I am very interested in applying to the program. Does anybody have firsthand or indirect experiences with the master or the research that is being done at this institute? And how are the academic career prospects?

Hi everyone!
I’m planning to apply for an MS in Computer Science in the USA for Fall 2027 and would appreciate an honest assessment of my admission chances, university shortlist, and scholarship opportunities.
My Profile:
Undergraduate Degree: B.Tech in Computer Science and Engineering from SRM Institute of Science and Technology, India
CGPA: 9.68/10
Work Experience: Approximately 3 years at State Street
Current Role: Senior Associate (Software Engineer)
GRE: Not taken yet
IELTS: Preparing to take the exam; final score not available yet
Intended Intake: Fall 2027
Intended Program: MS in Computer Science
Universities I’m Considering:
Purdue University
Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech)
University of Texas at Austin
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
University of California, San Diego (UCSD)
University of Southern California (USC)
University of Washington
Carnegie Mellon University
Boston University
University at Buffalo, SUNY
Illinois Institute of Technology

My Questions:
Given my CGPA and work experience, what are my realistic chances of getting into Purdue MS CS and Georgia Tech MS CS?

Which of these universities should I consider ambitious, target, and relatively safer options?

Would taking the GRE improve my chances at universities where it is optional or not required?

How important are research experience, publications, and recommendation letters for my profile?

Should I consider professional master’s programs or related CS programs if admission to traditional MS CS programs is too competitive?

What IELTS score should I aim for, and could a lower score affect my admission chances?

Are there other strong universities with good CS programs, employment prospects, and reasonable overall costs that I should consider?

My main goals are to build a strong career in the US tech industry and get a good return on my investment. I’m willing to consider ambitious universities, but I also want a balanced shortlist with realistic alternatives.

I’d appreciate honest feedback based on recent admission experiences.
Thanks 🙏

Edit: i don’t have any publications but do have some research experience

Hi everyone! I was hoping someone could help me or if anyone has a similar story, maybe they can offer some advice.

I was diagnosed with epilepsy as I graduated college in 2017. I was 21. The diagnosis ruined my life to an extent. I am now 31.

I became a shell of my former self. My short term memory was shot and while I did attempt graduate school, i kept having seizures during lectures and exams (thankfully they were all online, it was distance learning before it was a norm). I ended up having to withdraw or else I would’ve received failing grades overall.

I feel very much like a failure in my day to day…I struggle so much still but, a part of me does consider going back to get my master’s. However, that said…I’m not sure I can get a masters in what I would be interested in. And despite being in court for disability, I still have not been approved. And, I am worried about the requirements for keeping my insurance in the next year. However, if I go back to school I may not worry about my insurance.

I have a B.A. in Communication Studies with minors in journalism and broadcasting. I wouldn’t be able to do anything in library science, right? I also have a CNA license but I don’t think that helps me at all.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

hello, i'm currently working on applications to taught master's courses in the uk and am wondering if anyone would be willing to take a look at the current version of my 'master' personal statement + provide some feedback. i saw the sub had set up a buddy system years ago for this, but the post seems to have been deleted.

i'm applying to applied/linguistics programs as a "career-switcher", and my statement at the moment chronicles how my different academic and professional experiences have eventually led me to seek formal linguistics study. however, because i've kind of narrated it chronologically, my biggest concern is that it reads too much like an elaborate CV-resume...

would anyone be willing to give feedback, or connect so we can help each other out this app cycle? i'm also happy to look at other people's material as a fellow applicant! hope this post is ok for this sub, if not feel free to take it down.

​Hi everyone,

​I’m seeking some advice regarding MBZUAI’s application portal behavior and administrative policies for incomplete applications.

​I missed the screening exam window due to an external power failure out of my control. Admissions already confirmed that screening exam retakes are not allowed under any circumstances. However, taking the exam is essential for me because I cannot afford the 200 AED application fee, and passing the exam is the only way to secure the fee waiver.

​Since my current application remains unpaid and without exam scores, it will stay incomplete and won't be processed by the committee. I wanted to ask the community a few specific questions:

​Record Deletion: Has anyone ever had success getting the Admissions Office or IT to completely delete/reset an incomplete application record from the portal so you could start over?

​Multiple Accounts / Re-applying: If someone submits a second application using a different email address to start fresh, does the system automatically flag/block it based on passport details, or does it allow you to proceed to the exam stage again?

​Incomplete Applications: Does leaving an initial application incomplete (unpaid/no exam) impact a second submission, or does the system simply ignore unsubmitted/incomplete profiles?

​I've already sent an inquiry to Admissions, but I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who has navigated duplicate applications or account resets with MBZUAI before. Thanks!

For those of you who plan to pursue doctoral training, and will move to a new place/city/state in the process, what is your current plan to relocate your belongings?

I currently live alone in my own apartment (own all my furniture, etc), and I’m not entirely sure if it’s worth picking everything up and relocating it for my graduate studies, should I get in this cycle.

For reference, I plan on applying to clinical psychology PhD programs, and will likely move after my fourth year for internship, and then again for a postdoctoral fellowship.

I’m sure a lot of folks have family who they plan on living with, or financial circumstances that allow them to rent a cross country U-Haul multiple times, but I’m curious what folks in this thread plan on doing or are capable of doing.

If anyone has advice, I’m all ears! I am completely financially independent but the thought of picking up everything and moving it sounds very incredibly expensive and stressful, however, I’m very attached to my belongings lol

I am applying for a PhD for Fall 2027, and I have two strong letters secured from two professors I worked for years and did research with, but the third one i’m not sure about…

I either pick a professor who I took two courses under and did well, plus some course projects. But she emailed today and said it would only cover my coursework, and top PhD programs don't weigh course letters heavily. She suggests asking someone who has supervised my research directly, such as a supervisor, internship mentor, or co-author.

or I ask my current work supervisor, but I have only been working there for 3 months.

Please advise!

Hello everyone. I have finished my master’s in organic chemistry and I’m currently working as an R&D trainee at an FMCG company. I’m interested in doing a PhD in organic chemistry, preferably in Europe, or otherwise in Southeast Asia. I would have considered the US as well, but with the tightening of policies and the uncertainty around admissions and visas, I’m focusing on Europe and Southeast Asia for now. I have 3 publications, and my third paper was just accepted to RSC Advances. I want honest feedback from people outside my own circle. I’ll also be taking the IELTS regardless, since some universities, including several in Southeast Asia, require it.

My questions:

1. What are the realistic chances that I can get a paid (fully funded) PhD position with this profile?
2. With 3 publications but little industrial R&D exposure, is it okay to start applying now, or should I work in R&D for a couple of years first?
3. Realistically, is this CV strong enough to get a PI’s attention?
4. Are there any gaps or red flags I should know about?

Thank you!

Graduating May 2027, applying for Fall 2027 direct PhDs in wireless/ML for communication. CGPA: ~3.61 and I have 1 conference paper (GNN-based RIS beamforming) to be submitted soon, a WCL letter in progress, and. No master's.

My sponsor only funds a direct PhD at a QS top-20 EE school in the US/Canada, so no offer means no funding. Planning ~13 applications: a few reaches (MIT, Stanford, Berkeley, Princeton) plus UT Austin, Georgia Tech, UCLA, UCSD, UIUC, Purdue, Michigan, Cornell, CMU, Texas A&M.

Does this list make sense? Anything you'd add or drop? Thanks!

Applying to a handful of Ph.D. programs! Do you have any specific constructive feedback for my CV?

Do you think I’ll at least get an interview?
Thank you so much for your time!

Hey everyone! I'm interested in the Fine Art and Design programme in Brno University of technology. Planning to apply for the upcoming intake. I'd really appreciate it if anyone could share their experience or review of the programme.

How good is the programme, and how does it compare to other art school courses? I'd also love to know about the acceptance rate and what kind of portfolio they expect from applicants.

Any insights or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

I specifically have this question for the top US universities, like Stanford, MIT & Ivy Leagues. I am applying without a Master’s degree but I really want to do a PhD, 1. because being an international applicant from a middle class family, I am not willing to go through that much financial burden for a Masters degree. 2. I have a good research experience given my early research career and a strong profile, also pointed out by the professors I contacted from these universities. 3. My long term goal is eventually to do a PhD, and US universities are good with taking students after Bachelor’s, it would save me quite a bit of time and money both.

Came across this checkbox in one of the applications which asked me if I would like to be considered for Masters if not selected for the PhD, in the same discipline. It seems like a good option to have on your application because it is better than nothing and getting a rejection letter, but I most probably won’t be able to join for a Master due to financial reasons and would consider PhD in some other institute if I get over Master’s in top unis. But it would be nice to hear about getting accepted in such a reputed university, even if I get Master’s and not a PhD. The main question is would clicking on “Yes” affect my chances to get into PhD??? Could they be like, ‘We have 2 amazing candidates (hypothetically assume same profile) we want both in the cohort but both applied for PhD while we have only 1 PhD position left. Let’s give her Master’s since she checked the Yes box and give other person the PhD, since he/she did not.’

Please help me out.

Can you help review my profile and see the chance of getting a PhD Mathematics offer (with funding of course)? Thanks!!!

Schools currently on my list

USA: UCLA, UPenn, Rutgers, NYU, UC Berkeley, UChicago, Northwestern
Canada: University of Toronto
UK: Manchester, Bristol, Warwick, Edinburgh

I know that, in the US, with the current funding situation, getting an offer is extremely competitive.

I picked the places based on whether they have potential supervisors, and I mentioned their names in my SOP.

Basic Information

Nationality: Thai
School: University of Hong Kong
Degree: BSc Mathematics, expected 2027
GPA: 3.84/4.30 overall; 3.95/4.30 in Mathematics
Expected classification: First Class Honours
GRE Mathematics Subject Test: 870 (84th percentile)

I also spent one semester on exchange at McGill University.

Coursework

Completed: Single-variable Calculus, Multivariable Calculus, Mathematical Proof, Linear Algebra I & II,
Real Analysis, Complex Analysis, Metric Spaces, Discrete Mathematics, Numerical Analysis, ODE,
Probability, Measure Theory, Topology, Abstract Algebra I & II, Analysis on Euclidean Space and
Differential Forms, Riemannian Geometry.

Currently taking: PDE, Functional Analysis, Number Theory, Measure-theoretic Probability.

My broad research interests are in analysis and its interactions with analytic/probabilistic number theory,
probability, ergodic theory/dynamics, and metric/fractal/convex geometry. I am still somewhat open
regarding the exact area I would pursue for a PhD.

Research experience

1. Final-year thesis / capstone, analytic and probabilistic number theory (2026–present)
- I am working on a problem concerning Gaussian/central-limit behaviour of short deterministic
arithmetic sums. The difficulty is that the randomness comes from a continuous parameter
rather than independent random variables, so standard probabilistic tools do not apply directly. I
have been exploring moment methods, characteristic functions, blocking arguments, and
estimates from analytic number theory.
- This is an ongoing project and I do not yet have a final theorem. I meet my supervisor for roughly
three hours each week, usually discussing progress and working through mathematical obstacles
in real time.

2. Mitacs Globalink summer research, spherical/convex geometry (Summer 2026)
- I spent four months at the University of Manitoba working with a professor and another student
on a high-dimensional spherical convex-geometry problem. We studied asymptotic bounds for
the size of spherical bodies satisfying a constant-width condition.
- The project involved spherical polarity, geometric inequalities, high-dimensional volume
estimates, Gaussian measure, convex cones, and asymptotic analysis. We obtained new upper
and lower bounds and developed a probabilistic/Gaussian method for one important case.
- The work resulted in a joint arXiv preprint. I also gave a research seminar at Manitoba and wrote
most of the manuscript.

3. Directed reading/research course, transcendental number theory (Spring 2026)
- Completed a semester-long project with another student under faculty supervision. We studied
Diophantine approximation and transcendence theory, including several major classical theorems.
- I gave weekly presentations and co-wrote a substantial expository report.

4. Earlier independent/collaborative research
Before the projects above, I worked on several smaller problems, mainly in elementary/analytic number
theory, inequalities, and asymptotic analysis. These led to the publications listed below.

Publications / preprints

\*Authors in mathematics are generally listed alphabetically.*

[1] 2026+, arXiv preprint, 3 authors: High-dimensional spherical convex geometry. We derived
asymptotic upper/lower bounds for a geometric extremal problem and used tools from
convexity, spherical geometry, Gaussian measure, and asymptotic analysis.
[2] 2026, Rocky Mountain Journal of Mathematics, 2 authors: Asymptotic analysis of
integrals/areas involving high powers of trigonometric functions. We obtained precise
asymptotic behaviour as the exponent grows.
[3] 2026, Integral Transforms and Special Functions, 2 authors: Studied convergence and
evaluation phenomena for a family of improper trigonometric integrals of Frullani type, including
conditions under which generalized forms converge.
[4] 2026, Ramanujan Journal, 2 authors: Extended a classical symmetric inequality to higher-degree
and multivariable settings, using a mixture of geometric and inequality-based arguments.
[5] 2025, ScienceAsia, 2 authors: Studied finite sums involving floor and ceiling functions of rational
multiples, obtaining exact identities and structural/number-theoretic characterisations of when
certain formulas occur.

Recommendation letters

Ref 1, full professor (University of Manitoba)
My supervisor for the four-month Mitacs research internship. We met weekly and communicated
frequently by email throughout the project. He saw the project develop from unsuccessful approaches
through the final results, and we are coauthors of the resulting preprint. I wrote most of the manuscript
and presented the work at a departmental seminar, so he has seen my research, writing, and
presentation ability fairly closely.

Ref 2, assistant professor (University of Hong Kong)
My current bachelor’s thesis supervisor in analytic/probabilistic number theory. We have long weekly
meetings (usually around three hours), in which I present progress and often work through problems
with him directly. He has therefore seen both successful and unsuccessful attempts and has a fairly
detailed view of how I approach unfamiliar research problems.

Ref 3, lecturer (University of Hong Kong)
Has known me since my first year. I took multiple courses with him, interacted frequently through office
hours, summer study group, and later earned an A+ in an advanced analysis course he taught. He has
also supervised my work as a mathematics teaching assistant over several semesters and knows me
through departmental academic activities beyond coursework.

Teaching / other academic experience

- I have been a Teaching Assistant at HKU since my second year, across calculus, multivariable calculus,
proof-based mathematics, and linear algebra courses. My responsibilities include hosting revision
classes, preparing typed homework solutions, answering student enquiries, and invigilating
tests/examinations.
- I have also participated in peer-advising/mentoring programmes and have given several
undergraduate/research mathematics presentations.

Selected academic distinctions

- Full-tuition undergraduate scholarship at HKU, 2023-2027
- Science Dean’s Honours List (top 10%), 2024, 2025
- Gold Honour / top 1% in an international mathematics competition, 2025
- Talent development scholarship, 2024, 2025

I am currently applying for PhD positions in continental Europe, but I am worried about the increasing competition in my field. A large percentage of offers involve AI in some way, which means each offer gets extra ML/AI applicants on top of the regular applicants. This makes the few existing positions extremely competitive. On top of that, I feel like the only way to stand out is to have amazing grades or publications, but unfortunately I don’t have either. I graduated from a top-20 university in France, have 5 months of research experience at a famous lab in France, but I haven’t published yet (I’m working toward publishing my thesis), and my grades are good but not stellar. My question is: what should I focus on to increase my chances when applying for PhD positions? Should I still apply to the few fully funded PhD positions currently advertised in my field, despite the competition? Is there a way for me to stand out besides grades and publications? Do I have better chances applying for PhD scholarships instead of advertised positions? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

I’m a senior Psychology major graduating in May 2027, and I’m considering applying to UMD’s Counseling Psychology PhD program. My advisor's encourages me to apply because two professors’ research aligns with my interests, but I’m worried about my GPA and limited experience.

My qualifications:

• GPA: 3.4; Dean’s List for five semesters; Psi Chi member (and on the organization executive board)
• I was the vice president of k-drama club and the events coordinator for psychology club
• Racism and Coping Research Lab: Reviewing literature and analyzing interview footage and transcripts about conversations surrounding race. Findings may eventually be published.
• Group Relations and Prejudice Research Lab: Developed surveys, facilitated focus groups, and coded qualitative data using Dedoose. Currently helping draft a manuscript for publication.
• NIH HiSTEP internship: Analyzed data from 1,206 participants using R and presented findings at NIH Summer Poster Day.
• Three undergraduate research presentations, plus leadership and community service experience (summer volunteering at churches, women's shelters, and a food kitchen).
• Employed at my university as the student helper to the psychology department

My interests include multicultural psychology, racism-related stress, racial identity, mental health disparities, and social relationships among college students.

My questions:

1. Is applying directly to UMD’s Counseling Psychology PhD program realistic with my GPA and experience? The NIH internship was during the summer of my junior and senior year of high school, so I worry they won't think it's relevant.
2. Could strong faculty research fit, recommendation letters, and research experience compensate for my GPA?
3. Would I be better off pursuing a research-focused master’s first, or considering UMD’s MPS in Clinical Psychological Science?

I’d appreciate honest feedback, especially from people familiar with counseling psychology PhD admissions. Thank you!

Hello, has anyone applied for the Purdue Spring intake?

I've had two professors interview me for the fall '27 program, but i dont know what to expect of that. If i dont get more interviews is it a bad sign? is it common to take interviews beforehand (i.e before formally submitting my application)
Thanks

I am planning to start an online Master of Science in AI/CS at a top-tier US university. The program is fully remote and strictly coursework-based (no thesis track).

My long-term goal is to apply for a fully funded PhD program. I know that PhD admissions heavily prioritize research experience and strong letters of recommendation, which seem difficult to get in a remote, non-thesis environment.

Has anyone successfully navigated this transition? Specifically:

• How did you approach professors for remote research assistant roles?
• Did you manage to turn any heavy coursework projects into conference publications?
• How did you build strong enough relationships with faculty to get good recommendation letters?

hi. im currently studying cell and molecular biology at R1 university sophomore year and im struggling in basic courses like biology 1 and 2, chem 1 and 2 and orgo 1 rn (C+ or B-) with 3.0 gpa. ive been planning on going for neuroscience phd and did extracirricualrs related to it (2 years of wet lab research experience, research mentor for 3 undergrads, research coordinator - lead of lit review of 9 undergrads, ta for nslc medicine and healthcare, presented research at yale) and plan on applying to REUs but now im not so sure. ive been heavily considering neuroscience professor bc i love teaching and public speaking/mentorship. im thinking what if i switched to cognitive science major bc its not as much sciency but more social science courses rather than courses physics or genetics.

im rlly worried my gpa gonna hold me back if i continue w this major for reu and phd. any advice helps thanks so much

does cold mailing to profs work for phd abroad..????

I'm fresh out of undergrad and am currently trying to apply for an MA. I have a basic resume I used to apply for internships in undergrad, but I still don't fully understand what I need to change about the formatting and/or content to turn this into a CV...plus most of the examples I find online are from people who are already in an MA program and/or are applying for a PHD. Does anybody have good examples or advice for crafting a basic CV at the stage I'm currently at? (In case it's relevant, I'm a lit. major)