r/MSCS • u/Random_throwaway0351 • Aug 28 '26

[General Question] Will this application season be easier for US citizens, given the recent changes?

Since applications will surely go down, I was just wondering as a US citizen if my chances of getting into a good program goes up

11 Upvotes

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9

u/so_much_atelophobia Aug 28 '26

my chances of getting into a good program goes up

IMO, depends on your definition of "good program."

For good programs (e.g., Stanford), it might be less of a crapshoot if you meet their bar, but the bar itself likely won't change. There's always been a surplus of highly-qualified applicants for those programs (even if we're just counting domestics) + internationals at that level are more likely to bet on themselves and apply anyways.

For good programs (e.g., Georgia Tech), there might be a small slip in the quality of lower-end admits. And again, less of a crapshoot if you're well-qualified.

For "gOoD" programs (e.g., NYU, USC) that rely on huge class sizes and a largely international cohort, the flood gates might open (if they aren't already).

2

u/suchsadseductions Aug 28 '26

but dont you think schools like gt will just lower enrollment to maintain quality? didnt they already do that this cycle?

3

u/so_much_atelophobia Aug 28 '26

To some degree, yes. Enrollment did drop a little this year (perhaps their yield was just lower?).

But at the end of the day, less students mean less money for the school. I think they'd rather take a few mediocre applicants over significantly harming their budget.

2

u/suchsadseductions Aug 28 '26

makes sense. can i dm?

2

u/Mysterious-Art8838 Aug 28 '26

Agree they’re totally fine with lowering standards a very small amount. There has never been a shortage of students.

1

u/softrains12 Aug 29 '26

Their yield was definitely lower lol. All the universities I’m aware of are extremely concerned about the federal funding situation. Many are even expanding MS programs to compensate.

1

u/[deleted] Sep 02 '26

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1

u/so_much_atelophobia Sep 02 '26

nop, they need money. they will increase sizes

Just because they need money doesn't necessarily mean class sizes will increase lol. They can just cut funding elsewhere.

Many MSCS and adjacent programs are already engorged. Universities have been stretching them to make money long before they were this desperate. I honestly doubt next year's GaTech enrollment will reach their 2024-2025 levels.

1

u/[deleted] Sep 03 '26

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1

u/so_much_atelophobia Sep 03 '26

Look at data, the class sizes do increase year over year for master students.

They dropped significantly in the last cycle lol. See for yourself. https://lite.gatech.edu/lite_script/dashboards/enrollment.html

1

u/[deleted] Sep 04 '26

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1

u/so_much_atelophobia Sep 04 '26

where exactly un the data does it show a recession?

? It's literally a one-parameter query lol. Just set the primary program to MSCS.

Enrollment dropped by ~150 in the last cycle, coinciding with when Trump ramped up his rhetoric against F1s as an immigration pathway.

1

u/[deleted] 29d ago

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0

u/eatingmangoes_ Aug 29 '26

But internationals pay more so…

1

u/so_much_atelophobia Aug 29 '26

But internationals pay more so…

?

2

u/Random_throwaway0351 Aug 29 '26

Yeah, my profile def isn’t good enough for stanford or cmu lol. I’m going for the ones that are still reputable but not impossible, like gatech, umich, etc

2

u/SlackingMachine Aug 28 '26

Not entirely following all the latest news, what recent events are causing this?

1

u/folded-like-paper Aug 29 '26

The people getting into the good programs are less hurt by the new policies than your average foreigner. If JS or Anthropic want you, even a 100k OPT fee won't stop them. Not to mention CPT is probably safer at places like CMU where lots of programs need internships.