FAQs for Prospective Grad students

Disclaimer: This is NOT an official guide. Neither me, nor CMU/RI nor any person associated with content on this page, is/are responsible for the outcome of using this information. You have been warned.

This FAQ is written to help people who wish to apply for higher studies. It mainly captures my experience when applying for grad school as an undergraduate in Computer Science from India, so it may be more specific. It is only intended as a very general FAQ for before you get accepted to grad school.

If you send me an email asking a question which is clarified by information below, it just shows that you don't read too well.

Table of Contents

Why grad school?

People have different motivations to pursue higher studies. These can generally be grouped into two very broad categories (which are not mutually exclusive)

  1. Primarily want to learn more about a field of interest, leading to something later. Want technical + investigative skills. (PhD, research job)
  2. Primarily want a better job, don't care so much about a field of interest or research. Just want a technical skill set.

Broadly, MS programs of 1 year duration (or Professional Masters programs) are intended to give you a skill set to go to industry. If you think you want to maybe pursue research (in a job or PhD), try to look for longer Masters programs.

What do I need to do?

You need to start thinking about applying to grad schools at least 1.5 years before you intend to join. There are exams to give, and essays to write, transcripts to post. These requirements depend on individual schools. So it is a good idea to check beforehand. Mainly these are the important things

  • GRE: An exam that tests your English (vocabulary, reading, writing) along with basic (high school level) math.
  • TOEFL: An exam required if your mother tongue is not English. Most international students (from India, China) need this. It tests your speaking, writing, listening and reading.
  • Letters of Recommendation: Generally at least 3 letters (preferably from professors) are needed.
  • Statement of Purpose: A statement (two pages generally) which you write. In this you describe your background, experience and future intent. A good statement takes at least one month (generally more) to write. There are many revisions, and it is always a great idea to get it reviewed by multiple people.
  • Mailing transcripts: Many schools require you to mail official documents (degrees, transcripts). Physical mail, especially international mail, can take time.

Start Early. Schools have application deadlines generally in Nov-Jan, for students who wish to start in August-Sept.

The application process is expensive. GRE and TOEFL exams cost about 150 USD each (as of this Oct, 2014). The application fees for each grad school is about 100 USD. Then you will need to post materials (transcripts etc.) to schools. Depending on where in the globe you are, international mail can be expensive 1.

GRE and TOEFL exams


Prepare for these exams by reading books on English. "Word Power made Easy" is an excellent way to enhance your vocabulary. I used this book and Princeton Review's question banks (Cracking the GRE, Cracking the TOEFL, 1014 GRE Practice Questions, 1014 TOEFL Practice Questions). I also gave 2-3 online mock exams (from Kaplan/Princetons review's websites).

Personally, I think you should start reading "Word Power Made Easy" about a year in advance, and read it multiple times. Then, start a dedicated routine to prepare for GRE and TOEFL about 2-2.5 months before the exam. If you have friends who are giving these exams, discuss words/questions with them as often as you can.

Scheduling GRE and TOEFL

Try to schedule these exams as soon as possible. Since there are many students taking these exams, it is difficult to find dates in places of your choice. Many students (including myself) have horror stories of having to travel to different cities in order to get this exam scheduled. In my case, ETS canceled two of my TOEFL exams because of exam centers closing down (yes, it was absurd). These exams are in an exam center and you are required to use a computer. They are long (5 hours of so). It is a good idea to schedule GRE and TOEFL within two-three weeks of each other. I recommend giving GRE first, and then TOEFL. The preparation for GRE helps TOEFL a lot, and makes it easier.

It takes a month for your scores (more specifically writing scores for GRE, and all scores for TOEFL) to be posted. This means that if you have an application deadline for November 1st, you need to have given your GRE/TOEFL by mid September.

Coaching classes for GRE/TOEFL

Taking professional help for GRE or TOEFL is a subjective issue. I cannot advise you on it. I have known students to take help for various reasons, e.g. maintaining focus through a schedule of classes/exams for GRE.


Your resume/experience should show an interest for learning. It should show that the student has undertaken problems that he/she finds interesting and has completed them. Apart from good grades, thinking beyond course work should be reflected. Additionally, research experience helps a lot. It shows that the student wishes to think beyond course work. Internships, extra projects matter a lot. Research publications of good quality help.

For professional Masters programs, research experience does not matter as much as work experience does.

Letters of Recommendation

You generally need at least 3 letters of recommendation. It is preferable to have most coming from your professors. In some cases you can take letters from non-academic people (like mentors from industry), but check this.

The recommenders need to champion your cause to grad school. These letters need to be strong. At least 1 of your recommenders must write highly of you. With this in mind, try to get a letter from a professor who knows you well and will vouch for you. Someone you have interacted with regularly (not inside a classroom), had a project under etc. You do not want a Did well in class letter.

Statement of Purpose

Most people underestimate the time it takes to produce a good statement of purpose. It takes a few months (1.5-2) to write something good.

The statement is intended to describe your academic/research experience in the past. It should discuss why a particular field of study excites you, and conclude by saying why the grad school/program are a good fit for you. While talking about good fit it's important to talk about how the program will help you in larger goals in life. For instance, I want to take up a PhD in order to pursue research in academia or industry. Or I want to learn about foo because it can compliment my current skill set which will help me get better job etc

It should be succinct (1-2 pages depending on the school), split into paragraphs and well written. All the "rules" for writing essays in GRE are actually useful here (e.g., one paragraph conveys one idea and is coherent).

What does it take to get in to a school?

GPA and GRE scores

The admissions process is very subjective and there is no "fixed formula". While a good GPA helps admission, a bad GPA does not necessarily disqualify you. A bad GPA maybe offset by great research or letters. Some schools do not care too much about GPA or GRE/TOEFL scores, other do. It depends a lot on the school and particular program that you apply to. It also depends on your "competition", the bunch of people applying to that specific program that year.

Publications and letters of recommendation

One important thing your "admission packet" needs to have is a clear demonstration of ability to pursue interest beyond course work. Good letters, internships, publications show this well. Strong letters matter a lot (more than an average publication).

How do I choose schools?

Again, this is a very subjective question. A few rules of thumb

  • Diversify your applications. This is needed to maximize your chances of getting accepted.
    • Apply to very few "dream schools" - schools that are competitive to get into.
    • Apply to a few "safe schools" - schools that you think you stand a good chance of getting into
    • Apply to some "moderate schools" - schools that are good and you have some hope of getting into.
  • Look at the cost of education vs. reputation of the program. Reputation of your program is connected to the particular school, but there are good schools with bad programs too, so keep that in mind.
  • Make sure to apply to some schools that are affordable (state universities generally tend to be less expensive).
  • Look at which of your peers (who are getting recommendations from the same people as you) are applying to your program. If you know for a fact that a peer will get a better recommendation (because they have worked longer with a professor etc.),then it is likely to diminish your chances of getting into the same program. If you don't mind paying the application fees, you should still apply :)



All the people who I bugged with any question related to grad school applications. You know who you are :)


1 DHL India offered a group discount for sending international mail to universities in the US. Check out such deals.

Date: 2014-09-27

Author: Ishan Misra

Validate XHTML 1.0