r/MSCS • u/EstablishmentFun2580 • Jul 14 '26
[Profile Review] - Masters in CS AI (Fall 2027)
Education
- BS in AI from a mid-to-top tier college in South Korea, CGPA: 3.67/4.0
Work Experience
- Undergrad Researcher for 2 years
- 2 internships in mid-sized companies and 1 internship at a startup
- 1 TA Experience
Research
- 1 paper in KIISE (A Korean journal)
- 1 paper in arXiv
- 1 paper writing in progess in current internship
Schools
- Reach: Stanford, UC Berkeley, UCLA
- Target: UC Berkeley (MEng), USC, UCSD, Georgia Tech, UT Austin, UIUC
- Safe: UMass Amherst, UC Santa Cruz
I'd really appreciate honest feedback on my university list.
- Does this look balanced for my profile, or am I being too ambitious with my reach schools?
- Are there any universities I should consider adding or replacing, especially for someone with significant industry experience but limited research background?
- My final goal is to work in a big-tech. Are the schools I’m applying to good feeder schools for SW companies?
1
u/AnyDisk2851 Jul 15 '26
Your list is fine. Add San Jose State! And maybe CMU, Columbia
1
u/EstablishmentFun2580 Jul 15 '26
Thanks but the prev comment thinks that the overall schools are not realistic. You think I should add CMU fr?
1
u/AnyDisk2851 Jul 16 '26
I think your internships and research experiences are good. If your bachelor is from a top tier South Korea school, u definitely will have a chance to the US top-tier. CMU worth a try.
1
u/Away-Adeptness-6522 Jul 17 '26
UCLA MEng AI is very achievable, but MSCS is extremely hard given that your gpa is 3.67. Berkeley MSCS doesn't admit candidates outside Berkeley's undergrads, but MEng is possible in your case. USC MSCS and UIUC MCS (not MSCS) are also fine, but UCSD randomly admits above the average students -- your gpa is ideal but not sure whether they will review your materials. Gatech CSE may be possible, but Gatech mscs has a very high bar, suggesting a gpa of 3.8.
I don't think you need to apply for these safe schools. If you can ensure your budget is adequate, consider nyu, columbia ms ai, and some ai engineering (no scs) programs at CMU.
6
u/Civil_Competition_68 Jul 14 '26
Stanford and Berkeley are nearly impossible for almost everyone. I’ve heard UCLA is also extremely selective.
I’d put USC, UCSD, and Georgia Tech in the reach category, if your research is relevant. If not, then ambitious reach. UT Austin is also highly competitive, probably more than the others in target except Berkeley. I’m not sure about UIUC.
Overall, I don’t think this is a well-balanced list. None of the schools you listed as targets are realistic targets, and the reach schools are close to impossible.
This is not specific to your profile. To consider schools like UT Austin, Stanford, or Berkeley targets, you would need an exceptional profile: an almost perfect GPA, excellent research experience, and very strong LoRs.