Profile Evaluation: MS in Computer Science

[legoac]

Hi everyone,

I am attempting to piece together a solid shortlist of schools. My goal is to get a Master's (with thesis) in CS for Fall 2013 and then either pursue a PhD or go to work in industry. My main area of interest is Artificial Intelligence- more specifically machine learning and AI in gaming.

Basic Stats

GRE: 160Q, 164V, 4.5AW (Percentiles: 84, 94, 72)

Overall GPA: 3.7

CS GPA: 4.0

US Citizen

My biggest weakness is my lack of research experience. I only recently focused in on CS after a long and winding journey. I do plan to contact a couple of faculty at my local institution but I do not attend there so it may be more difficult to find an opportunity. (Advice on how one might compensate for lack of research is welcomed.)

I do have strong writing skills and expect to be able to write a decent SOP. Unless I am able to find a research opportunity, my letters will be from CS professors observing me as a student and should be decent quality.

Shortlist

University of Texas- Austin

University of Toronto

University of Maryland- College Park

University of California- Los Angeles

McGill University

University of British Columbia

North Carolina State University

University of Alberta

UC Santa Cruz

George Mason University

Oregon State University

Can anyone give me an idea of my chances at these schools? Does anyone have suggestions for other schools I might consider? I'd be especially interested in schools that do research in AI in gaming.

Edited June 2, 2012 by legoac

[victor.s.andrei]

My goal is to get a Master's (with thesis) in CS for Fall 2013 and then either pursue a PhD or go to work in industry. My main area of interest is Artificial Intelligence- more specifically machine learning and AI in gaming.

That's a good goal.

Basic Stats

GRE: 160Q, 164V, 4.5AW (Percentiles: 84, 94, 72)

Overall GPA: 3.7

CS GPA: 4.0

US Citizen

What was your undergraduate major, and what school did you attend?

My biggest weakness is my lack of research experience. I only recently focused in on CS after a long and winding journey. I do plan to contact a couple of faculty at my local institution but I do not attend there so it may be more difficult to find an opportunity. (Advice on how one might compensate for lack of research is welcomed.)

Get involved in an open source project.

I do have strong writing skills and expect to be able to write a decent SOP. Unless I am able to find a research opportunity, my letters will be from CS professors observing me as a student and should be decent quality.

If you have relevant work experience, get a letter of recommendation from a supervisor.

Shortlist

University of Texas- Austin

University of Toronto

University of Maryland- College Park

University of California- Los Angeles

McGill University

University of British Columbia

North Carolina State University

University of Alberta

UC Santa Cruz

George Mason University

Oregon State University

I can't speak for UT Austin, UMd. College Park, UCLA, or Toronto, as they are both tough schools. Your lack of research experience might hurt, though.

As for the Canadian schools, know that you will be encouraged to apply for a master's degree and then move on to a PhD if you're good and you like what you're doing. You probably will get funded in the master's degree program. As a U.S. citizen you can use U.S. federal loans to finance your graduate degree, even though it's in Canada. Your Canadian degree might also get you a work visa in Canada, which can be a plus.

As for George Mason...I'd say your chances are excellent. (I'm currently in the computer engineering program, though I originally considered the computer science program. Having taken enough CS courses, I'd say that the department is excellent.) The only ding you have is a low quantitative score. You might want to fix that. You probably will not get funded, so I would look for an employer with a generous education assistance program. There are many here in the DC area. This is how I am funding my master's degree. Also, know that Mason is part of the DC Consortium, so you may be able to take up to six credit hours from other Consortium schools, like GWU, American, Georgetown, and UMd. College Park. (Hint: this may be a back door into UMd. College Park, if you pick research seminars, produce publishable research, and get a letter from the professor.)

Good luck.