r/MSCS

Guys did anyone hear back from Columbia MSCS? Are they done with admits? It’s literally driving me crazy

kinda got these pretty late is this common for usc. also I got mails for follow up events and most of these were in feb/ march and have now happened odd.

I am an international student and got into NYU Courant CS and JHU, and I’m struggling to decide between them.

I want to do research during my master’s and then try to get an MLE or Applied Scientist job, so research opportunities matter a lot to me. If the job market is bad, I’d also be open to doing a PhD afterward.

For people familiar with these programs, how would you choose between the two? I’ve heard that even though Courant CS is very research-oriented, research opportunities for master’s students may actually be somewhat limited. Is that true?

Would really appreciate any advice or personal experiences.

Got rejected from UT Austin MSCS. Apparently they have 5% acceptance rate 😭!!!!!!

Edit: There was an update on email, portal didnt change for me!

Hi everyone! I just received the Computer Science-MS offer letter from UIUC. But I am quite confused about this letter:

1. Is the this program (MSCS I guess?) fully funded?
2. If so, is it a RA offer or a TA offer? As previously a professor from UIUC have interviewed me for this program but already rejected me.

Absolutely crushed by my decisions. Had applied to over 15 universities with this profile:

2023 CS Grad ( Tier 2/3) - 9.31 / 10

Working at an unicorn startup for over a year

Have total 3 years of experience ( Worked at total 3 companies so far )

GRE: 320 (167Q, 153V)

TOEFL: 106/120

Have 2 undergrad papers published

1 paper I recently published

LoRs:

2 LoRs from my professors

1 LoR from my senior who actually submitted it through his current work email as he doesnt work there anymore.

My decisions:

USC MSCS - Admit

UMass Amherst - Admit

UIUC MCS - Pending

UCSD MSCS - Pending

UCLA MSCS - Pending

TAMU MCS - PendinG

UT AUSTIN MSCS - Pending

Purdue MSCS - Reject

Gatech MSCS (Computing Systems) - Reject

UWM PMP MSCS - Reject

Stanford - Reject ( No surprise)

CMU MSIN - Reject

CMU MCDS - Reject

CMU MSCS - Reject

I would genuinely love to understand where I failed. I took GRE two times to meet Gatech’s GRE requirement. I do understand that this process can be random, but it still hurts to have spent all of my efforts go in vain. Should I try again with my current workplace’s LOR. I genuinely dont know how would that even help.

I can share my SOP over dm if someone thinks that maybe my SOP was shabby

I’m currently deciding between the MCS at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the MSCS at Georgia Institute of Technology, and I’d really appreciate any insights.

My Background:

• Undergrad in CS @ Purdue
• TA, course developer, and course coordinator for 4 classes
• Taught undergraduate algorithms
• No formal research experience (but interested in exploring it during my master’s)

My Goals / Interests:

• Interested in systems (mainly compiler design and optimization)
• I'd liked to do research (which is only an option at Georgia Tech)
• Also strongly considering industry roles after graduation

My dilemma:

• UIUC MCS is solely course-based, which seems great for industry and systems depth, but may limit research opportunities along with the funding that comes with it
• Georgia Tech MSCS can be research-oriented, which aligns better with theory and gives me a chance to get into research despite my lack of prior experience

From what I understand:

• UIUC is often considered slightly stronger in systems / infrastructure
• Georgia Tech is especially strong in theory and algorithms
• Both are top-tier CS programs and highly ranked

1. How comparable are these schools really in systems vs theory? If I were to average the two areas, would one school come out on top?
2. Given I have no research experience, how realistic is it to break into research at Georgia Tech MSCS?
3. Given my TAing experience along with connections in both schools (more in UIUC than Georgia Tech though), what is the likelihood of getting a GTAship at these schools. I have worked under Professor Kent Quanrud who is famous at UIUC for theory.
4. For industry, is there any big difference in brand recognition or recruiting outcomes?
5. Does the MCS vs MSCS distinction actually matter to recruiters in practice?

I’d love to hear from people who have attended either program or considered both, especially if you had similar interests.

I am a domestic applicant, and i got admits to both UF and UMN for MSCS.

I also applied to UMICH Ann Arbor which I will choose over these two but so far no emails.

Would love to hear the opinions on both of these colleges and how the job prospects are (not necessarily in the same state, I am ready to work anywhere). Thanks.

Rejected

Just received the rejection from Purdue this morning.

CSULB MSCS vs SJSU MSADI — which one tends to have better visa approval chances from India?

Would really appreciate a clear pick based on visa trends—no hate on the admits please 🙏

Hi,

I’m not sure why the UCSD MSCS admits seem to be delayed this year. Typically, decisions are released on a rolling basis starting from mid-Feb. As per past stats, there were around 1200 admits in 2024 and 1000 in 2025. I’m wondering if most of the admits were already released around Feb 13th this year.

It would be really helpful if those who have received admits could updates this post. If you’re still awaiting a decision, please do comment as well so we can better understand the ground reality.

In a worst-case scenario, if the admissions committee provides only about a week to accept the offer, would it make sense to wait until Wednesday before concluding a rejection?

I would really appreciate your suggestions and thoughts. Thank you!

Got admits from CMU MISM (10% scholarship) and Columbia MS in AI with concentration in Finance & Ops. I know they're both cash cow programs, still, which one is best for getting internships/jobs? I'm not interested in research, I mostly only care about job opportunities. Which one to pick? please help!!!

Cost is not a factor for me as I’m purely trying to maximize job market outcomes. Interested mainly in SWE roles.

I currently have the following offers:

∙ Carnegie Mellon University - MS in AI Systems Management (16 months)

∙ Georgia Tech - MSCS on-campus

∙ Cornell University - MEng CS

∙ UCSD - MSCS

∙ UIUC - MCS on-campus

∙ USC - MSCS (probably not in consideration)

CMU would be the obvious choice here if I were purely chasing brand name, but the AIM program is brand new so there’s zero employment outcome data. The curriculum is seems strong and AI-focused, but I feel like I would be betting on a program that hasn’t proven itself yet.

GT seems like the best pure SWE option. It’s top 5 CS, and has a window for internships. Main concern is OMSCS dilution (especially for US Citizens, I think) and whether recruiters bother distinguishing the two.

Cornell has the Ivy CS credential but no internship window between semesters, which feels like a big disadvantage in this market.

So what do you all think? Is the CMU brand worth betting on a completely unproven program? Does GT’s OMSCS problem actually affect on-campus recruiting? Is there a clear winner here that I’m not seeing?

Thanks in advance.

My_qualifications: Undergrad- My uni isn't "top tier" or even average (a big drawback ik)

GPA is 3.5

Internship: 1 research internship in my own country + 1 in a Canadian university (both fully funded)

have been a TA in 1 course

achievements: I have a few good ones, but no hackathon awards!

POR: I have POR in 2-3 clubs and student chapters

Research paper- 1 in an okayish conference, writing another one.

LOR- 3 (good, okay, okay)

Did any one receive an admit today ? Afaik a few admits were released in mid Feb...

Is there anyone who hasn't received a decision for the same ?

is anybody aware of Software Engineering and Systems Program at UTAustin. Any reviews on that, can people consider that just for the UTAustin brand name.

I have admits from the following:

US:

University of Florida, MS CS

UK:

University of Warwick, Msc Computing

I am also waiting for decisions from TAMU(MCS), NYU Tandon(MS CS) and UC Davis(MS CS).

Should I wait for these universities or should I just proceed with UFL at this point? Being an applicant from India, wouldn’t it be risky delaying the visa process waiting for results?

Also received a mail from UC Davis, results can take up till the end of May.

Title.