Master's in the US : A Guide

[infra_red_dude]

@infra_red_dude
Thanks a lot for your patience and the info which you have shared here. Now the whole picture is crystal clear for me. This means if one goes through the ECE department for a major in Networking then it becomes compulsory to take 3 courses from other specialty areas such as circuits, software, VLSI systems, Power Electronics etc.

On the contrary a MS in Computer Networking degree looks like a much convenient option with a lot of flexibility in courses involving only computer networking or business courses. What say??
Thanks again for the replies

You got it! The only thing that you didn't get it correct was the speciality areas. If in ECE you need to choose one course from each of Networking, Architecture, Software, VLSI (Digital) and not Power Elect., Circuits. Basically Networking under ECE is only offered as Computer Engineering (CPE). So 3 courses, one each from the speciality areas under CPE.

 

[puneetgarg]

thanks a ton man.. for this guide awesome work

 

[whoru007]

I am currently studying in B.E. (Information Technology - 6th Sem) Mumbai University. Please suggest me any good university for pursuing MS in Artificial Intell., Computer Science, IT. First time i have scored 1159 in GRE, in 2nd time its 1296.

 

[infra_red_dude]

@whoru007
AI... MIT, Stanford, UC Berkeley are all that I know of. These are the top end universities, I'm not knowledgeable about any mid-tier universities since I am not in this area. Check usnews.com or similar websites for ranking.

 

[nix]

Will I need the help of an agent to guide me in the whole procedure? Because, it does not look like a simple process and many people have advised me to take the help of a higher education consultant.

Can I go about it alone or do I need an agents help?

 

[infra_red_dude]

Will I need the help of an agent to guide me in the whole procedure? Because, it does not look like a simple process and many people have advised me to take the help of a higher education consultant.

Can I go about it alone or do I need an agents help?

You can take the help of somebody to help you decide your stream, but I strictly advise you against approaching any "agent" for applying to colleges. One reason is I've seen many people do that and the agents always seem to have some connection to crappy universities. They will convince that this is the best university and apply for you there. They get their share and your career is ruined because of that.

Frankly, never trust anyone. Do your homework yourself. It surely helps. If you think this all procedure is too much then rest assured that actually pursuing a Master's degree is much more painful and work!

My sincere advise, stay away from any "agents" who say they will take care of the application process, no matter how much they "tempt" you with scholarships in "this top rated university" which is almost always bullshit!

 

[nithinks]

I have few queries here
- What should be the minimum percentage in BE/BTech
- History of backlogs allowed ?

 

[infra_red_dude]

I have few queries here
- What should be the minimum percentage in BE/BTech
- History of backlogs allowed ?

These things are relative. If you have average percentage in B.E. but have some industrial experience and have worked on some good projects then it may not matter at all. Same case with backlogs.

However, to be on the safer side I would say you need to have at least 65% aggregate. This is no hard and fast rule, but this figure is based on my personal interaction with fellow post-grad students.

 

[v_joy]

@infra_red_dude
yr post is really helpful!! thanx a lot!
What is the difference in applying in fall session and in spring session? Why do people prefer fall session more than spring..?
actually, i've entered my 7th sem. Till now B.Tech was all fun, suddenly i've woken up realizing i'm too late..
A friend of mine told me slot for GRE test if full till December. so according to yr blog i'm 3 months late. So applying in Spring is the only option left for me.
plz help!
Also after i complete my B.Tech (in June, 2011) what do u suggest should i do so that it dosen't hamper my chances to get admission, i mean i know that sitting idle at home can seriously degrade yr chances of getting admission anywhere..

 

[infra_red_dude]

@infra_red_dude
yr post is really helpful!! thanx a lot!
What is the difference in applying in fall session and in spring session? Why do people prefer fall session more than spring..?
actually, i've entered my 7th sem. Till now B.Tech was all fun, suddenly i've woken up realizing i'm too late..
A friend of mine told me slot for GRE test if full till December. so according to yr blog i'm 3 months late. So applying in Spring is the only option left for me.
plz help!
Also after i complete my B.Tech (in June, 2011) what do u suggest should i do so that it dosen't hamper my chances to get admission, i mean i know that sitting idle at home can seriously degrade yr chances of getting admission anywhere..

Glad you found it useful.

Many universities structure their course according to the semester. Most of them have more choices during Fall semester. Many courses may not be offered during spring semester. Also, some universities (like mine - NCSU) allow you to intern only after your spring semester provided you have completed 1 year of M.S coursework which is not possible if you join in spring. Hence, people prefer to join in Fall semester.

Since you are on this forum I am assuming you are somehow related to computers (EEE/EC/CS/IT). My suggestion would be to work on your programming skills. The are required in abundant quantity for projects here. Also learn something extra like maybe HTML, XML, CSS, other web technologies etc. They can aid you in getting an on-campus job.

 

[nithinks]

These things are relative. If you have average percentage in B.E. but have some industrial experience and have worked on some good projects then it may not matter at all. Same case with backlogs.

However, to be on the safer side I would say you need to have at least 65% aggregate. This is no hard and fast rule, but this figure is based on my personal interaction with fellow post-grad students.

Thanks for the info!

 

[v_joy]

umm..
in that case, I have to go for admissions in fall 2011.
AFAIK there r universities that have their deadline in Jan, Feb or March..
Also, how long does it take for the score report to reach a university once the official GRE result is out (which is 10-15 days after GRE test, rite?) sent through ETS..?

I'm interested in Masters in Computer science/computer engineering program.. can u point me to a few graduate schools..?
thanx in advance!

 

[infra_red_dude]

umm..
in that case, I have to go for admissions in fall 2011.
AFAIK there r universities that have their deadline in Jan, Feb or March..
Also, how long does it take for the score report to reach a university once the official GRE result is out (which is 10-15 days after GRE test, rite?) sent through ETS..?

I'm interested in Masters in Computer science/computer engineering program.. can u point me to a few graduate schools..?
thanx in advance!

It takes about 10-12 days after your score is out for ETS to send it to the university. But to be on the safer side, they ask you to have a cushion of at least 1 month, I believe.

Also, I don't know of any university that has an application deadline of March for Fall admissions. By March, most of the universities actually send out responses about selection or rejection.

M.S in CS or CE... MIT, Stanford are the usual 2. Apart from that Univ. of Illinois, Urbana Champaign, CMU, NCSU, UNC, UT Austin, UCSB and UC Berkeley, Georgia Tech. are some of the good universities.

 

[v_joy]

Well I've been searching and this is what i've found: (i hope I'm not mistaken )
Deadlines of grad school admission for Fall 2011 (international student) -

Univ. Suggested By You:

University of Illinois, Chicago : CS --> 15 feb
univ of Illinois, Urbana Champaign: CS--> 15 DEC
CMU: (u mean Carnegie Mellon University?) – Electrical Engg & Comp Sc – 15 Dec
NCSU, - 1 Jan
UNC, - Information N/A for fall 2011 (for fall 2010 It was: 1 June)
UT, Austin (Cockrell): Electrical & Comp Engg --> 10 Jan
UCSB and UC Berkeley: CS & CE –-> 15 Dec
Georgia Tech: CS --> 1 Feb

Other Grad Schools:
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI: Comp Sc & Info system --> 1May (!!!)
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY: CS – 1 Feb
University of Southern California (Viterbi), LA: CS – 31 March (!!!)
Purdue University:
Computer Graphics Technology, West Lafayette – 1 April
Computer & Information Technology, West Lafayette – 1 April
Electrical and Computer Engineering, West Lafayette – 5 Jan/ 5 May
Computer Science, Fort Wayne – 15 may
Computer and Information Science, Indianapolis – 15 Jan/1 May

Columbia University, New York: Foundation of CS - 15 Feb
Brown University, Providence, RI: 1 May
University of Washington, Seattle, WA: 1 May

I'll keep looking..
This is the university list I am referring to:
Rankings - Project - Graduate Schools - Education - US News

also, if I give TOEFL 1 week after GRE, both these scores reach independently (when directly sent thru ETS)..? at the same time..? or do i have to attach them together and send to university all by my self..?

 

[infra_red_dude]

Well I've been searching and this is what i've found: (i hope I'm not mistaken )
Deadlines of grad school admission for Fall 2011 (international student) -

Univ. Suggested By You:

University of Illinois, Chicago : CS --> 15 feb
univ of Illinois, Urbana Champaign: CS--> 15 DEC
CMU: (u mean Carnegie Mellon University?) – Electrical Engg & Comp Sc – 15 Dec
NCSU, - 1 Jan
UNC, - Information N/A for fall 2011 (for fall 2010 It was: 1 June)
UT, Austin (Cockrell): Electrical & Comp Engg --> 10 Jan
UCSB and UC Berkeley: CS & CE –-> 15 Dec
Georgia Tech: CS --> 1 Feb

Other Grad Schools:
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI: Comp Sc & Info system --> 1May (!!!)
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY: CS – 1 Feb
University of Southern California (Viterbi), LA: CS – 31 March (!!!)
Purdue University:
Computer Graphics Technology, West Lafayette – 1 April
Computer & Information Technology, West Lafayette – 1 April
Electrical and Computer Engineering, West Lafayette – 5 Jan/ 5 May
Computer Science, Fort Wayne – 15 may
Computer and Information Science, Indianapolis – 15 Jan/1 May

Columbia University, New York: Foundation of CS - 15 Feb
Brown University, Providence, RI: 1 May
University of Washington, Seattle, WA: 1 May

I'll keep looking..
This is the university list I am referring to:
Rankings - Project - Graduate Schools - Education - US News

also, if I give TOEFL 1 week after GRE, both these scores reach independently (when directly sent thru ETS)..? at the same time..? or do i have to attach them together and send to university all by my self..?

You might want to confirm the date. Because domestic students have a different deadline than international students. When I'd applied all the universities either had a deadline of December 15th or January 1st for Fall for international students.

Both TOEFL and GRE scores would be sent independently and you need to request that to ETS separately.

 

[v_joy]

Ohkzz!
yea.. I kept that point in my mind..
Anyways I'll double check the deadlines..
Thanx a lot for your help..

 

[nix]

Thanks anirudh for spending time to answer these questions. Much appreciated. I still have some questions:

1. Do you book a date(for GRE test) after your preparation for the test? Or, do you book first and then study?

2. If you are going to book first and then start preparing, then how much time would you give for your preparation? Will you book the test 3 months from the current date?

3. Will the GRE and TOEFL slots get full if you don't apply on time? How will I know which dates are available for me If I try to book now.

4. Do you first make a list of colleges before you take the test, if yes, then why should you?

---------- Post added at 01:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:25 PM ----------

another question

If one is trying to get into fall 2011, why is necessary to take the GRE test so early (august 2010) ? On the ETS site, it says 15 days are reqd to send your scores to uni's. I'm planning to take the test on november or december. Is that too late?

I have been scanning the net to get such information but have been only partially successful.

one more

Since I'm starting out late, will I have to make a list of uni's that will accept applications later than usual?

 

[infra_red_dude]

Thanks anirudh for spending time to answer these questions. Much appreciated. I still have some questions:

1. Do you book a date(for GRE test) after your preparation for the test? Or, do you book first and then study?

2. If you are going to book first and then start preparing, then how much time would you give for your preparation? Will you book the test 3 months from the current date?

3. Will the GRE and TOEFL slots get full if you don't apply on time? How will I know which dates are available for me If I try to book now.

4. Do you first make a list of colleges before you take the test, if yes, then why should you?

---------- Post added at 01:26 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:25 PM ----------

another question

If one is trying to get into fall 2011, why is necessary to take the GRE test so early (august 2010) ? On the ETS site, it says 15 days are reqd to send your scores to uni's. I'm planning to take the test on november or december. Is that too late?

I have been scanning the net to get such information but have been only partially successful.

one more

Since I'm starting out late, will I have to make a list of uni's that will accept applications later than usual?

1) There are no hard and fast rules. It's upto you.

2) 3 months should be more than enough. You don't learn anything "new". But all that you do is learn how do to things that you already know in the fastest way. If you are exceptional in English then Maths then you don't need any prep at all! However, if you require some prep in English (GRE Verbal) you may want to give 3 months.

3) Yes, you need to keep checking ETS site for the available dates.

4) Yes, this helps because when you complete your GRE/TOEFL tests, on the last screen you are given an option where ETS sends your scores to 5 universities for free. Based on your score, you can make a list of universities and ask ETS to send the score for free. Otherwise if you decide to send your scores later you will need to pay ETS a fee for each university that you want to send your scores to.

5) If you take the exam by say October 2010, then you get your results officially in 10 days or so and another 15 days for your results to be sent to the universities. If you are not satisfied with the score then you have the option to take the exam again, considering that it might be difficult to get the registration dates again.

All this would mean this process would be done by max. November 15. Almost all of the top universities have an application deadline of either December 15th or January 1st for Fall admissions next year for International Students. So yes, the earlier you finish with your tests the better.

Moreover your GRE scores are valid for 5 years and your TOEFL scores for 2 years. So it's always good to be done with these tests asap.

Of course you need to be very careful and aware of the deadlines of all the universities you intend to apply. No university will give you any grace period and they will strictly not accept your application if it's late.

Since you are starting out now, I suggest you read Part 1 and 2 of this article. All the information would then be fresh:

Phoenix: MS in USA, A Guide : Part ONE
Phoenix: MS in the US, a guide : Part TWO

 

[nix]

Thanks a ton for the reply, I have a question about choosing colleges, on what basis do you differentiate among tier-2 universities? I want to get into a college that is not very expensive. How do I make sure that I don't get into some shady, bad-future kind of college?

 

[infra_red_dude]

Thanks a ton for the reply, I have a question about choosing colleges, on what basis do you differentiate among tier-2 universities? I want to get into a college that is not very expensive. How do I make sure that I don't get into some shady, bad-future kind of college?

Search on the net if that university has come out with something for the masses. Most Tier-2 universities do a lot of work which is published, useful to the general public or contributes to NSA, NASA, DARPA etc. Any "shady" university will not have this.

In addition to that, most Tier-2 universities are well known. So you can ask around people about the university. Most shady universities are unheard of.

Also, never approach an "agent" who promises to help you get admitted to a "good university that offers you a scholarship". These are 99.99999% shady and fake and will ruin your career. Do your homework yourself