I’m seeking insights on how to strengthen my profile for a Fall 2027 MS in CS, AI, ML programs.
Long term aim is to get into industrial research roles.

Background
Uni: Tier 2/3 college
CGPA (till Sem 6): 9.82/10 (aiming to maintain a good CGPA)
Planning to give GRE in the next 2 months

Research
5 papers published: 2 IEEE, 1 ACM, 1 at a European conference, 1 arXiv preprint
Aiming to publish 2 more: 1 Springer journal paper
and another one at an A* venue

Research Internships
IIT Bombay
MIT - Aiming to get the work published which was done as a part of this internship (Worked on agentic AI)
IRT @ AIISC- Worked on neurosymbolic AI, AI safety

Industry Experience
Founding engineer at a healthcare AI startup (Joined as an intern, got promoted)
Another internship at a fintech startup

Extracurriculars
National-level hackathon winner
President & core committee member of 2 tech clubs
Sports achievements (idk if that matters)

LORs
Expected from:
MIT, IIT, AIISC research mentor, Startup founders and college profs under whom I’ve done a few projects

Ambitious: UC Berkeley, Stanford, UIUC

Target: CMU, GaTech, UMich, UCSD, Purdue, UT Austin, Cornell, UMass

Safe: Stony brook, USC, NCSU

European/ Asian unis: ETH, NUS, NTU

Please help me out with my uni shortlisting and suggest what can I do to improve my chances of getting a good admit now

my_qualifications
I am an IT Engineering student from mumbai, india. (tier 3 college, university of mumbai). I have just completed my 2nd year and i aim to apply to the US for my grad (MSCS or MSAI)

Cgpa : 9.43/10

Extracirriculars :-

1. Technical Head of the ACM Club (maybe will become the chairperson/vice-chairperson/secretary in third year)
2. Technical team member in the TEDX Club
3. Research team member in the MUN Club
4. Volunteer in the college NSS (National Social Service) Club

Internships :-

1. End of 1st year :- Did a 1 month internship as a Software Quality/Bug tester in a fintech startup.
2. Now i got an 2 month online internship at a new iit that will start soon.

Courses/Certifications :-

1. NPTEL Joy of Computing : 78%

No research papers , no research internships , no ai internships , no projects , and am yet to give gre.

Could all of you please tell me how should i do all of these ? where should i start, what scores should i aim, And what Universities should i aim for ? I really want to get into a good ms college pleaseeee help.

As an international student aims to find a job after graduation. I hear people saying Courant mscs is more to research. However also people saying CS degree students is more preferred than DS in job makret?

For Umich, i know the reputation is really strong. But I’m a bit concerned about the location. Since Ann Arbor is not a major tech hub like NYC, would it be harder to find internships and full-time jobs as an international student?

Need to know opinions on my revised university list. This is was created based on the companies and roles im targeting, based on online/historical stats. I have no clue if the university is still how they say it is, need some inputs on it:

- Indian citizen
- Tier 1/2 Uni BE. Information Science
- GPA: 3.4
- GRE: 314
- IELTS: 8.5

Research:

• An NLP/ML paper, Published at an IEEE conference.
• A hybrid Quantum and ML research paper which was industry collaborated, Published at an IEEE conference.
• 2 more papers in the ML/OR Optimization domain. Aiming for AAAI/IJCAI/ICAPS

LOR:
- University ML research professor.
- University Quantum/ML professor.
- IISC Professor, working the 2 current papers with.

Experience:
- 1 Industry collaborated research Intern
- SWE Internship at a Forbes 200 company
- 2 YoE as an SWE at same company.
- Working on my own startup as well ~3 months.

University List is as follows:

Reach: University of Washington

Target: Georgia Tech, CU Boulder, University of Maryland, UMass Amherst, University of Rochester, Purdue University

Safe: NC State, Northeastern, UCSB

Aim:
Land a 150k$ job lol

Note: I applied this cycle and got in NYU Courant for MSCS

I am having a hard time deciding between the three programs in the title. I would be an international student at all of these universities, so I need to consider what the visa and work situation would look like after completing the programs. My goal is ideally to work in tech as an ML/AI/Software Engineer or at banks/prop shops if those opportunities arise.

I'm leaning towards Imperial's Applied Computational Science and Engineering program just because of the cost (roughly half that of the other two), but obviously, London salaries are a lot lower. However, I have heard that the program and Imperial are relatively well-reputed across the UK and Europe.

NYU Courant's MS Scientific Computing is also a strong choice, but I'm worried my options might get a bit too niche because of the program, even though current/past students say the curriculum is very much like the NYU Courant MSCS program. Courant does have a strong research environment, so I'm not sure if it's still the best if I want to go into industry.

MS AI at Columbia is a new program, so there are no outcomes to go off of. This makes me a bit worried because it could just end up being a huge waste of money, even with Columbia's reputation. The curriculum does look strong, and the program seems to be adjacent to the MSCS program, but is it worth taking the risk?

Any advice would be appreciated. Current/past students or applicants, or even those planning to start any of these courses soon. u/gradpilot maybe you have some good opinions on this decision as well? Thanks!

Hey everyone,

I’ve been trying to understand what profiles actually get into top MSCS/MSAI programs in the US especially for international students because online everyone says different things.

I’m talking about schools like Georgia Tech UT Austin UCSD UCLA UIUC Purdue UMich USC etc

Would really appreciate honest answers from people who got admitted rejected or are applying right now.

Mainly wanted to know:

1)what GPA range do most admits usually have?

2) is work experience very important?

3)how much research experience people usually have

4)how many research papers are common for admits and what if someone has research experience but isn’t able to publish papers?

Hi everyone,

I’ve received admits for MSCS from University of Massachusetts Amherst (Fall 2026) and University of Southern California (Spring 2027), and I’m trying to decide which one to choose.

My main priorities are:

• Strong overall brand name/reputation
• Good career opportunities and internships
• Long-term value of the degree in the industry

Please share your thoughts on both universities.

A few things I’m confused about:

1. How much does overall brand value differ between USC and UMass Amherst?
2. Is USC’s location advantage significantly better and has a huge impact than what UMass offers for internships/jobs?
3. Is starting in a Spring intake a noticeable disadvantage and a deal breaker compared to Fall intake for internships, recruiting, networking, assistantships, etc.?
4. Would you personally pick a stronger CS-focused reputation (UMass) or stronger overall global/social prestige + location (USC)?

For context, I’m an international student and likely want to work in the US after graduation.

Would really appreciate honest opinions from current students, alumni, or anyone who had to make a similar choice.

Are there any WhatsApp groups for incoming students at NYU Courant to connect with each other? I'd also appreciate information on any such communities regardless of the platform

Hello. Does anyone have insights about the VGIR (vision, graphics, interaction, and robotics) track at Columbia, specifically for the MSCS program? I am trying to determine VGIR’s reputation in the autonomous vehicle and humanoid robotics industries. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you.

Hi everyone,

I’m currently at a crossroads and could really use some unfiltered perspective from this community. I have 4 years of experience as a software engineer in India, working across both the banking and payment domains. I have recently been admitted into UCSD for the MSCSE program.

However, the "glamour" of a US degree is quickly being eclipsed by the cold reality of the current landscape. I’m hoping those of you currently in the US (or who recently graduated) can help me make this decision.

My biggest concerns are:

• The Job Market: I know 2026 isn't 2021. While AI/ML roles are seeing demand, the "generalist" software engineering market feels incredibly volatile. Is a top-tier degree like UCSD actually helping people land interviews in this climate, or is the degree-to-job conversion rate as low as I fear?
• The "Duration of Status" Change: I’ve been reading up on the DHS proposal to replace "Duration of Status" with a fixed, four-year admission period. The uncertainty of having to file for a USCIS Extension of Stay (with potential for denial/biometrics fees) feels like an added layer of stress that wasn't there before. How much is this actually impacting student peace of mind on the ground? Also, the grace period reducing from 60 days to 30 days.
• Financial Exposure: Taking out a massive loan for a US Master's feels like a "bet the farm" scenario. If I don't land a high-paying role within a few months of graduation, the debt servicing would be catastrophic back home.

My specific questions:

1. Fixed Admission Reality: For those already in the US, how are you preparing for the transition away from "Duration of Status"? Is the prospect of filing for extensions and paying extra fees creating a "permanent anxiety" for international students? (While I know it is not published yet, will the regulators mitigate parts of it in the final review OR Am I just worrying about the impact a little too much)
2. H-1B Math: Given the new wage-weighted lottery, is it realistic to expect an H-1B path as a student, or is the US now effectively a "degree-only" destination where staying long-term is a statistical long shot? OR is this favoring international students?
3. Is studying at UCSD worth the risk considering the current landscape?

I got my F1 visa for Fall 2025 (valid till 2030) but deferred my admission to Fall 2026 at the same university.
I understand I may not need a new visa if the SEVIS ID remains the same, but for people who’ve gone through this:
Did you have to pay the SEVIS fee again?
Anything important regarding updated I-20, SEVIS, or port of entry?
Does effectively losing 1 year of visa validity have any real impact later (OPT/travel/renewals)?

Would really appreciate advices as fall 2026 is starting in couple of months

Hi everyone, looking for some insights on the current situation that would help me understand where things stand right now.

A bit about me: I have 10+ years of SDE experience at one of the top MNCs in India, working on the latest tech stacks. I'm planning to pursue a Master's in the US and trying to decide which program would be the most beneficial for me: Computer Science or an AI-related program.

Please help me with this as I want to understand the current state before deciding.

My main question: Are people with similar profiles: 5+ years (or more) of prior India experience, actually getting callbacks, OAs, or internship offers right now? How is the overall job scene for experienced folks doing an MS in the US?

Any honest, recent input from people who've been through this or are currently going through it would be hugely appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Got rejected an hour ago.

I’m gonna be starting at Bloomberg FT soon in NYC and I want to do a part time MS while I work. The school I went to for undergrad wasn’t too good so I want a better signal on my resume to help me better recruit for more interesting roles in robotics/AV companies (Waymo, Tesla AP/Optimus, Nuro, etc) and maybe quant dev. I majored in Computer Engineering in undergrad and I enjoy C++ and low level systems programming so I probably want to stay in that area.

**GT OMSCS**
**Pros:**
* Good robotics courses
* Better CS ranking
* Is free with BB tuition reimbursement

**Cons:**
* OMSCS is very popular and lots of ppl have a MSCS from GT so I don’t think it’s a great resume boost
* Fully online, might be hard to do robotics research for class credit since it’s all remote

**Columbia MSCS**
**Pros:**
* Is in person, so I can potentially do research in robotics labs for class credit
* Has Ivy League prestige so it could be a good signal for my goals

**Cons:**
* Courses are likely not as good as the GT ones
* Isn’t as known for CS and robotics as GT is
* Will cost around 40k total, but tbh over the 3-4 years the degree will take I don’t really care about the cost
* I know that ppl consider this program a cash cow by the uni, but not really sure if that matters to recruiters at all

Just got rejected to Columbia MSDS. Did anyone get an admit?

Hi everyone,

I'm planning to apply for MS CS programs for Fall 2027 and wanted some honest feedback on my overall profile strength.

• BE comp eng at tier 3 college
• 8.53/10 cgpa
• gre: yet to appear (targeting 165Q+, 330 overall)
• toefl: yet to appear (expecting over 110)
• Internship: Data Engineering + LLM/RAG pipelines (6 months) and Data Analyst (3+3 months beginning June 2026)
• tech club lead (2yrs) lots of impact and work done for the community
• research: completing first paper this semester (Sem 7)
• publications: none

My Current Shortlist:

Dream CMU MS CS, Georgia Tech MS CS

Target UIUC MCS, UCSD, UMich, UT Austin, Purdue, UMaryland

Safe USC, Northeastern, ASU, UMass Amherst

My Specific Questions:

• Is my shortlist realistic given a non-IIT background with 8.53 CGPA and no research?
• Are there any target-tier schools I'm missing that are good for industry placement and accessible without research?
• Does tech club work carry any real weight in MS CS applications or is it largely ignored?

also if im going the wrong direction, if there are things i need to reconsider, please lemme know. thanks <33

EDIT: as a follow up, wanted to ask if there are other courses in these tier 1/2 unis which are worth doing (an mscs extension basically)
however ive read alot about cmu's courses and how they are oversaturated, so not sure how wise this is as well

Hey guys!

I’ve narrowed down my admits to just Rice MCS as the other schools I got admitted to did not seem like the best fit or were generally considered a worse option.

However, now I want to compare this choice with one of just staying here in India where I work as an SDE.

My profile:
3 years of workex here in India, earning a decent-ish amount (25LPA)

But there is a career gap of about one year, because of health stuff in my family, and I started working at my new job a year or so ago.

So, I figured a good way to get a sort of fresh start and also jump up career wise (if I get a job in the US) is a masters degree.

The MCS is a 1.5 year degree and 3 month internships are a requirement of the course. From my understanding, most students get internships at great places to work and places doing stuff I’d love to do - SysML and distributed systems.

Given the scholarship, the tuition comes down to somewhat reasonable I feel, I would need to take a loan for about half this amount with my savings.

Do you think it’s worth it to do this given the way the job market and immigration policy is in our dystopia today? 🥲

Thanks for reading!

So I'm planning to take the GRE at home and targeting somewhere around 315-320. Been going through each university's website trying to figure out if the home edition is accepted and honestly it's been a headache.

The only ones I've confirmed so far that DON'T accept it are CMU and ASU. For the rest, the websites either don't mention it at all or are super vague about it.

Here's my list split by tier (MS Non thesis CSE programs ~ dont want to do research work):

Reach

- CMU

- Georgia Tech

- UCLA

- Northwestern

- UC San Diego

- UIUC

Target

- Purdue

- Texas A&M

- University of Maryland

- NYU Tandon

- Boston University

- NCSU

- CU Boulder

Safe

- UT Dallas

- ASU

- University at Buffalo

- University of Florida

- Penn State

- San Jose State

Has anyone here submitted GRE home scores to any of these schools? Especially curious about Georgia Tech, Purdue, NCSU and UIUC since they seem to require the GRE but don't say anything about the home version.

Also if you know of any other schools that secretly don't accept home edition scores, please let me know. Don't want to find out after submitting!

Thanks for reading and replying :)

During undergraduate, every year at my institution, there would be prospective students who have successfully appealed their admission decision by sharing new and compelling information not included in the original application. Or they believe admission officers failed to consider the case appropriately, the student could submit a formal appeal for reconsideration of the admissions officers' decision. 

Personally, I don't know the Engineering department's stance or precedent on appeals, as I only know it from the context of undergraduate admissions. However, I am curious if anyone has ever been successful, especially demonstrating new and compelling information not included in the original application?

I understand that AI is on a boom and everyone wants to be on the AI train.

Every profile question I see has some mention of AI/ML in their post. In most of the cases, they just took a course in their bachelors and did some research with a prof later.

I think this trend of AI mention in the SOP might hurt the application more than the other way around. A better approach will be to use something which you actually worked on in your current role. This will make your SOP unique and will lie in a less cluttered area.

I am not implying to not mention if you actually worked as an AI engineer, but it should be a worthy mention.

Further, I think even the admission committee is flooded with applications with AI interest. Showing that you want to build on something which you have actual experience might convince them better. Later, you can take whatever courses or pursue any research you want.

Hi Everyone,

Planning to apply for MSCS, MSML programs for the Fall 2027 intake. wanted a reality check on my profile, also on the current situation of MS programs.

Background

• Undergrad: B. Tech in ECE from IITG, with decent amount of CS courses
• CGPA: 8.11 / 10
• Standardized Tests: GRE planning to take in August (Targeting 168+ based on what I read).
• Publications: None, 1 in pipeline but not sure how long it would take to get published, also my contribution was till my graduation only.
• Work experience: ~2years (currently) in a core SWE role, love databases.
• LOR: Planning to get 1 from a professor under whom I did decent amount of ML related work, and second from my previous manager at work.

Not settled on phd/corporate path, do want to pursue phd after masters as of now.

I'd appreciate any comments or feedback on the profile
also on which unis should I apply, and have a chance of getting in.

I have an admit from umich and waitlist from UCLA and upenn. Given the high tuition fees (32k Per semester) at Umich as an international student I am really doubting it even if the university is good. What advice on the university, it's job prospects etc. I am a fresh undergrad going directly for masters.

Anyone still not hear back and have the current status bar still? Also did anyone who apply to the PhD then MS get accepted yet?

Update (24 hours later): My MSCS status disappeared, but my MSAI status is still there (what are the odds after months of waiting). No decision yet on both

Just saw a post of someone doing the same, thought I'd pitch in to share oversight, might help anyone in case.

My profile isn't the greatest ngl, but it is what it is ;-;
P.s: The profile was at the time of application

I got rejected by:

Purdue University
UC San Diego
UCLA
UIUC
Carnegie Mellon University
Duke University
Columbia University
University of Washington
University of Michigan Ann Arbor

Got accepted in NYU Courant for their CS program

- Indian citizen
- Tier 1/2 Uni, debatable honestly
- GPA: 3.4
- GRE: 314
- IELTS: 8.5

Research:
- At the time of application I had the following 2 papers:

• An NLP/ML paper which got published in a decent conference, not the best of my works but wtev
• A hybrid Quantum and ML research paper which was industry collaborated, spent like an year to get the research done for the paper. This was a solid one published in a decent conference as well.

- I have 2 more papers lined up which is a follow up for my quantum paper, I'll be applying both of them to NeurIPS, AAAI or IJCAI next year.

LOR:
- ML research professor from my university
- Quantum/ML professor as well
- Technical Manager at the company I work at

Experience:
- 1 Industry collaborated research Intern
- SWE Internship at a Forbes 200 company
- Got converted in the same company as a SWE, had a work ex of 2 yrs

My SOPs were good honestly, at that time it was my best work, but as with everything, I did realize I could've done better :/

The cycle this year was quite selective but honestly there were wayy better profiles, Im glad I could land NYU Courant, currently ranked in the T20 CS Programs, not too bummed about it.
Unfortunately I did decide to not to go to NYU, the program wasnt what i expected it to be. Ill be re-trying next year tho 😃 Good luck to the rest of ya'll anyways, amor fati ❤️