree with your first assessment that the commute is very livable either by train or car. The living experience is a good question. The answer is it really depends. I would personally avoid Yonkers, however White Plains has a real atmosphere about it. Lots of restaurants and things to do in general and good access to all parts of the Tri-State area. However, its not anything like living in NYC. Its just not the same experience. Personally I prefer the suburbs but that probably has a lot to do with the fact that I grew up there.
  7. Look at the University of Houston. The Farsight Toolkit Project fits your interests and the ece department chair is familiar with the educational system in India.
  8. In computer science there is an third degree often masquerading under the professional label. This is the "career changing" degree offered by many institutions, usually those who do not offer Phd programs. If you already have a BS/BA in computer science these programs are not for you since you probably have completed 90% of the required courses. Be sure that which ever way you go that the program you choose is advanced enough to move your career forward.
  9. The answer is yes. Most schools have some fellowships that can be applied to separately as well as fellowships that they match up with qualified applicants. In addition there are some government/industry fellowships out there that be applied to independently, these are particularly useful in that if you can land one it makes you a good catch for many schools. Grad school admissions is a bit different from undergrad admissions. The research you have done is far more important than outside interests. Great recommendations with good grades and GRE scores + research experience can be a winning combination. If you current professors have connections in any of the departments you want to apply to and are willing to make introductions it also helps to make personal contact before applications are due.
  10. Its not the classes that take the time, usually half of a Phd programs credit is thesis research and research part time is frustrating to say the least. A lot of 2 steps forward and one step back.
  11. With the caveat that I am starting the Phd program at Poly in the fall, the answer is it depends. In the New York area Poly's masters in CS is respected by companies such as IBM and Google. However, I do not know that is particularly known outside of the area. The problem in general with MSCS programs is that they are usually completely separate from the Phd programs so the rankings are not very useful. NYU vs NYU-Poly depends on your interests. NYU is more of a theory oriented department. Poly's department is more systems oriented with a strong cyber security area. Finally, if you want to go by reputation if you can get into Columbia's masters program you probably can not go wrong.
  12. There a definitely some part time specific Phd programs. Not too long ago I received a flyer from NYU-Polytechic advertising a part time Phd program at their Westchester satellite campus aimed at students like yourself. This is not too surprising since the satellite campus is located conveniently near several IBM facilities. I am sure that there are other schools that would offer similar programs, the key is having enough potential students in the area.
  13. On the transfer credit question. I would assume it would be the same as getting a terminal masters then going on for the Phd. I completed my masters at a school that does not have a Phd program. Most of the programs I applied to have straight forward rules (all different of course) for transfer of credits for students coming in with a masters. It really varies by program. The one thing that was consistent was that you will have to meet the quals requirements at the new school which will mean at least some new course work no matter what you have completed. In my case I am receiving course credit but it will not go against the core courses required for the quals.
  14. Exactly, some professors will not want to hear from you but there are a large number who are looking to form research teams and are looking for promising students. The one thing I would add is to look beyond the "top 20" and look for programs in the top 50 or so that may have strength in your specific interest. There are some departments that are very strong in specific areas that don't make the overall ranking. There are also specific research projects that are at the forefront of their area that are at universities that you might not have considered at all. An example is robotics. While of course there is always CMU and MIT Worcester Poly Tech has a very strong robotics program but is not in the top 20 cs or eecs programs in fact its really a top 100 school. No, I am not going there but I did look at it with my son who has a strong interest in Robotics.
  15. I agree with what_ever_ apply directly to Phd programs. You are right that it is unlikely to find a research position without a Phd You sound qualified so the real question is how to get into the programs. My experience and the experience of others that I know seem to show that the most important factor in getting into a Phd program (assuming you didn't graduate from a top 5 school with a 3.75 or better gap) in CS is to find a Prof that you want to work with and then convince him you are the guy he wants. Pull through does work in the application progress and as long as you are patient you will find that a lot of professors will respond to your emails showing interest in their research.
  16. All I can say is you are 20 years ahead of me and I am just starting my Phd program. Just love what you are doing and don't worry about the age.
  17. Keep in mind that there are pockets of "more affordable" housing in NYC especially in Brooklyn (the subway commute to NYU is very reasonable) if you look hard enough. If you are funded (or are self supporting) you also might qualify for some of the very few "affordable housing" units built into more expensive buildings under the NY Brownfields program credit and other programs. The waiting list for these units are long but worth looking into if you are going to be in the city for a while. I guess the point I am making is that there are affordable options in NY but it take a lot of work to find them.
  18. Berkeley! I attended Cal as an undergrad and lived with my ex wife while she was a grad student at MIT. (Both in CS) While the there is no question about the quality of both programs there is a big difference in the quality of life between the two schools and I am not talking about the weather. Unless you fit in well with MIT's vision of a grad student (and you mentioned being more laid back) you will probably not be as happy there.
  19. Ask!!!! The worse case is that they say no. You can still go without the funding if they do say no but if you don't ask you will never know. As I have said in other posts "Life is too short." In this case you have nothing to lose and a lot to gain by simply asking. From my own point of view I would go with the funding. It shows that they value you. Since my major is a bit different I can not judge the programs but in my own major I decided to go with a lower rated department before I received all my acceptances based on the faculty I would be working with. Reputation of the department is only part of the picture.
  20. Life is too short to worry about whether you are good enough. Accept the offer. Penn has a good program and you can survive on the stipend in State College (There is a reason for the expression "Starving Grad Student"). The only way you will find out if Research is your thing is to do it, if not you will have a gotten a great exposure and you can move on to something that interests you more. Also you probably will be able to earn substantially more than 3K for the summer by your second year with a good industrial internship.
  21. The US News and World report rankings are only part of the story. An overall program ranking might be fair while a specific specialty might be much better or worse. At the end of the day finding out where recent grads ended up is usually a better indicator. That is true in CS, it might or might not be true for your field. I guess I am saying that I agree with MEB05 in that your probably should chose the place with the labs that match your interests assuming the labs have a good reputation.
  22. Start with the fact that as far as reputation you will not go wrong with either of these choices. I think your real decision here is who you want to work with as an advisor. Personally I would take sunshine and snow over rain and clouds but that is not a reason for you to make your choice. On the corn field question, UIUC is a huge school with lots going on. Yes it is in the middle of corn fields but its not without its pluses.
  23. I also agree with ktel, however, I would take it one step further. Do you really want to be part of a program or University that would not deal with an ill family member in a reasonable fashion? You might even find that there are exceptions to every rule, including no deferred admissions. Over the years I have been hired during hiring freezes and accepted for programs that I applied to after application deadlines. That said, I hope that all goes well for your parents so this discussion is moot.
  24. I don't think you are asking the right question. Do you have a specific interest in CS? Have you been offered funding from a specific Professor or Research Group. These are questions that you need to think about in addition to the the overall department.
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