In at UCSC (PhD in Computer Science)

[rjt]

Did you apply for MS/PhD in CS everywhere?

[Ancalagon The Black]

No No, I am not a core CS student. I only applied to UCSC CS because of the ISM program. The other schools are all information science, information systems type of programs.

[polarbear]

Late to reply... Congrats!

[Ancalagon The Black]

Gracias !!

[Thoughtful]

Anca,

Like you, I think CalmLogic has a good viewpoint on ISM, TIM, CS at UCSC.
You may not want to miss a good opportunity at UCSC; depends on your goals.

Someone else was laughing at bbking's perspective, feeling 180 degrees differently. Maybe this has to do this with a CS/CE perspective vs.
analytics (EE, AMS, BME, ISM or TIM) and management (TIM).
Also, very often the rumor mill may be just that, remors unfounded on fact.

I think, as CalmlLogic points out that you need to:
- Look at faculty research (publication, Ph.D. placement) record
One additional way is to
- Talk to a senior Ph.D. student close to finishing with any faculty member or who has already graduated - I feel they will have a better perspective
on funding, working with professor, research guidance etc.
- Write directly to any professor about how many students are being funded and how many will be in future, and sources of funding. Some faculty have this on their websites and others you have to ask.

Here below are lots of rumor mill comments about the school, for what they are worth; some may agree and others may not with comments in the thread. The best is to figure out through websites or direct contact with prof (if web site is dated), and figure out the "truth factor".

- UCSC engineering is very new - 10 years; faculty size is some 70-80 I think; all these push down rankings which apparently need age and size; you need to look at individual excellence in the US; Hausler's student from UCSC is now teaching at Berkeley
- AMS is a good program and took 6 years to be approved - students had/have headache with CS, similar to ISM, I think; ISM or TIM may be approved soon - again, ask some prof
- SSRC has a lot of funding, lots of students, industry, dynamic faculty; but not always good or top publications;
- JJ and other faculty have lots of funding and publications (although a few years ago many students had to leave when the funding dried up)
- Haussler and the machine learning group in CS, seen as only CS graduate group with strong mathematical ability; rest of CS/CE students have weak mathematical skills and are nowhere as good as machine learning students
- BME is strong; EE is strong, especially nano and signal processing (Milanfar is very good)
- Many of the new senior and junior faculty in SOE are very strong and internationally known
- In TIM faculty students work on hot new analytic and management problems, including IR, DM, and management science and OR;
successful Akella and Musacchio students are more mathematical,Ross mixed, Zhang more software etc.
- Akella is supporting half a dozen or ten students with industry and other funding. His senior student Bing received a research award of some type.
Akella is usually very picky and normally picks up only top students. Some excellent CS students apparently could not handle his mathematical expectations - I do not know exactly what that means. Are you sure he wants to work with you? Did you check? What are your strengths?
- Zhang also has high expectations, and some good students could not meet her expectations

In the US, faculty do not get to teach at top schools or place students well or publish in top journals and conferences if they are bad in research and teaching!

All the best - do not get flustered and worry. Do well in interviews and go for the best school. Hard to beat Silicon valley, LA, and San Diego though!
I am on my way to even better weather soon!

Thoughtfully yours.

[Ancalagon The Black]

Hey thoughtful, thanks so much for the response. really appreciate it. This really puts a good twist on the cake.

I did apply under Dr. Akella and I have been accepted with full funding. I assume that you are in UCSC right now or have inside information as you so give us !!

I will look into each and everyone of your points and make a decision. Thanks again.

[rjt]

Thats great info! Could you please tell me how do unfunded PhD people manage to survive there in CS?

[doubtful]

to my knowledge TIM should be approved next year, meaning winter spring 2009 at the earliest... but this rumor is one month old. I should double check...

[Ancalagon The Black]

hmm, do you think that for me, that is specifically for my case, PhD in TIM would be a better option than CS PhD? Would that mean I should apply next time and decline now and let some better student who is more qualified in core CS get the funding?

If I do make that decision which should be pretty soon, should I call up and speak to the professor directly?

[CalmLogic]

Would that mean I should apply next time and decline now and let some better student who is more qualified in core CS get the funding?

Stop talking crazy Seriously, if you choose Santa Cruz, I think you have the best of both worlds by getting a PhD in CS while specializing in TIM. Certainly, a PhD in CS is more versatile.