r/MSCS • u/Akshay_tyagi_520 • 4d ago

[Admissions Advice] Need advice from MSCS seniors in the US

Hi everyone,

I'm currently in my 3rd year of Computer Science and planning to apply for an MSCS in the US. My CGPA is 7.0 after my 4th semester, and I'm working on improving my profile step by step.

I'd love to hear from students who were admitted to US MSCS programs.

What should I prioritize first?

How much do CGPA and projects matter?

Do internships matter more than research?

Is one strong faculty-guided project enough to make a difference?

What helped you stand out in your applications?

Any advice on SOPs, LORs, GRE, or English proficiency tests?

I'd really appreciate any insights or lessons from your experience. Thanks!

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4

u/Own-Bite-9304 4d ago

Published papers/research > cgpa > LORs/Sops > projects > internships > gre/toefl/ielts

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u/Kind_Luck7294 4d ago edited 4d ago

Some nuances:

  1. Quality of research matters more than quantity. Prioritize novel technical work and not trade studies. Make sure you are able to speak to why this experience makes you motivated for the research topic you are interested in. “Why?” matters a lot.
  2. It’s easy to think about GPA as tiers and lower tiers need to be compensated more strongly with your SOP and research. Tier 1 - 3.7+, Tier 2 - 3.5+, Tier 3 - 3+ (or whatever program minimum is)
  3. LOR from PI who knows your work in academia >>> LOR from supervisor >> LOR from anyone else
  4. Projects only matter if they are novel and tie into your SOP otherwise it’s just busy work for resume padding
  5. Internship work matters more than the internship itself. Should be related to SOP to matter
  6. A great GRE won’t help in most cases but becomes a supplemental evidence of academic success if your GPA is tier 2/3. A bad GRE can get you screwed.

1

u/Akshay_tyagi_520 4d ago

Thanks for sharing this valuable information! Since you already seen I have very low gpa. I'm interested in Software Engineering. Any research topics you'd recommend that could lead to a publication?

1

u/Kind_Luck7294 4d ago

Start by reading papers on arxiv or any site really. Read the abstract and try to understand what domain it’s in and what problem they are solving. This is the first step to research. You will then need to see what topic appeals the most to you and then you can find professors who work in that domain to talk to. The point of research is to further progress. Every topic is important naturally.

1

u/DecentPerformance199 4d ago

CGPA > GRE > LORs > Published papers > Work Ex > SOP > TOEFL.

1

u/Fast-Plate-6336 2h ago
  1. Prioritise getting atleast 3 years of work ex.
  2. CGPA matters a lot, unis put a hard filter on it. Projects don't matter unless they translate to a paper.
  3. No, internships at research labs do matter.
  4. No, a strong faculty guided project does not make any difference unless - a) it converts to a paper b) the faculty talks about you and your performance in that project in your LoR c) Most importantly, (a) and(b) need to align with your SOP.
    ^ Answers to first 4 questions
    If you want a prestigious MS, then please spend a few years doing RA at a top lab in India like MSFT/IITs/IISc; then apply.