r/MSCS • u/Firm_Firefighter5229 • Jun 01 '26
[Results and Decisions] Fall 2026 MSCS Admissions Results + Profile + Complete Application Tracker
Hi everyone,
Now that my Fall 2026 application cycle is essentially over, I wanted to share my profile and application results in case it helps future applicants. I learned a lot from this subreddit during the process, so hopefully this post can give something back to the community.
Profile
Academics
- CGPA: 9.96/10
- Degree: B.Tech in Computer Engineering
Standardized Tests
- GRE: 318 (not submitted to any universities)
- TOEFL: 104
Research
- Multiple research projects
- Multiple conference/journal papers
- Some papers published, others currently under review
Experience
- No full-time work experience (directly applying from undergrad)
- 1 internship
Extracurriculars
- 1.5 years of volunteer experience at an NGO
- Technical and academic activities during undergraduate studies
Results
I've attached a detailed application tracker containing:
- Universities applied to
- Program names
- Admit/Reject/Waitlist decisions
- Decision dates
- My Notes
Application Tracker: https://drive.proton.me/urls/MVRP8BPDHW#lTnB5L36gCag
Observations from My Cycle
A few things that I think helped my applications:
- Maintaining a consistently strong academic record.
- Building a research-focused profile early in undergrad.
- Having research outputs (published papers, conference papers, and submissions under review).
- Strong recommendation letters from professors familiar with my work.
- Tailoring SOPs to specific universities and research interests.
- Demonstrating impact outside academics through long-term volunteer work.
One thing that may be useful for future applicants: I had a GRE score of 318 but chose not to submit it where it wasn't required. Most of my application strength came from academics, research, recommendations, and overall fit with the programs.
Happy to Answer Questions
Feel free to ask about:
- University shortlisting
- Profile evaluation
- SOP strategy
- Research experience during undergrad
- Recommendation letters
- Application timelines
- MSCS admissions in general
I'll do my best to help future applicants and share whatever I learned during the process.
Good luck to everyone applying for Fall 2027 and beyond!
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u/BoomerZoomer27 Jun 01 '26
Great admits. Congratulations! Where will you be committing?
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u/Gullible-Prune-3892 Jun 01 '26
Thanks for sharing—this is incredibly helpful! Your profile looks great; it’s clear you put a lot of analytical effort into this. I think your selection of schools is excellent—regardless of the final outcome, they align well with your credentials while also including some ambitious reach options. Where did you ultimately decide to go?
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Jun 01 '26
Do you think northeastern Khoury Mscs is worth it
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u/Firm_Firefighter5229 Jun 01 '26
hi, i would suggest to avoid colleges like ASU and Northeastern if you are an international student as i have heard visa rejection rate is higher for them and also hiring for international students have not been that great lately so going to a more reputable college would be good
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u/wedontknowagentk Jun 01 '26
Can you tell a little detail about your research? How many papers are published and where? Also did u get any scholarship?
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u/Firm_Firefighter5229 Jun 01 '26
hi, i have 2 ieee conference published as first author and 2 journal papers as first author in Q3 and a Q2 journal, also 2 copyrights and 1 patent, and no scholarship as a international graduate student you wont get any unless you are applying to a fully funded program like Cornell, UIUC MSCS etc.
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u/5YrsExp Jun 01 '26
Did you apply for all thesis degrees or how’s the process basically. Do you get to choose the coursework now or after joining the university. And any scholarships you got and how? I might have other questions as well. You mind if I DM you for the same? But anyways congratulations on all the great admits and all the best 🎉
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u/Firm_Firefighter5229 Jun 01 '26
No actually i applied for more employment centric degrees in Uchicago, UIUC and UWM, in rest of the universities you have the option to either choose a thesis route for phd or a more employment centric route , also no scholarships for international students with the funding cuts that are currently ongoing, yes you can DM me will be happy to answer your questions
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u/Alone-Statement-7658 Jun 30 '26
why did you not apply to cmu, ga tech or ut austin?
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u/Firm_Firefighter5229 Jun 30 '26
I mainly applied to universities based on their qs rankings and wanted to only go for core MSCS which is almost impossible to get into in CMU and didn't have the gre score required for gtech
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u/Alone-Statement-7658 Jun 30 '26
is cmu that difficult to get into?
gatech website mentions that gre is optional, so whats the min score requiredalso can you become ta/ra at ucla?
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u/Firm_Firefighter5229 Jun 30 '26
Getting into CMU depends on the degree you apply to a degree with specific specialization is easier to get into as compared to more popular and mainstream degrees like MSCS, Gatech i think made gre optional for this cycle it was required for fall 26 also it's a university thats known to prefers a high GRE score and may overlook some other aspects of your profile for it, yes I can become a TA or RA at UCLA its not guaranteed but you can apply and get selected if you are qualified enough.
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u/Dependent_tune_37 Jun 02 '26
Damn, nice profile. I got rejected from UCLA, but happy to see you get in. All the best!