Admission Criteria (MS CompSci)

[gradstu23]

Hi

Im from india, with BE Computer Science from top 20 university, passed out in 2002, with GPA of 75%. Work exp of 8+ of product development in india. I've appeared fro GRE Nov2010 score (Q710,V530,AWA3) TOEFL(103) and applied for MS compsci in most of the state universities and some of the other universities ranked +30 ISU, MSU, PSU, University Of Pittsburgh, WUSTL.

I've received rejection from NCSU, UCSC so far,

What are my chances ? Should i

1) rewrite GRE ? for higher AWA ?

2) Take Subject Test CompSci ? for higher GPA ?

3) Apply to other low ranking universities with higher intake ??

Also, is there a second list that universities issues later in the year if students who r offered do not accept ??

Which universities should i apply to with higher acceptance rate ?? Or where my profile will have higher chance of acceptance

Thanks

[starmaker]

You'll be better off posting this on the Computer Science subforum. Since I'm also in CS (and currently in an MS program) I will try to help you.

I can't give you your chances because I don't know anything about your subfield, your reasons for applying to particular schools, your research experience, your recommenders, or how to convert your GPA to a US-style one. Your GRE-Q is slightly on the low side, though probably not enough to take you out of the running by itself. The writing score is also a bit low, and some programs will care about that more than others.

The CS subject GRE would be useful if you didn't have much formal training in CS, or if you had bad grades in your past and wanted to show that you have now mastered the material. It can also be helpful for funding and fellowships. Other than that, it doesn't do much for you - most schools don't require or recommend it, and most applicants don't take it.

You can find acceptance rates of many programs at Petersons.com, though you should know that they combine master's and PhD acceptance rates.

Many universities do keep waitlists, both official (for which they notify the students) and unofficial (for which they don't notify the students), and will offer places to students on those lists if enough students who were accepted decline the offers.

If you end up applying again, I suggest that you get a native English speaker to review your statements of purpose. I mean no insult to your English abilities - it is quite difficult to write compellingly in a language in which you are not a native speaker, and a reviewer who is a native speaker can help improve the flow of your statement.