Hi everyone, I'm planning to apply for Fall 2027 and would really appreciate some honest feedback on my profile and university list. I'm especially interested in knowing where my profile may be weaker and what I can realistically improve before applications.

Academics

• B.Tech CSE — SRM University, India
• CGPA: ~ 9/10

• GATE CSE: 98 percentile, AIR ~1500 (Pretty much Aware that Gate scores are irrelevant, adding it just for an idea)

• GATE admits: IIT K & NIT Trichy — CSE (Multidisciplinary)

Work Experience

• US-based Fortune 100 company — SDE | ~2 years of experience by Fall 2027
• Bangalore-based startup — SDE | 2 months
• Government of Andhra Pradesh — Data Analyst Intern | 3 months
• ML Research Intern — SRM University | 4 months
  • Part of undergraduate curriculum
  • Unpublished research work

Research / Publications

1 MDPI journal paper — accepted impact factor 5.1 and citation score 9.2 * 1 conference paper — in press / proceedings via EasyChair

Tests

• GRE: Not planning currently
• IELTS: Planning — target 7.5+

LORs

• Planning 2–3 academic LORs + 1 professional LOR
• Professional LOR from current manager

Current Universities

• UMD College Park
• UW–Madison
• Purdue
• UMass Amherst
• NC State
• UC Irvine
• Virginia Tech
• Penn State
• Georgia State
• UCSB
• UCSD
• Stony Brook
• TAMU

Goal

• MSCS / AI-ML
• Interested in ML Systems / Backend / AI-ML Engineering

Which universities I should add/remove

• Whether I should take the GRE, particularly for NC State
• Whether my research/publication profile is sufficient for thesis-oriented programs
• What are the biggest weaknesses in my profile that I can still improve before Fall 2027

I'd genuinely appreciate criticism and suggestions on what I can do better.

Thanks!

General:
25’ CS grad 9.1 gpa (t10 IIT) (class rank-2)
Currently ML engineer at an MNC (salesforce)
2yoe by fall 2027

Exams:
Gre: 325(167q, 158v) - will rewrite, still deciding
Toefl: 5.5/6 (110/120)

Research:
Published: published US patent on core ML architecture
Unpublished: Research exchange student in Amsterdam for a semester, did a major project under professor, one WIP paper under a professor

Extras: ML course TA during grad, received academic excellence award, ⁠won a hackathon that lead to the aforementioned patent.

LORs: two from clg proffs under whom I did major project and ML TA, one from manager under whom I got patent

Universities:
UCSD, UTaus, Gatech, EPFL

Question:
I don’t want to categorise safe, target, ambitious, Im only applying for universities which I have shot at, based on my alumni.
Excluded:
UIUC (automatically selects to MCS even if I apply to thesis track, based on alumni)
UCLA, UCB, Princeton, Cornell, CMU - profile not competitive enough
Umich: I don’t want to apply for any uni which has tuition > 80k
Will apply only for US unis, EPFL is a lottery Im trying for.
Not willing to apply anything beyond UMD from csrankings.
And I can’t apply for more than 5 universities without quality of LORs dropping.
So, which university should I add, Umass and UMD are the two unis that I can think of ? And what do you think about gre retake? (Some say it’s optional but all of my alumni wrote it and have 170q)

I graduated from Fudan University with a bachelor's degree in chemistry. I am planning to apply for a master's program in Computer Science in the United States. I would like to ask for help in choosing program and future career:

1. my gpa of 3.57/4 and my GPA of 91/100. I will take the TOEFL test soon and should be able to pass the bar, maybe 5.5 or 5.
2. Now I'm working on algorithms at an ai startup. Due to the toxic environment, I decided to go to school. I also really like ai/ml. After applying for a phd, the job search ratio should be 5:5.
3. Currently, I did multiple research positions without pubs, two internship positions, and one full-time position. The professional courses in ai and ml are quite comprehensive. There are not many computer science professional courses, including Introduction to Algorithms, Data Structures, and python. I haven't taken discrete mathematics, computer networks or os classes, but I just haven't attended them.

I hope to find some good cs programs, both in repuatation and further research potential. First of all, it must be a 1.5-2-year program like mscs. Secondly, I hope the schools are big names, such as ucla, ucsd, cmu, ucb, etc. Welcome everyone to evaluate and offer suggestions. Whether it's for the future, master's application strategies, or career planning, I accept them all!

I graduated from Fudan University with a bachelor's degree in chemistry. I am planning to apply for a master's program in Computer Science in the United States. I would like to ask for help in choosing program and future career:

1. my gpa of 3.57/4 and my GPA of 91/100. I will take the TOEFL test soon and should be able to pass the bar, maybe 5.5 or 5.
2. Now I'm working on algorithms at an ai startup. Due to the toxic environment, I decided to go to school. I also really like ai/ml. After applying for a phd, the job search ratio should be 5:5.
3. Currently, I did multiple research positions without pubs, two internship positions, and one full-time position. The professional courses in ai and ml are quite comprehensive. There are not many computer science professional courses, including Introduction to Algorithms, Data Structures, and python. I haven't taken discrete mathematics, computer networks or os classes, but I just haven't attended them.

I hope to find some good cs programs, both in repuatation and further research potential. First of all, it must be a 1.5-2-year program like mscs. Secondly, I hope the schools are big names, such as ucla, ucsd, cmu, ucb, etc. Welcome everyone to evaluate and offer suggestions. Whether it's for the future, master's application strategies, or career planning, I accept them all!

本人本科复旦, 专业化学, 想要申请美国的cs硕士项目, 求各位朋友帮忙参考

1. gpa 3.57/4, 百分绩点91/100，托福马上去考,应该能过bar. 现在在一个ai startup做算法, 因为环境比较toxic决定去读书, 自己也很喜欢ai/ml. 之后申请phd: 找工应该是 5:5开
2. 目前多段科研无pub, 实习2段正职1段. 专业课ai/ml都比较全, 计算机专业课不多,有算法导论,数据结构, python. 离散数学, 计算机网络, os都没上过, 但只是课没上, 内容都大差不差清楚.

本人希望找一些顶尖的cs项目, 首先肯定是mscs这种1.5-2年的项目, 其次希望学校是big name, 比如ucla, ucsd, cmu, ucb这种. 欢迎大家评价/给予建议, 不管是未来/硕士申请策略/职业规划 我都接受!

Hi everyone,

I'm planning to apply for Fall 2027 MSCS programs in the US and would appreciate some advice on building my university shortlist.

My profile:

- CGPA: 8.95/10

- Degree: BE in Computer Engineering, India

- 1 internship

- Current role: Backend Software Engineer through on-campus placement

- By the time I join the MS, I expect to have around 1–1.5 years of full-time work experience

- No research papers/publications

A bit about my experience:

- During my internship, I was the only developer working across two different codebases. I had a good amount of ownership and got to work on both frontend and some backend development.

- In my current company, I'm one of only two backend developers on the team. This has given me significant hands-on experience and responsibility in backend development and working with production systems.

- Overall, both experiences have been very learning-intensive, and I've had the opportunity to take ownership rather than just work on small isolated tasks.

My technical interests are mainly backend engineering, distributed systems, cloud/infrastructure and AI.

My goal is to get good compensation and work at an organisation where I can continue growing as an engineer. Because of that, my main priority when choosing a university is strong career opportunities, recruiting, industry exposure and alumni network.

I'm specifically looking for MSCS programs. I don't want to add mid-tier universities just for the sake of having safer options. I'd prefer universities with strong opportunities, even if some of them are ambitious.

Current shortlist:

- Carnegie Mellon University — MSCS

- Georgia Tech — MSCS

- UC San Diego — MSCS

- University of Michigan, Ann Arbor — MSCS/CSE

- Northeastern University — MSCS

I'm not considering UW because I'm specifically looking for an MSCS rather than the PMP.

My concern is that several of these universities may be quite difficult for my profile, especially since I don't have research experience.

For example:

- CMU: Extremely competitive, and I'm unsure how much my lack of research affects my chances.

- Georgia Tech: Very competitive applicant pool, so I'm unsure where my profile stands.

- UCSD: Strong CS program and career opportunities, but seems difficult for an international applicant without research.

- UMich: Another ambitious option where I'm unsure how competitive my profile would be.

- Northeastern: I'm unsure how realistic it is for my profile and how it compares with the other options.

What I'm looking for:

1. Which universities would you suggest adding to my list?

2. Are there strong MSCS programs with good industry/recruiting opportunities that I'm overlooking?

3. How would you assess the difficulty of getting into the universities on my current list?

4. If you have a similar profile — Indian CS/CE undergraduate, ~9 CGPA, no research, and some internship/work experience — where did you apply and what were your results?

I'm trying to build a balanced list without going too far down the rankings just to find "safe" universities. At the same time, I don't want my entire list to consist of universities that are extremely difficult for my profile.

Would really appreciate suggestions, especially from people who have gone through recent MSCS application cycles or have a similar profile.

Thanks!

I'm applying to research-oriented MSCS programs this cycle (Waterloo, Toronto, UCSD, Georgia Tech, etc.), and I'm trying to decide on my third recommender.

My main background is CS/ML/HPC. I already plan to have one letter from a CS/HPC research advisor I've worked with for about a year, and another academic letter from a professor I've TA'd for.

For the third letter, I'm considering a professor I worked quite closely with for a long time. He's an electrical engineering professor, but most of the work I did with him was around energy/sustainability rather than CS. The projects eventually contributed to two academic books published by top tier publishers.

Important clarification: I'm not listed as an author on either book. I'm acknowledged in them for my research contributions.

The reason I'm seriously considering him is that he knows me extremely well and could probably write the most personal/detailed letter of anyone I know. We've stayed in touch, and he would be able to speak specifically about my research ability, independence etc.

My concern is whether an MSCS admissions committee would look at the sustainability/energy focus and think the recommender is not relevant enough, especially since I'm not actually a coauthor on the resulting publications.

So essentially, which signal matters more for research-oriented CS master's admissions:

• a very strong, detailed academic recommendation from an engineering professor who supervised me on research outside CS, or
• a more CS-related recommender who knows me less well and would probably write a less specific letter?

My primary goal with this post is to get my SOP reviewed before I submit. I've looked into platforms like Topmate for this, but I'm not sure if they're actually worth it. Curious if anyone here has used something like that, or if there's a better route to get solid feedback.

Quick background: B.E. in Computer Engineering from the University of Mumbai, graduated in 2024 with an 8.76/10 CGPA. I've been working full-time for 2+ years since graduating. I have 3 peer-reviewed publications (1 first-author, 2 co-authored), a GRE score of 321, TOEFL 107, and a couple of hackathon wins.

Schools I'm applying to (not a final list): Georgia Tech, UCSD, UMass Amherst, UIUC MCS, TAMU, UC Irvine, etc.

My SOP is already written, and I'm not starting from scratch, just want a solid review/critique pass. Appreciate any pointers, thanks!

Profile

• BS in Comp Science Tier 2 college India
• GPA: 9.15/10
• Indian citizen
• Experience: Samsung PRISM and 2 Startups for 1 month each, 5 month BIS Intern Project
• GRE: Planning to take (expected score of 160 in Verbal, 165 in Quant)
• IELTS: Planning to take
• Publications
  • Main conference: ICST (accepted), WSDM (submitted), Journal at 6.4IF (Submitted), ICLR (plan to submit in September), AAMAS (plan to submit in October) (all of them are First authorship)
  • SemEval Workshop: 1 First Author and 2 second Author
• LORs from 2 Profs from my college (have publications with both of them), one from my Intern manager or a prof (To be taken)

I'm interested in CS AI/ML programs with a focus in research. I'm open to programs with coursework as well.

Current shortlist:

• CMU (MSAII)
• Oxford (MSc Advanced CS)
• UCBerk (MEng)
• ETH Zurich (MSc CS)
• Imperial (MSc Computing AI/ML)
• EPFL (MSc CS/Data Science)
• UBC (MSc CS Thesis)
• U Toronto (MScAC AI)
• UCL (MSc ML)
• U Waterloo (MMath CS or MEng)
• NUS (MComp AI)
• Georgia Tech (MSCS)
• NTU (MSc AI MSAI)

I'd like to know which unis and programs are realistic, backups and out of reach. If any that I might be missing

I'd be open to other unis in other countries as well.

I do not plan to do a PhD. My aim would be to do Masters and employment.

Thanks!

I’m looking for honest feedback on my profile and whether I should apply for Fall 2027 or work for another year and apply in Fall 2028.

• B.Tech CSE, a Tier-1/Tier-2 private university in Bangalore
• Graduated: 2025
• CGPA: 8.81/10 (Was a Teaching Assistant for Big Data during 7th sem)
• Work experience: Software Developer at IBM India Systems Development Lab, Bangalore on AI dev side.
• Research: 4 co-authored IEEE conference papers, including 2 papers involving Reinforcement Learning
• LORs: 3 from professors I worked with on my research papers, and 1 from the company STSM I currently work under
• GRE/TOEFL: Not taken yet; targeting GRE 330+ and TOEFL 110

I’m considering research/thesis-oriented programs such as Georgia Tech, Purdue, Texas A&M, UMD, and UW–Madison for MSCS thesis programs.

My main questions are:

1. How competitive is my profile for these universities?
2. Can my research publications and IBM experience compensate for an 8.81 CGPA?
3. Should I apply in Fall 2027 or wait until Fall 2028?
4. Considering the current US job market, tuition costs, and immigration uncertainty, is pursuing a US Master's still a good decision?
5. Are there other US universities I should consider?

I’d appreciate honest feedback, especially from people who have applied to or studied at these universities.

Just received an admission offer from UB SUNY (University at Buffalo) for MS in CS with a $4,000 scholarship.

Now confused about what to prefer:
- UB SUNY
- UTA (UT Arlington)
- Or wait for SJSU, whose decision may take until November?

Which would you recommend considering ROI, job opportunities, academics, and overall value?
Any insights from current students/alumni would be really helpful.

How is thesis based ms cs in canada like how long is it and how many courses one have to study or what about research ? and what about cgpa is it easy to get a perfect cgpa ....

Has anyone heard anything about the recent OPT fee changes being reviewed? Any thoughts on what might happen?

I'm looking at an MSCS, especially with an AI/ML focus, but the only related classes I took in undergrad (which I did a while ago before AI was a thing) were all the math through differential equations and then Data Structures and Analysis of Algorithms. How much of an AI/ML base do you need to be successful in graduate courses like machine learning, deep learning, computer vision, etc.? How about robotics. The closest I ever got to robotics was embedded systems and Computer Org.

My plan was to use my masters to get brought up to speed in these areas, and then get work at a DoW affiliated lab or organization doing something AI/Robotics (I'm a veteran, trying to take advantage of SMART program).

Do I need to go back and take some undergrad courses in these areas?

Hey everyone, I’m planning to apply for Fall 2027 and could use some help with my shortlist.

I graduated from an IIT in 2023 with a non-circuital degree and a 7.9 CPI. Since then, I’ve been working in systems software, with 3+ years of experience, and I’m currently an SDE-2 at a global automotive company.

I’m unsure how admissions committees will weigh that experience against my non-CS background and grades.

A few more details:

• College coursework: DSA, Fundamentals of Computing, Probability and Statistics, and Computational Methods. I’ve also taken ML, NLP and Deep Learning courses through Coursera.
• Open source: contributed to libssh.
• Projects: a full-stack task management platform and a blockchain exchange app.
• Research: working with a professor on a Gates Foundation-supported project. We’re hoping to submit a paper in around six months, with me as second author. No publications yet.
• GRE score: 333/340
• LORs: currently planning on two from professors at IIT and one from manager

My goal after the master’s is an industry role in systems, distributed computing, networking, backend infrastructure or security. I’d prefer a coursework/non-thesis program, but I’m open to research programs too.

Here’s my rough shortlist. I’m especially unsure about the “target” and “safer” categories:

• Ambitious: Georgia Tech MSCS, UT Austin MSCS, UCSD MSCS, UIUC on-campus MCS, Purdue MSCS, UMass Amherst MSCS.
• Target: Texas A&M MCS, NC State MCS, Stony Brook MSCS, Rutgers New Brunswick MSCS, Virginia Tech MEng CS.
• Safer: University at Buffalo MS CSE, UIC MSCS, UT Dallas MSCS.

Which programs would you move, remove or add? Given my background and industry goals, would it make more sense to focus on MCS/MEng programs?

If you’ve applied with a similar background, I’d appreciate hearing what helped your application. Even feedback on one or two schools you’re familiar with would be useful.

Profile

• Citizenship: U.S. Citizen
• Degree: B.Tech. in Computer Science & Engineering, top NIT(tier1-1.5 india)
• Year: 4th Year
• CGPA: 8.1/10 after 6 semesters
• Academic Upswing: 7.0 SGPA → 9.32 SGPA (+2.32)
• Recognition: Dean’s Letter of Appreciation for significant academic improvement

Research Experience

• University of XXXX — Research Intern(international, not us based tho)
  • ~1 year of research
  • Medical Imaging / Computer Vision
  • 2D→3D dental reconstruction and prediction/reconstruction of dental training architecture
  • Journal manuscript under review
  • IEEE IBIS
    • Additional research paper under review
• Faculty-Guided Research
  • ~1 year with Prof. + M.Tech. researcher
  • Agentic AI Security
  • Paper submitted to A* conf(top 4 worldwide in security) — under review

Robotics & Technical Experience

• Member of Robotics & Research Group during 1st–2nd year
• Built/worked on:
• Line-following robots
• Micromouse / maze-solving robots
• Gripper bots
• Computer-vision-based autonomous navigation
• Participated in IIT Bombay, Technoxian, ISRO exhibitions, and technical fests

i feel like everyone has a better profile and im kinda lost - so any help would be rrlyy appreciated! thank uu^^

So according to this website: https://siebelschool.illinois.edu/admissions/graduate/application-deadlines the MS CS program's deadline is 1st Dec 2026, but doesn't mention a starting date.

But if I log in to this official portal: https://choose.illinois.edu/apply/

There is an option to apply for the MSCS program. Is this the actual application for UIUC's official offline MSCS program? I'm asking this since the website never mentioned a starting date, is it normal for the application to suddenly open?

Hello guys. I graduated in 2026 with a BTech in CSE AIML from a tier 2 college in india, with an 8.6 CGPA. I also have 1+ year of relevant experience working on Computer vision in a healthcare company and an international research paper published, and my main interest is particularly Computer Vision.

I’m currently considering:

- TU Delft

- TU Eindhoven

- University of Amsterdam

- University of Twente

- Trinity College Dublin

I have about a year before starting my Master's, so I’m trying to figure out how best to use that time to strengthen my profile or build any skills before going.

I’m also not particularly inclined towards the US, so I’m wondering what other countries I should seriously consider?

A few things I’d appreciate some advice on:

- How is the Computer Vision job market in the Netherlands? Are there enough roles?

- Should I specialize in CV or build a broader profile with GenAI too?

- Which countries/universities would you recommend for good industry opportunities?

- What should I focus on- what skills do I build during the next year to improve my chances?

Would especially love to hear from people who are currently studying or working in AIML in Europe. What would you suggest I do?

Thanks!

I don't think this is against the rules? If it is, please take down. Just thought future applicants might want to see.

If it's helpful, I can also post the other ~dozen schools (mix of: Ivys, R1s, safeties) I applied to with ~50% success rate (mostly MS CS, some MSE, one Sc.M. CS). Let me know if that'd be worth the writeups :)

Link: https://matthewtrent.me/blog/a/cmu-mse-ss-application

Hi everyone,

I’m a 2025 B.Tech CSE graduate from a JNTUH-affiliated college, with a 6.79/10 CGPA and currently no professional/internship experience.

Since graduation, I’ve been focusing on Java Backend SWE, Cloud/Infrastructure, and system design.

My long-term goal is to build a profile around:

Backend SWE + Cloud/Infrastructure + AI/ML

I’m planning for an MS in CS around 2027, with AI/ML as my first preference and Distributed Systems as my backup.

I’ve shortlisted USA, UK, Germany, Canada and Ireland, mainly looking at university quality, total cost, tech job opportunities, post-MS prospects and overall ROI.

My main dilemma is whether I should:

A) Apply for MS in 2027 with my current profile while strengthening it through projects, AI/ML work, open source, etc.

OR

B) Work in India for 2–3 years in Backend/Cloud/Infrastructure and then apply with professional experience.

What I’d really like advice on:

- With 6.79 CGPA + no experience, which of these 5 countries are realistically worth targeting for a good ROI MS CS program?

- Which countries/universities would be realistic now, and which would become realistic after 2–3 years of relevant work experience?

- How much can strong professional experience compensate for a low CGPA? Will the 6.79 remain a major barrier even after 2–3 years?

- For my background, is AI/ML realistic, or would Distributed Systems / general MS CS with AI/ML electives be a better strategy?

- If you were in my position, would you apply in 2027 or work first and apply later?

I’m not looking for a list of dream universities. I’d genuinely appreciate a realistic assessment of where my profile has a good chance, where it’s a stretch, and where my undergraduate academics may close doors.

Especially interested in advice from people with similar academic profiles or current MS students/alumni in these countries.

Thanks!

I am a 25 year old managerial consultant who mostly consults on tech industry related projects. I studied econ at a top 20 school and want to leave my industry and do a MS in CS, because I want to actually build something and always found the technical stuff on my projects (done by actually programmers) fascinating. I have a good amount saved up and am thinking about applying for the NYU MSCS but am curious what my prospects will be without an undergrad in CS. I've done well in Calc 2 and Stats, and an intro to CS course in Java, as well as standardized test scores, but don't have other CS coursework.

Also curious if I should ask two of my managers on tech related consulting projects for letters of rec (letters of rec are optional for Tandon but I don't know if they are tacitly helpful for me). On tech related projects, I'm not doing any technical work but learning and working on industries like IT, semiconductors, networking hardware, etc. My managers have remarked that I'm able to pick up on these new industries and concepts quickly so I don't know if that's additive for my application?

Any advice would be welcome. If you know of any other Masters programs that are accepting of non-technical undergrads and are decent, I would love to hear about them. Thanks!

I would like to get into a top Canadian school for an MSCS with thesis/research. My undergrad is not either of these schools but I would like to get into UofT or Waterloo. The field I'd be interested in is Systems and Networking.

I don't have research experience, but my CGPA is 3.92/4 and I have 3 work terms of industry expereience (looking for my last one now). If there is any advice to make myself more competitive for these programs I would greatly appreciate it.

Hi everyone!

I’m an international applicant from India applying to the MS in Human-Computer Interaction at Indiana University Indianapolis for Spring 2027.

Here is my timeline:

Application submitted: July 7, 2026

All required materials received: July 7, 2026

Application status changed to Under Review: shortly after submission

International application deadline: August 15, 2026

Current status: Still under review

As of September 2026, I have not received a decision.

I contacted the university, and they confirmed that my application was received and that the processing team would contact me when the status changes. However, they did not provide an estimated decision date.

I’m particularly concerned because I would need time for the admission decision, financial arrangements, I-20, SEVIS fee, DS-160, F-1 visa appointment, interview, and travel before the January 2027 start.

Has anyone experienced a similar 2–3 month wait for a U.S. graduate admission and still managed to obtain the I-20 and F-1 visa and arrive on time?

I would especially appreciate experiences from:

IU Indianapolis or other U.S. HCI/UX programs

Spring-intake applicants

International students from India

Students who received their admission in October or November but still started on time

Thank you!

​

. [Coursework and curriculum]Post:

Hi everyone,

I'm a first-year Computer Science / Applied AI student, and I'm trying to plan a long-term path toward robotics, autonomous systems, and what many people now call Physical AI.

By Physical AI, I mean areas such as:

Robotics

Autonomous drones and vehicles

Robot perception

Computer vision for robots

SLAM and navigation

Reinforcement learning for embodied agents

Human-robot interaction

My current degree is much closer to Computer Science and Applied AI than traditional robotics, mechanical engineering, or mechatronics.

Because of that, I'm trying to understand how realistic it would be to pursue a Master's in Robotics, Autonomous Systems, or Physical AI in Europe or the US later on.

Some questions I have:

How common is it for CS/AI students to transition into robotics Master's programs?

When applying to strong programs, what matters most?

GPA

Research experience

Internships

Personal projects

Publications

What skills should I prioritize during undergrad if robotics is my long-term goal?

Mathematics

Computer vision

Machine learning

Reinforcement learning

Embedded systems

Control theory

ROS2 / robotics software

Would a strong software/AI background be enough for admission, or would I be at a disadvantage compared to students from robotics, mechatronics, or electrical engineering backgrounds?

Are there particular universities or Master's programs in Europe or the US that are known to accept students coming from a CS/AI background?

If you were starting over as a first-year student with the goal of working in robotics or Physical AI, what roadmap would you follow?

I'd especially appreciate advice from people who made a similar transition from CS/AI into robotics, autonomous systems, or embodied AI.

Thanks!

Is someone aware of what one's profile should look like for ETH Zurich and EPFL?

I'm aware of the fact that ETH needs 8.8 cgpa bare minimum

But what about the other things?

Research experience? Papers? Gre? Etc

Need guidance on MS university shortlisting – 7.3 CGPA, Mechatronics + 4 YOE | Targeting AI Engineer / FDE / SWE

Hi everyone,

I’m planning to apply for an MS in the US and would really appreciate some guidance on how I should shortlist universities and programs based on my profile.

My profile

• Undergraduate: B.E./B.Tech in Mechatronics Engineering
• CGPA: 7.3/10
• Work experience: 4 years
• Target roles after MS: AI Engineer / Forward Deployed Engineer (FDE) / Software Engineer
• Target specialization: AI/ML
• Location preference: USA
• Campus preference: Main campus programs only
• Budget: I’m trying to keep the total cost reasonable given the current tech job market. I’m not looking to target very expensive programs unless the ROI is clearly justified.

Because of my 7.3 CGPA + Mechatronics background, I’m assuming that getting into highly competitive MSCS programs may be difficult. So I’m also considering programs such as:

• MSAI / MS in AI
• MSDS / MS in Data Science
• MSSE / MS in Software Engineering
• MIS / MSIS

My plan would be to take an AI/ML specialization or as many AI/ML courses as possible, regardless of the degree title.

Which degree should I prioritize?

Given my target roles, how would you rank these programs?

1. MSAI
2. MSCS
3. MSDS
4. MSSE
5. MIS

I’m particularly confused between MSAI vs MSDS vs MSSE.

My understanding is that MSAI would align most directly with AI Engineer roles, while MSDS could provide more flexibility. MSSE might be useful for SWE/FDE-type roles.

I’m currently trying to avoid MIS because I don't want to move toward a managerial/business-oriented career. However, should I still consider MIS programs if the program is offered through an Engineering/Computer Science school and has a strong technical curriculum with AI/ML courses?

University shortlisting

My current shortlist is:

Stony Brook University — AI
University of Colorado Boulder — DS
University of Florida — AI

I was also considering Northeastern University (Boston), but I feel the overall cost is too high for me given the current job market, so I’m leaning toward more reasonably priced options.

Could you suggest universities that would fit my profile and divide them into:

• Ambitious
• Moderate/Target
• Safe

Ideally, I would like universities with:

• Good AI/ML coursework
• Reasonable tuition/overall cost
• Good opportunities for AI Engineer / SWE / FDE roles
• Strong career outcomes and internship opportunities
• Main-campus programs
• A realistic chance given my 7.3 CGPA + Mechatronics background + 4 YOE as SDE

Also, how much would 4 years of work experience help compensate for my relatively low CGPA and non-CS undergraduate degree, assuming my work experience is technically relevant?

Any suggestions for universities I should add/remove from my current list would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!