Decided to take gap year - how to maximize productivity

[ashe]

Hello,

I recently graduated from a top 15 engineering school (US), with a relatively decent GPA (3.6 < GPA < 3.7) in EE. I also have decent research/project experience, but no publications.

I had planned to apply to MS programs in CS/EECS departments during this application period, but realized that I was rushing in without considering the state of my physical health, which could be made a lot worse if I were to start my program without resolving the issues. Also, financially, the MS program is still quite cost-prohibitive at many of my desired institutions, even if I were to be a TA.

I still wish to obtain my MS eventually as I am really passionate about my fields of interest (machine learning/computer vision/related fields) and do not want to wait too long to the point where my math skills rust, hence the gap year rather than forgoing the idea of an MS.

In the time I have, I will be preparing for and taking the GRE, most likely twice (it was originally scheduled for early October, but moved it to a later date when I made my decision to take a gap year).

My ideas for my gap year include a combination of the following:

• Finding a job that may or may not be related to my fields of interest (the latter is included because I'm finding many CV/ML-related jobs require an MS)
• Finishing a few relevant MOOCs
• Implementing 1-2 app ideas that relate to my fields of interest, though this will require reading lots of papers and is more research-oriented, and may or may not seem worth the time to others
• Finding a professor at a nearby university to do research (which most likely won't happen because it seems students are more preferred)
• Tutoring subjects at the high school and undergraduate level.

I also have a few non-academic related goals that I hope to accomplish, but those are beside the point.

Which (combination) of the ideas I mentioned seem to make the most sense in terms of use of my time in preparation for an MS program?

I also included some basic stats because I would also like to know if applying to top 15 CS/EECS programs is realistic or even a good idea, based on my fields of interest, level of interest, or attitude. I appreciate your expertise on this matter.

Edited October 29, 2015 by ashe

[doubledogd]

I am not in any way knowledgeable about your field, but my instinct is to recommend tutoring or any kind of teaching/instructing gig. This background can be really useful when applying for TA-ships.