Chances getting in top 20 schools

[McQueen]

First thing first, here's my profile:

GRE : 1380; V-630 Q-750.
GPA : 3.96/4.0
Work Experience: 5yrs in CS related field (Simulation and Graphics)
Publication: None

What are my chances of getting into top 20 schools for MS Computer Science.

I am considering re-taking GRE because I bombed quantitative, but haven't prepared much this time either so can't be sure if I can do better. (Its the time-limit thats killing me, can't maintain my cool)

Hope to get some response from you guys.

[Luma]

I don't see any reason prevent you from getting admitted in some of the top 20. It all depends on what you write in your statement of purpose and on the competition.

Maybe you need to try GA-Tech, I read in some previous posts that they were recently generous in offering MS admissions. You need to check their research in order to make sure that they have active research in your area.

[mascon]

Hi i've got 1400 - 760q + 640v

im in my final year of bachelor's in computer engineering.
my gpa till now is kinda low = 6/10
two internships till now - one was a basic System Support and the other is related to Software development
about publications...im in the middle of a paper on Software Engineering

Looking for an MS in Systems Analysis or MS in Comp and info sciences (because most good ones dont have MS in Systems analysis, so this is of broader scope)

will i be able to get admission in a good college (in the top 30 preferably....or at least in the top 50)

[McQueen]

Thanks for the suggestion Luma. In fact I was considering applying to GaTech, but could only find researches only tangentially related to what I am doing. I would have no problem working for those projects but does that hurt my acceptance. Financial aid is very important for me, at least partial if not full, any suggestion on that?

It would be great if someone suggested me some good schools (preferably with on-going researches on Simulations & Graphics) considering the prospect of getting financial aid for MS.

[Luma]

@McQueen

I would have no problem working for those projects but does that hurt my acceptance.

Probably. During the application process, the committee tries to pick those applicants who have the potential to work and contribute in their research projects.

During my search, I haven't seen schools have active research on Simulation but you can find many schools that have Graphics research. Go through every school in the US-news list Rankings - Computer Science - Graduate Schools - Education - US News and World Report and read about research projects until you click with some programs.

@mascon
I never heard of MS in System Analysis ... it's part of many disciplines but it doesn't comprise a science by itself. You need to look for a more specific area.

[CalmLogic]

Originally Posted by McQueen

It would be great if someone suggested me some good schools (preferably with on-going researches on Simulations & Graphics) considering the prospect of getting financial aid for MS.

I don't know about simulation. On the graphics side, there is, of course, Utah, which is relatively good for funding. And, as you may have seen, there are relatively few old posts about simulation but relatively many about graphics.

The posts by Modeler may be of interest, at least if you are also interested in scientific computing. (In any case, he has some general advice in this post (Lessons Learned).)

If you are interested in virtual reality, Iowa State has a funded HCI program (Interview from MS in HCI - Iowa State - Please Help !!)that specializes in virtual reality. However, it seems difficult to get admitted into that program since, if I remember correctly, they admit less than 10 MS HCI students per year. Iowa State's CS program is also surprisingly difficult to get into.

BTW, unranked UCF has an MS in simulation with an option for 100% online learning (but the tuition alone makes other programs more attractive):
Graduate Programs in Modeling and Simulation at the University of Central Florida

[mascon]

ok...then how about Computer information systems (i think a broad term used is systems science)?

[CalmLogic]

Mascon, I suggest starting a new thread.

[mascon]

Ok, i've made a new thread. I request you and Luma to reply on that, since you both seem to have a good knowledge about this stuff. Thanks a ton.

[McQueen]

Thank you Luma and CalmLogic for very helpful replies...

The work I have been doing is very specific implementation derived from making use of many general fields. More specifically, my project involves developing surgery simulator. which needs multi-disciplinary knowledge including Virtual Reality(Haptics), Computer Graphics(not exactly image processing but for realistic display), Mechanical Engineering (Physical Simulation), Software Design and Architecture (to built the simulation framework on top of which the actual simulation application runs). I am no expert in all these area, project is still in inchoate state, and I am considering grad school for more knowledge.

There are not many schools doing projects on surgery simulations, so I am having hard time finding the right college, that would definitely accept me. I might find more college if I look for VR researches, and I am very much interested in those too, but then they will not be directly related to my work, as most VR researches, as I see, are either Augmented Reality and/or something related to 3D stereovision.

My target is to get into a top grad school preferably with some financial aid. But as Luma said, if my experience does not match with that of the professor's research, my chances of getting acceptance is very slim.

If I write a statement of purpose focusing on what I am doing, which is only tangentially related to the school's research, but mention my interest in specific professor's research will that help or hurt?

I will really appreciate any information on colleges/researches that match the above mentioned area.