Preparing for grad school

[august23]

Hello Everyone,

Hi, I am new here and I am looking for some opinions, suggestions, advice, etc.

Just a quick introduction, I am currently working as a Web Developer / Software Engineer in Los Angeles for a year now. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science from Informatics International College (Philippines, yes I was born and raised in Asia) and it is accredited by University of Cambridge, National Computing Center UK, and Informatics Singapore. I had World Education Services (Member of National Association of Credential Evaluation Services) evaluated my transcript and diploma and the result is, it is equivalent to a US Bachelors Degree to a regionally accredited institution (a really long list) with a 3.15 GPA and 143 credits which I believe the average credit for a college degree is 120.

I always dream to have a master's degree and I really want to apply for a grad school.

My top three choices are CalTech, UCLA, and USC. I'm not ready yet right now but maybe in the future, and I know that tuition is going to rip me off. I just don't know which university is better and I prefer Los Angeles Area.

Some of my questions are:

I'm pretty sure I can apply for a grad school with my status, I am a working professional, I had recommendation letter from my college and previous jobs, but I don't have enough money. Anyway, Is it really hard to get in? Which university has the cheaper tuition fee? Can I take a grad school part time while working full time? What's the major difference of the 3 institution I mentioned?

Sorry if this is a long post, I have so many questions in mind but those are fine for now. I hope someone is willing to talk to me. Thanks a lot!

Edited February 7, 2012 by august23

[TropicalCharlie]

august23, with your background, you can definitely apply to grad schools in cs. I recommend actually speaking with the graduate coordinators at each of the school you are interested in applying. Right off the bat, they can tell you what you can do to strengthen your application. While you have great work experience in the field, keep in mind that the schools you are interested in are tier 1 schools. This means that you will be going up against a very tough pool of applicants. Generally, most grad programs impose a minimum 3.0 GPA requirement. Just because you meet the minimum GPA and have work experience doesn't mean that you will automatically be considered for admission at these tier 1 schools. I'm not discouraging you from applying to these schools at all, but just want you to keep an open mind about the process and what to anticipate.

Also, don't pick a school based on prestige. While the tier 1 schools may be eye-catching on your cv, most employers don't give much weight to where you got your MS as long as you are qualified. I am not knocking on any tier 1 schools as I attended one for undergrad, but you can get just as good an education at other schools with reputable cs programs. You have to find a school that is a good 'fit' for you. Some schools have a very competitive environment while others are more laid back. You have to determine what suits you best, because it will help you decide ultimately where you will be most successful. To find out about 'fit', first contact the grad program coordinator at the school to get more info. Then get in touch with current grad students in the program (often times, their names and contact info are listed on the dept. web page). Check out the cs web site and contact faculty members that you would be interested in working with. This is key to admission, especially if the school requires it.

As for costs, UCLA is going to be the most affordable option as it is a state school. USC and Cal Tech are private, so your education costs are going to be astronomical here. Cal Tech is the creme de la creme of cs on the west coast, so you will be competing against ridiculously uber-accomplished applicants. Depending on the program, you may get a tuition waiver in exchange for TAship. Though finding a fully funded MS program is not as easy as it used to be as funding sources continue to shrink in this economy. Of course, you can always fall back on student loans. You mentioned having strong LOR's. Make sure that these references are willing to write you fresh letters when you apply. Most schools will not accept outdated letters. Since you live in the LA area, check out other state schools in addition to the aforementioned. Gather as much information as you can. Being informed will help you with the decisions ahead.

Edited February 20, 2012 by TropicalCharlie

[august23]

Hello TropicalCharlie,

I was always waiting for a reply after I created this thread, I was like trying to check everyday if someone replied but I stopped cause I've been very busy this past month. I really appreciate your reply and I think you answered most of my question.

Yeah, I always want to go to Caltech and I know that it is the creme de la creme of cs here in the west coast. And I know for sure that Its gonna be hard to apply and the tuition fee is really expensive. I'm earning a decent amount of money right now with my current job and I have no debts, but still, I'm just starting with my career and I'm not really stable and you know, I'm pretty new here in Los Angeles.

I just have one more question and I hope you can help me. I just want to know what university belongs to tier 1, tier 2 and so on. You mentioned that Caltech and USC are tier 1. Does UCLA belongs to tier1? I heard that UCLA is really good in medicines but not really in Computer Science. How about CSU? Does all public university system considered as tier2? I'm not really familiar with all the university and colleges here in California but does it always mean that tier 2 school is cheaper in tuition fee against tier 1? I know that public/state universities are the cheaper ones regarding tuition fee and costs. I'm not sure if you are familiar with CA universities but what I mean is, if you were on my shoes, which tier 2 schools you are going to choose?

Oh btw, Are all MS programs full time? Can you take MS classes part time? I still want to work full time while I'm taking my graduate school. I can't afford to - not to work.

Thanks a lot!

Edited March 14, 2012 by august23

[TropicalCharlie]

In my previous response, I used the terms tier 1 and tier 2 a bit loosely. Determination of school rankings is subjective depending on who you ask. Some will direct you to US News and World Report rankings. Others might say the top 25 or 50 schools based on various ranking agencies. Many believe rankings are dubious and don't matter. A school may be top tier overall but a specific program might not be as wonderful. Here's an exercise that may help you or be completely useless. Give it a try. Think of actors, then name one that is very well known and 5 movies where they had a major leading role. Repeat with lesser known actors. Of the movies you've named, rank them as good, bad, or neutral. Now replace actors with schools and name 5 leading programs at that school. It's silly but do you get where I'm going with this? Overall rankings don't necessarily say anything about the dept/program you are interested in, so you have to do research and figure that out for yourself. I can't answer your question about which tier 2 schools to apply to since I'm unfamiliar with cs programs. Top tier schools include both public (state) and private schools, so you'll have to do research into their cs program and decide for yourself.

As for your question on pt/ft MS programs, you will have to check with each school that you are interested in. I've seen some threads with pt cs students in the forums, so you may want to search for these. Typically when you are awarded funding, outside work is prohibited. Every school is different, so you'll have to make some inquiries directly with the dept.

[laviola]

UCLA is one of the top ranked for some programs, but I'm not sure about its computer science program. You should apply to all 3 though especially if you're in that area. Just a note though: CalTech isn't just the best in the west coast.. it's the best in the world.

In terms of funds, UCLA would be cheaper than USC (I don't honestly know how much CalTech tuition is, that'd be on their site), especially if you're a CAL resident by now. If you've been there at least a year before the start of your program, I think you'd qualify for in-state tuition? Someone can correct me if I'm wrong there, but I think that's the policy.

Do you have preferences in terms of exact locations in LA or campuses? I've been to all 3, and I'm sure you've visited at least 1. CalTech is suburban and quite different from both UCLA and USC considering it's in Pasadena, probably making it the one with the least amount of surrounding distractions. UCLA is in a smaller more secluded college area, kind of a film area, and USC is right near downtown and the campus is much more urban.

Edited March 17, 2012 by laviola

[august23]

I know its been a while but just wanted to give some updates.

First of all, thank you for all the reply. I really appreciate it.

I decided to go with the program from California State University - Fullerton and actually just graduated last May with Master of Science in Software Engineering. The program is 2 years long and I learned some few things (outside my industry experience). I picked that program because it is mostly online and only had to go to school on few occasions, its not that expensive and cost around $15,000 for the whole thing which I was able to pay in cash without taking any student loan, and at that time of my application, it was one of the top online master program in engineering (although i haven't looked at the recent ranking).

I'm not sure if I want to continue to Ph.D., because I don't see any online program for that. Also it is not really necessary in my career to get a doctoral degree. (unlike an advanced degree which helped me a little bit).

Anyway, thank you!