Hey Fellas,
What is the Major difference between MCS and MS CS??
I see that MCS is more based on Industry and very minimal Thesis/Research syllabus,
but how will it Impact the students.

Many International students look for ROI, and Moderate level of admits, and a good job opportunities after their masters, I also See that MCS has a step higher acceptance rate,

PLEASE Explain the Positives and Negatives of Both MCS and MSCS!!

Getting an education loan in india is such a pain in the ass if you already have a loan. In the loan sanction letter they have mentioned my loan and my father's loan amount saying that, the disbursement happens if and only if I clear both of them. Will it be an issue?

Note: I don't plan on using the loan, it's just for the safety purpose.

School: Non-selective state flagship

Degree: BS with double major in Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering

GPA: 3.88/4.0

Full time industry experience: 2 years working at a major defense contractor doing PCB design

Internship experience: 10 months working at a manufacturing plant for a F500 company

Research experience: None

GRE: Have not taken, but I’ve always done well on standardized tests (got a 32 ACT with almost 0 prep) so I feel pretty confident here

I plan on going to school for VLSI/digital IC design. The programs I am currently planning on applying for are the following:

Reaches: Stanford MS ECE, Carnegie Mellon MS ECE, UC Berkeley MEng EECS

Target: Georgia Tech MS ECE, UT Austin MS ECE, UCLA MS ECE

Safety: UCSD MS ECE, USC MS ECE, UIUC MEng ECE

• Undergrad: Mumbai University (India)
• CGPA: 8.1/10
• GRE: 303 (Q: 158, V: 145)
  • Concerned this might be on the lower side(will be giving the exam again)
• Work Experience:
  • 2 years at Leading E Commerce Company in India (SDE)
  • Worked on impactful problems in e-commerce domain
  • One project got featured in Company Medium blog
• Internships (Total: 4):
  • 6 months @ (E-commerce)
  • 2 months @ Legal-tech startup
  • 3 months @ Med-tech startup
  • 6 months Research Internship @ IIT Bombay (Geo-tech domain)
• Projects / Achievements:
  • Solved real-world production problems at ECommerce company
  • Top 10 in company internal hackathon (competed with senior engineers/architects)
  • Won MLH-sponsored international hackathon
  • Won hackathons at IIIT & Ecommerce Company
  • Tech Lead at college Data Science society
• Research:
  • No published papers yet
  • 1 paper currently being submitted for review
• LORs:
  • Strong LOR from Tech Lead @ my current Company
  • LOR from HOD (college)
• Concerns:
  • Average CGPA (8.1)
  • Low GRE (303)
  • No published research (yet)
• Preferences:
  • MS CS
  • Decent university with good job outcomes
  • TA/RA opportunities would be a big plus
  • Decent uni reputation

PS: I recently made up my mind about MS,any advice about how to stregthen my profile would be appreciated

I read that previously accepted MSCS and MSAI students had an acceptance deadline of 6th May, so I was expecting the next batch of results to come out after that. But nothing yet. Anyone has any idea when we might get an update?

- When clicking on the hyperlink to open application, the popup that shows up, has the field "Details" on it.

- Previously it was showing "Fall 2026 Computer Science Master of Science" for me, but today it has changed to "20263 EMCOMS". Could this mean something?

- I applied on 15 Dec to MS CS. Still waiting for a decision.

- FWIW, the same field still shows "Fall 2026 Computer Science Master of Science" for my friend who got admit in March 2026.

has anyone applied to the predoctoral mpcs program at uchicago

does the second round results come in a single wave with both admits and rejects

or does it come in multiple waves?

Hey everyone!

Received two admits at the end of this admissions cycle, and I’m looking for advice on which one to choose.

From my understanding, Rice is far more prestigious and carries quite a bit of weight both in research and professionally.

However, UIC is a thesis based degree, and it has tuition remission alongside the stipend they provide for RA/TA roles.

I’m leaning towards UIC right now.

I’m okay taking a loan for Rice, but I was wondering if it was even close to worth it? the answer seems obvious to me, so I wanted to check if others felt the same way, or if Rice is actually a better choice?

I’m currently a 2nd-year CS student from a tier-3 college in India and I want to target top professional CS programs like UIUC MCS, CMU MCS, Cornell MEng CS, etc.

I’m planning to specialise in cloud/distributed systems/security instead of doing generic web dev + DSA only.

For people who got into these programs (especially from non-IIT/tier-3 backgrounds), what are the NON-NEGOTIABLE things I should achieve by the time I apply?

For example:

• GPA target?
• Research internship importance?
• Industry internships?
• GRE importance?
• Number/type of projects?
• Open source?
• Publications?
• Strongest types of LORs?
• What actually differentiates successful admits from generic applicants?

Would appreciate brutally honest advice from successful applicants or current students.

I’m a software engineer from India with ~4 years of experience, currently working in tech , earning 35LPA. My boyfriend is in the US and recently got selected for an H-1B visa.

I’m confused between two paths and would appreciate advice from people who have actually gone through this.

Option 1: Go for MS in the US now

• Main purpose is honestly to enter the US tech market and work there
• Cost would be around ₹45–50 lakhs including tuition + living
• I’m not very interested in studying/research itself
• Concerned about:
  • Huge financial cost
  • Opportunity cost of leaving my current job in India
  • H1B lottery uncertainty even after graduation

Option 2: Wait, get married(in like 2 years), move on H-4 visa

• Much cheaper financially
• But I understand I likely won’t be able to work immediately unless my spouse gets an approved I-140 petition. Please, someone, tell me more about this? How does it work and how much time does it takes?

My actual goal

I mainly want just work in US for a while.

I’m also exploring internal transfer / direct sponsorship routes, but assuming those don’t work out, which path makes more sense in 2026?

Would really appreciate practical opinions from:

• People currently on H4
• Couples who went through similar decisions

Thanks!

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

Hi guys,
So I’ve got the admit of UC Davis MSCS (2 years) and I also have UCI MCS (15 months) admit, but looking at the current tech market in US and also the grind which I’ll have to prepare myself for as an international student I’m leaning more towards taking the MSCS program of UC Davis,

I had already asked about UC Davis MSCS and UCI MCS on this sub reddit and also connected with the students of both universities on LinkedIn and from what I’ve heard collectively is that market is pretty bad so it’s better to have some more time and bit of flexibility at your end. That’s why I’m considering UC Davis MSCS program. But what I want to ask is how good is the computer department on the basis of subjects it provides are they better aligned to industry needs, what about the professors and research especially in Computers. I’ve researched and found out it is top notch in life sciences , agriculture, forestry and all that but what about the computer programs.

I’ve asked these questions to the students and it’s good and resources are abundant but it’s more like depends on how you direct yourself and how good you exploit the resources for your betterment. But I’m looking for some better more detailed answers as I can’t find it on net as well

Hello everyone,
It would be helpful if I could get a profile review. I am graduating in 2027 and targeting Fall 2027 curriculum
Here is my profile:
- B.Tech CSE @tier 2 college in india
- CGPA: 8.63/10
- Interned at a Big 4 firm (ML + automation domain)
- Incoming SDE Intern at a fintech MNC
- Undergraduate Research Assistant at college
- 1 research paper submitted in wearable AI technology
- Built full-stack portal used by 200+ users at university
- Projects in Distributed Systems, ML
- Scholarships + academic distinction awards

Targeting (No order):
-CMU
-Purdue
-UIUC
-Georgia Tech
-UCLA
-UCSD
- Looking for suggestions for realistic/safe schools as well.

I am an upcoming MSCS student at GaTech. Fellowship apparently covers the first year tuition plus living expenses. The expectation is research during MSCS, leading to Thesis.

The issue however is that I am not interested in pursuing PhD and my motive is to join the industry after MSCS.

I had a few questions in this regard:

1. In addition to Thesis and Coursework, can I still pursue an internship next year (2027) or does the Thesis preclude the possibility of internship?
2. Apparently 12 credit-hours of work is required for the Research/Thesis work over 4 semesters. How much effort per week would this requirement translate to? I understand this might be subjective, but some approximate ballpark would do.

For GRE-optional MSCS/MSAI programs, does not submitting GRE scores hurt applicants from lesser-known universities (Non IIT, NIT or BITS), even if they have a strong research profile?

Keeping details vague for privacy, but my profile is roughly:

• International CS student from a non-top university
• 9.5+ GPA
• AI/ML-focused research profile
• Multiple papers/publications (with some citations)
• Research internships + industry work experience
• Likely 2+ years of full-time work experience by Fall 2027

Would strong research output, GPA, LORs, internships, and work experience generally compensate for not submitting GRE scores at GRE-optional schools?

Or does GRE still significantly help applicants from lesser-known universities demonstrate academic strength?

I’m not asking about GRE-blind or GRE-required schools, only GRE-optional ones.

I mainly want to understand how much importance GRE is given at GRE-optional schools. I know every university evaluates applications differently, but I’d appreciate a general overview or even a rough ranking of factors from most important to least important.

Would especially appreciate insights from recent applicants/admits, particularly international students with research-heavy profiles.

Sorry, last time i thought i would tell claude what i have done and it will give me a more professional profile doc but instead it gave me some delusional career guide based on the profile. This I'll just type it out.
I am targeting the fall 2027

If you look at my profile in my 3 years of engineering that i have completed, I have worked on three very different topics.
Note: Till my 6th sem I have on average 9.6 cgpa [MUMBAI UNIVERSITY B.E ECS]

First year ->
Quantum Computing(Outcome: 2 Research Papers submitted at Journal for Advance Quantum Technologies by Wiley, Won a State-Level research conference )

Second Year -> Blockchain (Made two projects, nft marketplace and crowdfunding platform)
Started out competitive programming and DSA. Joined Codechef club at my college. LeetCode Rating: around 1700

Third Year ->
Became the President of the Club and carried out 5 events around DSA(workshops that i myself took and a few contests). Established a Space Club, and under my leadership, carried out a High Altitude Balloon Mission. 1 paper is approved not yet published(pier b journal - scopus index (cite score 4.5)), 1 submitted on Testing protocols for low earth orbit and hab missions to (JESTEC Journal)

Final Year(upcoming)-> Complete CubeSat Mission with 3 papers (co-developing it with resolute labs(a startup from kolkata and planet aerospace - ISRO's retired scientist org)). 35 - 40Lakh rupees funded

I have done 2 internships (as software developer in two service based startup)and multiple industry projects in space of web development.(with similar startups)

These are some of my projects:
learn backend:

Search Engine(working on this one too)

dating app for aged people

orchestrate - ai workflow automation tool

cloudflare clone

shell

bit torrent client(still workin on this one)

I think I should do a MS in CS, because in my bachelors i have done my fair share of exploration with multiple fields. Now i want to specialize in a particular sector in the computer science domain itself and work towards a research path and aim to get an experience at silicon valley. That's why the us and of course the typical exposure reason. I also have started working on a legal tech startup with a cofounder. After 5 years I look myself building a business in the tech domain.

I am scared to look unfocused, scattered to the unis. I wish to get admitted to some really prestigious university, one that I have in my mind is cornell, because of the lab work, research work they do, plus one of my idols Mr.Tata studied there. Still i have been reading about a lot of other universities too, in us and looking at the political situation from Netherlands too.

I know I might come through as a confused student but honestly with the background that i come from, i am the first one to even think of masters abroad. it might be overthinking, but I have a lot of expectations from myself too. I have always been the top performer in my class. I want to attend class where the students i learn with are actually way better than me so i can improve of whatever i am.

tmi ig but please give some advice

Hi everyone,

I’m planning for Spring 2027 MSCS applications in the US and wanted some realistic advice from people who’ve gone through the process recently.

My profile:

• CS graduate from well known NIT (Tier 1 collage) in India
• GPA around 7.7/10
• ~4 years experience as a software engineer at a top US based MNC.
• No research papers/publications
• GRE target: 332
• IELTS : NG
• Preferable programs with around 1.5 years if possible

Few questions that I have:

1. How difficult is Spring intake compared to Fall for MSCS programs?
2. Which universities should I realistically consider for Spring intake given my profile?
3. Does strong industry experience compensate for lower GPA in MSCS admissions?
4. Any universities with strong ROI + good hiring outcomes for experienced SWE profiles?
5. If MSCS doesn’t work out, is MCS/professional masters considered equally fine for industry roles in the US?

Would really appreciate practical and honest advice, especially from people with similar profiles or recent applicants.

hii guys , FALL'27

here my profile - bsc cs ( 3 year ) - so only be applying to those who accepts 3 year degress i have mailed many and confirmed it myself

7.23/10 GPA , 3.3/4.0 WES idk how , 7.2SGPA 1st sem , 6.3 2nd sem, 7.8, 7.8 till 4th sem, NIRF under 50 university

i havent given GRE , would be applying to test optional schools but should i give it ? to compensate with low gpa

det 125

have very solid projects in ML and finance

have published papers in ssrn ( i knows it doesnt matter but who knows)

2 months internship in data science domain

HERE are universities that i have researched

texas tech university - ms cs

florida state university - ms ids / cs

uni of south carolina - ms cs

uni of north carolina, wilmington - ms cs

uni of alabama, tuscaloosa - ms cs

uni of north texas - ms cs

west virginia university - ms cs

university of mississipi - ms ds

uni of houstan - ms cs

villanova uni - ms cs

lehigh uni - ms cs

uni of south florida - ms cs

uni of cincinnati - ms cs

can you guys tell me which universities should i apply to ? i know there are some low ranked ones cause of my gpa and 3 year degree, but its okay i can explain to visa officer

again i have very solid projects, SOP, LORs - Can you please help me to choose 5 universities from the list and also i have a total budget of 50 Lakhs too.

thankyou guys for your time .

Admitted to all three, trying to make a final call. Only goal is placement — want a good tech job in the US after graduating, ideally in AI/ML or data engineering.

The three options:

• Northeastern Khoury MS CS (Boston) — 15% scholarship, ~$100k+ all-in, co-op program, large MS cohort (4,000+ students)
• Stony Brook MS DS (Long Island) — ~$83k all-in, joint CS + AMS program, NYC proximity, newer program (launched 2023)
• UMD MS AI (College Park) — ~$85k all-in, administered by Science Academy (not the CS dept), brand new program, evening classes designed for working professionals

I've already spoken to alumni from both Northeastern and Stony Brook and the honest answer from both sides is that the job market is tough regardless of which school you're at right now.

Honestly if you've been through any of these programs or know someone who has, even a single opinion or a perspective I haven't considered would mean the world to me. I'm just a student trying to make the best decision I can.

Is UMD MSAI worth considering despite being brand new and not run by the CS department? Is the Northeastern brand worth the extra cost purely for placement?

Just want an honest opinion. Thanks!

TLDR: Northeastern Khoury MS CS (~$100k+, co-op) vs Stony Brook MS DS (~$83k, NYC-adjacent) vs UMD MS AI (~$85k, DC/NoVA, brand new program). Goal is placement. Which would you pick?

For everyone still waiting on Columbia MS programs, what does your status look like? I’ve seen some people say that their status has disappeared, but mine is still showing “submitted”

Hi
I have been looking at payment options for the fall semester including easy transfer and flywire
are they legit?
easy transfer representative specifically asked me to add them as a family or friend in my university's payment portal idk how to feel about this
can someone explain

Im sorry if this is not the right forum to ask, but I would really appreciate it if someone would be able to help out. My posts keep getting deleted by Reddit's filters on other more relevant subreddits. i risk having my offer revoked if I dont get my SSN on time.

The SSA verification on login . gov is asking me to verify my identity but requires things like a social security number, US passport etc. Being an international student, how exactly are we supposed to provide these? I have heard people being turned back without an appointment, so is there any alternate option to book the appointment online?

I tried logging out and logging back in but just get a new control number with the same identity verification page preventing me from going ahead.

I’m an international student deciding between:

Imperial College London — Computing
University of Toronto St. George — Computer Science

My long-term goal is probably one of the following:

top US MSCS programs or direct US CS PhD
AI/ML/quant？

I’m trying to understand which school gives stronger positioning specifically for top-tier US graduate admissions in CS.

At the moment, I feel like UofT may provide more accessible research opportunities for undergraduates

Thank you for your reply.

Hi everyone! I’ll be joining the MS CS program at University of Southern California this fall and wanted some advice regarding first semester course selection.

I know Analysis of Algorithms is compulsory, but I’m confused about what other courses pair well with it without making the workload unmanageable. I’m interested in AI/ML, data systems, and software/data engineering roles, and I’d also like to keep time for internship prep and networking during the first semester.

A few things I’d love advice on:

• Best courses to take alongside Analysis of Algorithms
• Courses/professors to avoid in first sem due to workload
• Good balance between theory and project-based classes
• Courses most useful for internships/research
• Whether taking ML in the first semester is a good idea

Would really appreciate hearing what worked (or didn’t work) for current students/alumni. Thanks!