Accelerated program in US (international student).

[hvasilev]

Hello

 

I was wondering if you could recommend any schools which provide accelerated programs ( from BSc, straight into PhD ) in USA for international students.

 

My profile is as follows.

 

International student

BSc in Informatics ( Math heavy CS ) 

GRE: 144 V / 166Q / 3.5 AW

TOEFL: 111

GPA: 3.6 GPA

Developer exprience: 2-3 years

Research interests: SE and / or ML.

Research experience: No

Lors: Intelligent Systems professor, Senior Researcher ( Software Engineering professor ) at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and a third professor.

 

 

Do you believe I have any chance at all at like ... top 20-50 schools ? 

 

Sincerely,

Vasilev.

 

[DeleteMePlease]

Nearly all schools in the US admit people with a BSc. into a Ph.D. programme. The only school that had a MSc requirement I found so far was Columbia.

Your verbal score and AW seem a little low. You GRE (Quant) score looks good, but admission depends more on research exprience and LORs. Do you have at least a bachelors thesis or smiliar? I think that would help a lot.

 

But in my opinion you definitly have a chance. However, I would think about retaking the GRE.

Edited July 5, 2013 by GermanStudent

[compiler_guy]

Hello

 

I was wondering if you could recommend any schools which provide accelerated programs ( from BSc, straight into PhD ) in USA for international students.

 

My profile is as follows.

 

 

Do you believe I have any chance at all at like ... top 20-50 schools ? 

 

Sincerely,

Vasilev.

Improving your Verbal and AW will help your application. You might want to get some research experience as well and reflect that in your statement of purpose.

[Arcanen]

You're never going to get straight into a PhD program (at somewhere reputable) from a bachelors with no research experience. You're precisely the kind of candidate who should be doing a masters first in order to gain the research experience you would then use to apply to PhD programs.

[DeleteMePlease]

Normally, in Europe a bachelor is finished with a thesis. So he should have at least some research experience, although the extend of research work can vary a lot.

[Arcanen]

Research experience: No

 

 

 

Boom, application binned.

 

By the way GermanStudent, you're applying for 2014 yes? It's great that you're trying to be helpful (really, I'm not trying to be rude), but providing admissions advice (and in particular your opinion on someones admission chances) doesn't make a whole lot of sense when you haven't  studied at a US university (and therefore haven't gained much insight into the process from such environs) and haven't yet applied anywhere yourself, let alone been admitted. In this instance, the OP doesn't have a snowballs chance in hell of being admitted to a PhD program. No research experience to write about in the statement of purpose and no research experience for reccommendation writers to write about in order to demonstrate an ability to do innovative research (all that really matters in a PhD program). It is a death knell for PhD admissions. That this is the case and that they need to get lots of research experience before applying for PhD programs or try for a masters program (where they can get research experience) is the takeaway message for the OP, not vague (and false) reassurances that the OP has a chance. The only real result of your advice is that the OP will essentially waste a whole lot of money applying (because GRE and application fees add up quick).

 

Trying to be nice and helpful is great, really. But sometimes it can have negative consequences if you jump in and answer without the appropriate knowledge or experience yourself. While I too would usually be all gung-ho for people to apply because "you never know"... in this case, we do know.  OP is not going to get into a CS PhD program straight from a bachelors with no research experience.

[DeleteMePlease]

Arcanen, you are definitely right. However, I did not add "in my opinion" to the post without a reason

Maybe I should put it somewhere in my profile that I am an applicant myself so people will not be mislead. Thanks for the advice.

 

I can speak just for myself here. My bachelors thesis/project each involve nearly a year of research work. I thought the "Research Experience: No" statement referred to additional research internships.

 

However, I wonder why anybody would want to get a Ph.D. without having any research experience in the first place? Why spend 5 or more years working on a degree that prepares you for a life in academics you might not even like?

Edited July 7, 2013 by GermanStudent