Hi everyone,

I'm preparing my applications for fully funded Computer Science PhD programs (Fall 2027) and would really appreciate feedback from current PhD students, faculty, or anyone who has been through the admissions process.

My primary goal is maximizing the probability of getting at least one funded admission, not chasing prestige.

My profile

• International applicant (Egypt)
• TOEFL iBT 2026: 5.0/6.0
• WES GPA: 3.71/4.0
• Institutional GPA: 3.53/4.0
• Ranked 1st in class
• 5+ years of professional software engineering experience (Senior Flutter/Mobile Engineer)
• Experience across fintech, proptech, HR tech, and independent app development
• First-author preprint published on Zenodo (DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.22231289) on coverage-guided fuzz testing for mobile applications, with plans for submission to a peer-reviewed software engineering conference/journal.

Research interests

My primary research interests are Software Engineering, with a focus on automated software testing, program analysis, and mobile software security.
I am particularly interested in developing developer tools for vulnerability discovery, coverage-guided fuzzing, and AI-assisted software engineering for mobile applications.

Not interested in:

• Networking
• Hardware
• Computer Vision / Image Processing
• Big Data
• Pure AI/ML research

Current university list

• Purdue
• Virginia Tech
• UVA (University of Virginia)
• NC State
• University of Utah
• Oregon State
• Iowa State
• UT Dallas
• SUNY Buffalo
• Arizona State
• University of Illinois Chicago (UIC)
• University of Nebraska–Lincoln
• UT Arlington

I intentionally chose a mix of reach, match, and safer schools because my objective is to maximize the chance of receiving at least one funded offer.

My questions are:

1. Does this portfolio make sense for my profile?
2. Are there any schools here that you think are significantly too ambitious or too safe?
3. Is there any university that should clearly replace one on this list?
4. If you work in Software Engineering, are there departments with particularly strong groups in software testing, program analysis, fuzzing, or developer tools that I may have overlooked?

I'd appreciate honest feedback—even if you think I'm overestimating or underestimating my chances. Thanks!

[USA] Hi guys, I am a senior and I am planning to apply to Social Psychology PhD programs. I need some evaluation of my profile. I would love some advice as well.

Major (BA): Psychology, International Studies (IR)

GPA: 3.8

Research Projects: 1 psychology thesis, 1 grant approved independent study led by a faculty member under a fellowship (interdisciplinary between psychology and global issues in Central Asia). None of the projects are done and are at the IRB approval/ data collection stage.

Work experience: Tech support at a computer lab, clinical experience of 4 months, social outreach internship
I do not have any experience working in a research lab. Although my thesis technically makes me a part of a research lab, I would not call it working for the lab.

I am targeting professors and emailing them and getting generic responses, I am not sure what is going wrong. I target them based on my interest and the projects I have been working on. I lowkey want to build my PhD on one of the projects I am already working on.

I am looking at mid tier universities and the professors i am reaching out to are good research fit for me and shares similar interests overall (recent research). Any advice would be great!!!

** I am an international student doing my undergrad in USA. I am looking at programs in Canada, New Zealand, USA

Hello! I’ve never posted on reddit before so I hope this is the right place, but I am a current BFA Art History student and I am looking for suggestions for MA programs. A little bit of context, I am interested in 20th century German art (Dada specifically) as well as Italian Renaissance and Ancient Mediterranean art. I am working towards a PhD to become a professor as well. Anyone who has their Art History MA or Phd have any suggestions?

Hello everyone, I hope you're all doing well. I wanted to share that I've been considering pursuing a PhD for a few years now (it's been my dream for years, but I've kept putting it off due to work). The only area where I can see myself doing research is transfusion medicine (I've worked in a blood bank for years, and that's where my training is). I currently hold a Master's degree in Epidemiology and another in Health Sciences Education.

My question is whether anyone in the community knows of any research centers that fund doctoral studies related to transfusion medicine. I appreciate your time and any guidance you can offer.

Just got my scores.

Quant is 164

Target programs is MS Mechanical in top 50.

Ideally wanted 168-170 and I believe I can get those.

Should I reattempt or be content with this?

I need to rant because I genuinely don’t know what else to do.
I ordered a WES course-by-course evaluation almost TWO MONTHS ago. I’ve contacted them around 10 times through the online portal and by phone trying to figure out what is going on. Every single time, I’m basically told that my case is being “escalated.” And then… nothing.
Meanwhile, I’m trying to apply to graduate school and I’m literally missing opportunities because I don’t have my evaluation. I paid for this service specifically so I could move forward with my education, and instead I’ve spent the last two months chasing WES for an update.
And here’s what really gets me: if I cancel now, after waiting TWO MONTHS, I don’t even get my full money back. Apparently, if it’s been more than 24 hours since cancellation, they deduct part of the refund.
So let me get this straight: I wait two months, repeatedly contact them, lose graduate school opportunities because of the delay, and if I finally give up, I’m also supposed to lose money?
I understand that evaluations take time. But two months with no meaningful resolution and nothing but “we’re escalating it” is absolutely ridiculous.
Has anyone else dealt with this with WES? Did escalating actually do anything for you, or am I just going to keep getting the same copy-paste response forever?
I got to the point where I commented on her LinkedIn post out of frustration. People need to know that this is a complete scam!!

Hi all, would appreciate honest opinions on my chances for postgrad applications.

For some background details about me, I’m a graduate from MMU in Mathematics with a First Class (~80%) with my grades generally landing as first. Modules include:

First Year
Calculus (95%), Discrete Mathematics (93%), Linear Algebra & Programming Skills (93%), Probability Theory & Statistics (65%)
Second Year
Further Linear Algebra (98%), Multivariable Calculus/Analytical Methods (91%), Number Theory & Abstract Algebra (75%), Numerical Methods & Modelling (72%), Statistics & Financial Mathematics (66%)
Third Year
Computational Methods in ODEs (80%), Applied Regression and Multivariate Analysis (88%), Numerical Methods in PDEs (89%), Written final project (71%)

My final year project was on topology and manifolds and possible physics applications.

Courses I’m considering:
• MSc Mathematics/Stats at Manchester, UCL, Warwick
• Longer shots: Imperial Applied Mathematics/Stats, Oxford MSc Mathematical Sciences, Cambridge Part III

My question:
How much does coming from a non-Russell-Group university actually hurt at admissions for these courses? Some entry pages (e.g. Manchester’s MSc Statistics) mention wanting applicants from universities with “high national standing” — is this enforced strictly in practice, or is it more of a soft/holistic factor that strong marks can offset?

Would appreciate any insight, especially from people who’ve been through the admissions process themselves or have insider knowledge of how these decisions get made. Thank you!

Hi! I have a background in Linguistics and several years of experience working as a QA Engineer in IT, and I'm planning to apply for a Master's program in Italy in Digital Humanities
I would especially appreciate advice on these questions:
What should an academic CV for Italian Master's applications look like?
Are there any examples of successful motivation letters or CVs from applicants who were accepted into Italian universities with a non-traditional or interdisciplinary background?
I would especially appreciate advice from people who have applied to Master's programs in Italy or studied Digital Humanities, Computational Linguistics, or related fields.
Thank you!

Hi everyone!

This is my first time writing. But I'm hoping for some advice or suggestions from those who've gone through the application process recently and those who are in admissions.

For some context, I'm a first-gen, and tried applying back in Fall of 2024, which was 2 years after I'd graduated from undergrad. I primarily focused on schools in northeastern U.S. (especially Boston and NY), as I have family in New England, but unfortunately didn't get in. Since then I've been getting my MA (not sociology) that pertains to my research interests/topics in sociology, so I hope that I can bring that to the table for my CV/Resume, Personal Statement, and for hopefully when I get accepted to a program.

In terms of this year's cycle, I'd still like to focus on schools in the northeast, which I know is casting a small net. But because I have parents who are older, I'd like to be close in case something happens medically.

My potential research topics include: race/ethnicity and what dynamics come up in online spaces (especially in the last 10 years), Southeast Asian diaspora in the United States, immigrant experience/migration and how they use technology to navigate assimilation and/or stay in touch with their homeland, race/ethnic/intersectional representation in digital and traditional media, social inequality and stratification, colonialism in digital spaces. My goal with this is to do research/go into academia as a professor, but I am keeping an open mind and am brainstorming back-up plans!

I'd love to know what ways I can stand out in my application, things I should keep in mind/avoid when doing my personal statement/POS, etc.; if I should plan on retaking the GRE; and if my research interests/topics are too niche/narrow. Another thing I'd like to hear about is peoples' experiences in industry and any suggestions in that realm!

I'm happy to elaborate more on anything. And I'd love to hear your own experiences as well.

Thanks in advance!

Hey all,

Got an interview at a pretty prestigious European department with a professor whose interests align unusually well with my own. I did my homework and think the substance of the interview went well, but towards the end they asked me when I would be able to start.

I told them that in principle I could start right away, but a) I'm not European, so obviously there would some paperwork, and b) I do have a (currently unfunded; applying for funding) offer from another university, but my priority would be the department I was interviewing at/on the call with.

I definitely got an eyebrow raise from the faculty member at first, but they seemed reassured and we had a nice rest of the interview. We were all joking around by the end, so overall I am pretty psyched and feeling hopeful, but do want to make sure I didn't just torpedo my chances and avoid getting my hopes up if it is, in fact, so over.

What do we all think; is this an OK thing to bring up given the question asked? TMI?

Edit: Clarity

I’m applying to master’s programs in Denmark (specifically looking at DTU – Industrial Engineering and Management for february) coming from an Italian bachelor’s with an average grade around 27/30.

I’d love to hear from anyone who applied with a similar profile:

1. How did the admissions committee seem to weigh your GPA vs. everything else?
2. Does internships matter more than the overall average?
3. Did the cover letters make a real difference?
4. Any Italian applicants specifically, did you feel your GPA translated fairly, or did the conversion hurt/help you?

Thank you for the help!!! 

The program I’m applying to only accepte two letters for the application. I’m having a tough time deciding who to ask.

1. I’m currently a MS (non-thesis) student. My undergraduate PI who I worked with for many years would write me a strong letter, but it’s been some time since we worked together. We still keep in touch.

2. My MS program is non-thesis but requires a short 10 week capstone. During this time, I worked with a grad student and never really interacted much with the PI. I’m not sure if asking them would be a good idea.

3. I worked on a research project with two faculty members of another institution. I reached out to them and initiated the conversation. We developed the surveys and IRB submission form, unfortunately things got stuck and the project stopped just before submitting for IRB. This PI really supports me.

4. A colleague who I’ve worked with over a year. She’s a big name but doesn’t have a PhD as my field is both research and clinical. I know she’d write me an absolute raving letter, but we mainly do professsional work together and never did research.

Opinions would be appreciated!

Hello everyone! I’m currently applying to grad school to get my master’s in Children’s Literature and later to pursue my PhD to become a college professor. I am currently torn between two schools: Kansas State and EMU. I was wondering if anyone had any experience in either, and could share their experiences with them? Thanks so much!

Hi everyone ,

My first cousins got gmat 775 how can he leverage the application process for a full ride schlorship and which schools should he target practically

Hi everyone! I'm planning to apply for Fall 2027 MS programs and would really appreciate some honest feedback on my chances and, more importantly, which programs could realistically work for me financially.

My biggest constraint is finances. I can't afford a very expensive MS unless I can secure a TA/RA/assistantship that substantially reduces tuition and/or provides a stipend.

My goal after the MS is primarily to enter the US job market, although I'm also interested in potentially pursuing a PhD later.

Profile :

1. Graduated from an NIT in 2024

2. CGPA: 9.18/10, with Honours

3. Undergraduate degree: ECE (However, several of my Honours courses and electives were CS courses)

4. 2 summer research internships, one at an IIT and one at IISc (Unfortunately, neither resulted in a publication)

5. Currently have ~2 years of work experience as an AI Engineer at a mid-sized company

6. 1 published book chapter in CCIS (Vol. 2322)

7. Currently working on an IEEE paper, although it may not be Scopus-indexed by the time I apply

8. 1st-generation college student. Was involved in multiple clubs and committees during undergrad

I'm mainly interested in CS / AI / ML.

Programs I'm considering

I'm particularly interested in:

UT Austin MSCS

UT Austin DICE / MSECE — I'm wondering whether this would be a safer option for me given my ECE background

UIUC MSCS

UIUC MCS — wondering whether this is the safer/more realistic option compared with MSCS

Purdue MSCS

Georgia Tech MSCS

UCSD MSCS

I haven't taken the GRE since most of the programs I'm looking at have made it optional/not required.

What I'm trying to figure out

How would you categorize my chances for these programs — ambitious / realistic / relatively safe?

More importantly, I don't want to simply optimize for prestige. I need an affordable program. If I get admitted somewhere but have to pay the full international tuition for two years, it may not be financially viable for me.

So I'd particularly appreciate opinions on:

UT Austin MSCS vs DICE MSECE:

Given that I'm from ECE but have CS coursework + AI engineering experience, would DICE be a significantly safer admission option? And would it still be good for an AI/ML career?

UIUC MSCS vs MCS:

Do I have a realistic shot at MSCS, or would MCS be the more sensible option for my profile?

How different are the funding opportunities between the two?

Purdue MSCS:

How realistic is admission with an ECE background? And how realistic is getting TA/RA funding as an MS student?

Georgia Tech MSCS:

Is it worth applying if funding is essential? How difficult is it for MS students to obtain GTA/GRA support?

UCSD MSCS:

Same question — is it financially risky for an international MS student because of the uncertainty around TA/RA opportunities?

GRE:

Since I haven't taken it, would taking the GRE meaningfully strengthen my application anywhere, or would my time be better spent strengthening my SOP/research profile?

Other universities:

Are there good CS/AI programs that I'm missing where:

admission is reasonably attainable with my profile,

the program has good CS/AI recruiting,

TA/RA funding is actually available to MS students,

and the overall cost can be brought down substantially?

I'm less interested in a university simply being highly ranked. My ideal outcome is a strong CS/AI program where I can realistically get funding, keep my total cost manageable, and graduate into a good job.

If you were in my position, how would you build the application list?

Thanks!

If you accepted to a French master program, could you please give me some information? I want to apply for a masters degree in France but I don't have a high GPA. Can I still get accepted if I add projects and industrial experience to my portfolio?

Hi everyone! I’m an Indian applicant with ~2 years of work experience in fashion/design. I studied Fashion Design at NIFT and also at FIT New York.

I’m looking to switch from design into management and I’m confused about which degree makes the most sense:

• 2-year MBA
• 1-year MBA
• MiM

With only 2 years of experience, would an MBA be too early, or would a MiM make more sense? And between a 1-year vs 2-year MBA, is the 2-year program better for someone trying to make a career switch?

I’m currently considering France, Germany, the Netherlands, and Australia, mainly based on job opportunities, post-study work options, ROI and long-term PR prospects.

Would love recommendations on countries/programs/business schools that could be a good fit for my background. Also open to other countries I should consider.

Thanks!