posted by flyingroc on 06/09/08
I recently got an email from Dominique on behalf of his friend asking for advice on studying computer science in the US. Dom seems to think my reply was generally helpful, and suggested I put it on my blog. So here is an edited version:
Planning Ahead. Most US schools start their school year around September, but of course you will need to submit your application earlier than that. Some will require application submission as early as December of the prior year. So be sure you know the requirements for the schools you choose to apply to early. In general, the more prestigious the school, the earlier you have to submit your application.
Most schools will require the GRE general exam, and some will require a subject test (most of those will accept either Math or CS). Many schools rely on this when deciding on whether to accept a student or not (especially if nothing more is known about him/her). So prepare for it, Kaplan helped me a lot, but it might be too pricy for many.
GTA/GRA. Many people are not aware that a large number of graduate students in the US actually get free tuition and a small salary by being a graduate teaching assistant, or a graduate research assistant. I would definitely recommend the teaching assistant/research assistant route, if you can get it. If you come to the US on a student visa, on-campus employment is basically the only kind of employment you're allowed to get anyway. (If you come on a working visa, it's different, but I don't think you'll get time to study). Fulbright scholarships tend to be in the social sciences and rarely in the harder sciences (though environmental science is an exception). GTA/GRAs are usually easier to get if you go to a PhD program rather than a master's program.
Prerequisites. Don't worry about not having a lot of deep knowledge in CS. Some basic ability to program and a logical mind would probably suffice. A lot of students do a CS masters or PhD coming from different backgrounds (mathematics, engineering, economics, etc.) Many schools will look at your transcript and assign undergrad level classes if they find it lacking in certain subjects.
Choosing a school Trying to get in to the most well-known schools is a great goal. but be aware that these are really competitive. My advice would be to try for 1-2 "dream schools," 3 "good" schools -- those that you are confident you have good chance of getting in to. And 1 "sure bet" school, somewhere you're *sure* to be accepted in.
Try to look beyond "name recognition" (though that's a plus, of course); make sure that the school you go into has the nurturing environment that will enable you to pursue your goals. One good thing is to look into the kind of research the school's CS department is into, and the professors who are doing that research. If you find a topic that truly interests you, email the professor. Most of them will be friendly enough to answer you :-).
Good luck in your application! Speaking as someone who' gone through the grad school thing, it was some of the most fun I've had in my life.
PS Strongly consider applying to my alma mater, Virginia Tech ;-)
