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Top-tier university admission likelihood?

Hey,

Recently found this forum; thought I would ask a question:

I recently graduated with a first class honours degree in computer science from a middle tier UK university. I also have 15 months industry experience

I am looking to do a master’s, then a PhD, in computer science (focusing on a specific field) at a top tier American / Canadian university.

I have a list of around 20 universities that I am interested in applying to, such as:

Berkeley, Stanford, Washington, University of Texas, UCLA, Columbia, NYU, Brown, University of Toronto.

I wanted to know that likelihood of being accepted into one of these universities is, with the fact that I went to a university that is probably unknown outside the UK. I also have no standout extra-curricular activities; most of spare time is spent participating in some form of sport, non to do with the subject I wish to study.

(I also do understand that I that GRE tests have a major influence on admissions)

Thanks in advance,

Reply 1

DrAtomic

Can't be of too much help, but what I can tell you is that extra-curricular activities don't really have any influence in postgrad admissions, so it doesn't matter that you don't have any.

Reply 2

devil09

An application to graduate school consists of

•

Application

•

Transcript

•

GRE score(s)

•

3 letters of recommendation

•

Personal statement

•

Writing sample

Grades and GRE scores are relatively unimportant, as long as you meet the minimum for top programs (3.50 or UK 2:1, 600s) or preferably a little higher. Of course, grades and GRE scores can be extremely important in determining fellowships.

The other factors are extremely important, and this is why PhD admissions is so tricky and subjective. A good letter of recommendation has to show that you're a good student and are capable of producing valuable research. All LORs are not created equal -- a LOR from an expert in the field will count for a lot more than a letter from X professor at Random University.

Your statement of purpose is perhaps the most important part of your entire application. In one or two pages, you have to describe your academic history, your goals, exactly what you plan to study, and why you want to study at that university.

Even if you have superb grades and GRE scores, glowing recs, tons of research experience, and a focused statement of purpose....you could very well not get in. Some professors don't accept students every year, and the availability of funding varies from year to year.

A professor at Carnegie Mellon wrote an excellent overview for graduate applicants in computer science:

http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~harchol/gradschooltalk.pdf

Most of your other choices don't post admissions statistics as far as I know, but Computer Science at UCLA has a 30% admit rate.

Reply 3

Ben77mc

Your chances are much higher, considering you have a first.

Reply 4

DrAtomic

+1 to devil09's very good post.

Reply 5

S0rin

Many thanks for the replies, especially devil90's. Will definitely focus on the personal statement.

A little off topic, but are letters of recommendation from employers looked upon favourably?

Reply 6

3006

you say your degree is from a middle tier university, which middle tier university exactly?

Reply 7

S0rin

Nottingham Trent, ranked pretty much bang in the middle of UK universities. Went to it due to its location, nothing to do with entry standards - slight regret now.

Reply 8

OrmondDrone

You'll be fine. I know someone who got into an MBA programme at a 'good' USA school and they'd got a third.

Reply 9

ElemenT'

Having a good First should see you gain entry at a top school. University reputation is pretty much unimportant.

Reply 10

devil09

S0rin

A little off topic, but are letters of recommendation from employers looked upon favourably?

Not if you can avoid it. In order of preference:

-- Professors
-- Research scientists
-- Lecturers/post-docs/employers

OrmondDrone

I know someone who got into an MBA programme at a 'good' USA school and they'd got a third.

That's comparing apples and watermelon. Business schools have a totally different system of admission, largely based on work experience.

ElemenT'

University reputation is pretty much unimportant.

Not true.

A quote from a UCR professor:
To get into the top-ranked philosophy departments is considerably more difficult than to get into UCR. To my knowledge no UCR undergraduate has ever been admitted to a top-15 philosophy Ph.D. program (certainly not in the 10 years I've been here), though we've had some students with straight A's, very strong letters, and excellent writing samples. When I was a student at Berkeley, it seemed that almost all my classmates were from top universities (Harvard, Princeton) or renowned liberal arts colleges (Amherst, Swarthmore). The few who weren't from such name-brand institutions seemed to have done time at such colleges (a classmate from Northeastern, for example, had spent a year at Oxford and had letters from professors there). I don't want to suggest that it's impossible for a student from a middle-tier school to get into a top Ph.D. program, but the odds appear to be long even if you're valedictorian.

http://schwitzsplintersunderblog.blogspot.com/2007/10/applying-to-phd-programs-in-philosophy.html

That said, graduate programs in the sciences tend to be more lenient about undergraduate schools, and having a 1st will certainly help.