TestMagic

Ancalagon The Black · 2008 February 29th, 05:06 AM

Heh !! You applied to that program I presume? Iowa State is offering a lot more funding than UCSC though.

CalmLogic · 2008 February 29th, 03:15 PM

No, I haven't applied to anything yet, but this thread has made me more interested in Iowa State. If I do apply to Iowa State, it will be for Fall 2009.

Ancalagon The Black · 2008 February 29th, 04:22 PM

Yes, I am tempted to take Iowa State because its only a MS. Maybe I can leverage the HCI and get into the Media Lab which is something which I really want to do. Add to that the funding and the low cost of living in Iowa (though I hate the cold)

I think that you would be a shoo in for Iowa State - if they can take me without a computer science undergraduate degree then they will take anyone !!

CalmLogic · 2008 February 29th, 04:31 PM

Good luck on your interview today. I wouldn't close any doors, either.

Regarding MIT's media lab, I don't know what they look for, of course, but I always get a sick feeling thinking about it since they reject a number of MIT college graduates.

CalmLogic · 2008 February 29th, 05:05 PM

Regarding the cost of living of Ames vs. Santa Cruz, that would be a big deal for me too. I mean, you could rent your own apartment in Ames for like $600 or less and then even make money on that by getting a roommate if you wanted. But that would be a pipedream in Santa Cruz, of course, where you would need to live with roommates at that rate. Or you could travel each day to Santa Cruz for 45 minutes each way by roomming with your sister, but it's nice being close to campus.

Ancalagon The Black · 2008 February 29th, 05:38 PM

Exactly my sentiments. In fact, I was just pottering around online and was asking a friend who studies in the University of Iowa graduate school and she said that you can get a studio apartment walking distance to campus at around $400 and a nice 2 bedroom/bathroom apartment at $450-500 each with a room mate.

If its a 2.1k stipend and even if I spend 1k per month on food and other stuff (which is overkill since I dont have too many needs and wants), I can but that dream WAIO which I have been thinking about without taking a loan or by exchanging my present laptop.

Not only that, I could stand to save around 1k per month from my stipend which would be really really cool.

How did you get the information that the Media Lab rejects a large number of MIT graduates? Some of the profiles which I checked are not that flattering - nor do they come from a great undergraduate institute (like Florida Agricultural University) - I reckon that you really have to show good programming skills.

CalmLogic · 2008 February 29th, 06:16 PM

That's good info about the Media Lab. I don't know where I got my impression from.

MDK · 2008 February 29th, 06:49 PM

Quote:

Not only that, I could stand to save around 1k per month from my stipend which would be really really cool.

This is pretty cool, but you now what would be cooler ?? you future employer would pay you this difference from the first month if you were attending Stanford or MIT ( as I recall, you have applied for these two)

My Point is: attending a better university ( even with a lower stipend ) would really pay off in the future, don't run after temporary benefits only, you should really consider the whole package which includes your average salary after graduation.

CalmLogic · 2008 February 29th, 07:21 PM

Would you rather go surfing or skiing?

Seriously, regarding MDK's point, I think another consideration is the faculty member at Iowa State that will be sponsoring your RA position and what they will be having you do for 20 hours a week. Also, keep in mind that a PhD is, in some ways, just the beginning of a research/professorship career now that post docs seem to be the norm rather than the exception.

Also, maybe we are comparing apples to oranges regarding stipends and fellowships. For example, there must be some advantage of having a fellowship for one year at Santa Cruz vs. an RA position at Iowa State, and Santa Cruz does offer student housing to some degree. (Also, is the RA stipend at Iowa State for 12 months or 9 months? I'm curious about that, myself, but even if the stipend is only for 9 months, that's still $18,900 a year.)

BTW:

Web Cam: Iowa State University
Indian Students' Association, Iowa State University - Students
Indian Students' Association, Iowa State University - Classifieds
Iowa State Daily

Ancalagon The Black · 2008 March 1st, 04:10 AM

The stipend is for the entire year of 12 months says the professor - I had asked him this question meself. Regarding the work in Iowa State, its basically programming.

Hey, MDK I had applied to MIT (they will never take me) but not Stanford. I thought about it but backed out at the last minute.

The other thing about Iowa State is that its a MS and the others are PhDs. Maybe I ought to keep this in mind, I can get very very good bucks if I return back home with a MS rather than sweat it out for a PhD.

The opportunity cost is definitely something to consider !!

2008 February 29th, 03:15 PM	#12 (permalink)
CalmLogic Retired Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 2,255	No, I haven't applied to anything yet, but this thread has made me more interested in Iowa State. If I do apply to Iowa State, it will be for Fall 2009. _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ Admit Profiles, CS Internships, TopCoder, Programming Challenges Applying to Ph.D. Programs in Computer Science *GRE Computer Science Subject Test*: ETS Booklet (solutions at Yahoo GRECS group), MFT, Titanium Bits, Guide, Ullman CS Book, Algorithms, Computer Architecture, Old Links more CS practice: Stanford Comps GATE CS/IT: 2009 Solutions, GATEForum, Yahoo, Freshers, Q & A, Mock Exams & Solutions, GATEMentor

2008 February 29th, 04:31 PM	#14 (permalink)
CalmLogic Retired Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 2,255	Good luck on your interview today. I wouldn't close any doors, either. Regarding MIT's media lab, I don't know what they look for, of course, but I always get a sick feeling thinking about it since they reject a number of MIT college graduates. _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ Admit Profiles, CS Internships, TopCoder, Programming Challenges Applying to Ph.D. Programs in Computer Science *GRE Computer Science Subject Test*: ETS Booklet (solutions at Yahoo GRECS group), MFT, Titanium Bits, Guide, Ullman CS Book, Algorithms, Computer Architecture, Old Links more CS practice: Stanford Comps GATE CS/IT: 2009 Solutions, GATEForum, Yahoo, Freshers, Q & A, Mock Exams & Solutions, GATEMentor

2008 February 29th, 05:05 PM	#15 (permalink)
CalmLogic Retired Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 2,255	Regarding the cost of living of Ames vs. Santa Cruz, that would be a big deal for me too. I mean, you could rent your own apartment in Ames for like $600 or less and then even make money on that by getting a roommate if you wanted. But that would be a pipedream in Santa Cruz, of course, where you would need to live with roommates at that rate. Or you could travel each day to Santa Cruz for 45 minutes each way by roomming with your sister, but it's nice being close to campus. _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ Admit Profiles, CS Internships, TopCoder, Programming Challenges Applying to Ph.D. Programs in Computer Science *GRE Computer Science Subject Test*: ETS Booklet (solutions at Yahoo GRECS group), MFT, Titanium Bits, Guide, Ullman CS Book, Algorithms, Computer Architecture, Old Links more CS practice: Stanford Comps GATE CS/IT: 2009 Solutions, GATEForum, Yahoo, Freshers, Q & A, Mock Exams & Solutions, GATEMentor

2008 February 29th, 06:16 PM	#17 (permalink)
CalmLogic Retired Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 2,255	That's good info about the Media Lab. I don't know where I got my impression from. _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ Admit Profiles, CS Internships, TopCoder, Programming Challenges Applying to Ph.D. Programs in Computer Science *GRE Computer Science Subject Test*: ETS Booklet (solutions at Yahoo GRECS group), MFT, Titanium Bits, Guide, Ullman CS Book, Algorithms, Computer Architecture, Old Links more CS practice: Stanford Comps GATE CS/IT: 2009 Solutions, GATEForum, Yahoo, Freshers, Q & A, Mock Exams & Solutions, GATEMentor

2008 February 29th, 07:21 PM	#19 (permalink)
CalmLogic Retired Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 2,255	Would you rather go surfing or skiing? Seriously, regarding MDK's point, I think another consideration is the faculty member at Iowa State that will be sponsoring your RA position and what they will be having you do for 20 hours a week. Also, keep in mind that a PhD is, in some ways, just the beginning of a research/professorship career now that post docs seem to be the norm rather than the exception. Also, maybe we are comparing apples to oranges regarding stipends and fellowships. For example, there must be some advantage of having a fellowship for one year at Santa Cruz vs. an RA position at Iowa State, and Santa Cruz does offer student housing to some degree. (Also, is the RA stipend at Iowa State for 12 months or 9 months? I'm curious about that, myself, but even if the stipend is only for 9 months, that's still $18,900 a year.) BTW: Web Cam: Iowa State University Indian Students' Association, Iowa State University - Students Indian Students' Association, Iowa State University - Classifieds Iowa State Daily _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ Admit Profiles, CS Internships, TopCoder, Programming Challenges Applying to Ph.D. Programs in Computer Science *GRE Computer Science Subject Test: ETS Booklet (solutions at Yahoo GRECS group), MFT, Titanium Bits, Guide, Ullman CS Book, Algorithms, Computer Architecture, Old Links more CS practice: Stanford Comps GATE CS/IT: 2009 Solutions, GATEForum, Yahoo, Freshers, Q & A, Mock Exams & Solutions, GATEMentor Last edited by CalmLogic : 2008 March 1st at 01:28 AM.*

2008 February 29th, 05:06 AM	#11 (permalink)
Ancalagon The Black TestMagic Guru Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Kolkata, India Posts: 1,156	Heh !! You applied to that program I presume? Iowa State is offering a lot more funding than UCSC though.

2008 February 29th, 04:22 PM	#13 (permalink)
Ancalagon The Black TestMagic Guru Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Kolkata, India Posts: 1,156	Yes, I am tempted to take Iowa State because its only a MS. Maybe I can leverage the HCI and get into the Media Lab which is something which I really want to do. Add to that the funding and the low cost of living in Iowa (though I hate the cold) I think that you would be a shoo in for Iowa State - if they can take me without a computer science undergraduate degree then they will take anyone !!

2008 February 29th, 05:38 PM	#16 (permalink)
Ancalagon The Black TestMagic Guru Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Kolkata, India Posts: 1,156	Exactly my sentiments. In fact, I was just pottering around online and was asking a friend who studies in the University of Iowa graduate school and she said that you can get a studio apartment walking distance to campus at around $400 and a nice 2 bedroom/bathroom apartment at $450-500 each with a room mate. If its a 2.1k stipend and even if I spend 1k per month on food and other stuff (which is overkill since I dont have too many needs and wants), I can but that dream WAIO which I have been thinking about without taking a loan or by exchanging my present laptop. Not only that, I could stand to save around 1k per month from my stipend which would be really really cool. How did you get the information that the Media Lab rejects a large number of MIT graduates? Some of the profiles which I checked are not that flattering - nor do they come from a great undergraduate institute (like Florida Agricultural University) - I reckon that you really have to show good programming skills.

2008 March 1st, 04:10 AM	#20 (permalink)
Ancalagon The Black TestMagic Guru Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Kolkata, India Posts: 1,156	The stipend is for the entire year of 12 months says the professor - I had asked him this question meself. Regarding the work in Iowa State, its basically programming. Hey, MDK I had applied to MIT (they will never take me) but not Stanford. I thought about it but backed out at the last minute. The other thing about Iowa State is that its a MS and the others are PhDs. Maybe I ought to keep this in mind, I can get very very good bucks if I return back home with a MS rather than sweat it out for a PhD. The opportunity cost is definitely something to consider !!

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

TestMagic

Free GMAT, GRE, SAT Test, TOEFL practice tests