Is it a good plan?

[hellmean]

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.

[OH YEAH]

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).

Edited November 24, 2011 by OH YEAH

[hellmean]

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!

[sinerged]

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.

[hellmean]

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

Edited November 24, 2011 by hellmean