stefanbehr

Do you have specific questions? Keep in mind that I'm not a student in the program. I applied and was admitted to it back in 2011, but I went somewhere else. I'm familiar with UC in general, though.

I was admitted, and also received a $10000 internal scholarshop my first year. I'm currently in my second year. It's a very solid program. I would give it serious consideration if I were you.

Hey again Sam, As far as MS programs, UChicago's CSPP and UPenn's MCIT are the only ones I know of which seem to be rather accessible to those without undergrad degrees in CS. There are programs, like Stanford's MS program in CS, which technically don't require a background in computer science, but I've heard that it's highly unlikely for applicants to programs like that to gain admission without at least having extensive self-study in CS and programming, and perhaps some individual courses in subjects like data structures, algorithms, computer architecture, etc. A possible option for you would be to apply to Brandeis's Post-Baccalaureate Certificate Program in CS, and to either stay on after getting the certificate to complete the second part of their Combined Post-Baccalaureate/MA Program in CS, or to seek admission to an MS program in CS after completing just the certificate. Tufts also has a Post-Baccalaureate Minor Program in Computer Science for people without backgrounds in CS looking to change fields, which I believe could definitely give you a lot of help getting into a decent/good MSCS program which requires some CS experience for admission. One main suggestion that others have given me in the past—before I set my heart on applying to UChicago, since it's my alma mater, and since I believe that the CSPP is a good program for my needs/wants, housed in a damn good CS department—was to try to take some fundamental CS courses as a non-degree student at a local university, and to then apply to MS programs in CS, having shown your potential for study in CS.

Hi Sam, Sorry for taking so long to get back to your post. Please excuse the longwindedness that is about to follow. Quick note: Some of the stuff I write about the program you might already know from reading the website, but I'm trying to give you a definitive view of the program, including both regurgitated info from its website and things I've learned from digging deeper, checking out professor evaluations, talking to the program's Student Support Representative, etc. To start off, the program is geared in part towards people who don't have any or much prior exposure to courses in computer science. For this, they have their Immersion Phase, which consists of approximately 3 months during the summer of mathematics and programming coursework, separated into two distinct courses—Concepts of Programming, and Math for Computer Science. You may be able to have part or all of this component of the degree waived if you've had enough of either subject in your previous degree programs. Personally, though I've had several intro CS courses and quite a bit of self-study in programming and CS, I'm excited for this component, since it's supposed to be quite rigorous (the professor who does the math component is good and tough). Beyond the Immersion Phase, the curriculum consists of 9 required courses. At least five of these courses must come from the following five areas of computer science: theory, databases, networking, programming, and systems. The remaining four can be distributed across whichever areas of computer science you desire. This essentially means that you're going to have to take the following in order to get your degree: 55001 Algorithms (theory); 54001 Networks (networking); 53001 Databases (databases); 51036 Java Programming OR 51085 Applied Parallel Programming OR 51044 C/C++ for Advanced Programmers (programming); and 52011 Introduction to Computer Systems OR 51081 Unix Systems Programming OR 51023 OO Architecture, Design & Methodology OR 51075 Enterprise Data Architecture: Context and Methods (systems). For your four electives, you're allowed to choose from remaining CSPP courses (those numbered 50000 and above) for which you've met the prerequisites. You can also choose to take CMSC courses numbered 20000 and above, which are technically University of Chicago undergraduate and graduate computer science courses (graduate courses start at 30000). These courses are actually generally tougher than CSPP courses (with some exceptions), since they're geared towards either CS undergrads or Ph.D. students, and you need to either meet the appropriate prerequisites or obtain instructor consent in order to take them (I've generally had good experiences asking professors of somewhat advanced UChicago undergrad CS courses if I could take their classes without prereqs). If you do choose to take CMSC courses instead of CSPP courses as part of your four electives, only two of those CMSC courses numbered 20000 or above can be applied toward your degree requirements, and the other two electives must be CSPP courses (with exceptions sometimes made, as I've understood it, either for exceptional students or by special written request, or both). By the way, the CSPP is totally fine with you taking as many CMSC 20000+ courses as you want (and however many extra CSPP courses as you want, for that matter). The only question is how many of either can be applied toward your progress toward graduation. (Personally, I'm planning on doing the Immersion Phase, 7 CSPP courses, and 5 CMSC courses over the course of two years.) Depending on how long you have/want to take to finish the degree, I believe you can take up to 3 years (don't quote me on that). I'm sure you can take at least 2 years to finish, and that the degree is doable in just one year. The tuition per course is $4451 (last I looked), so the program should end up costing you between $40059 and $48961 before fees and room and board, depending on whether or not you do the Immersion Phase. As for your desire to become a software engineer, it looks to me like the program offers a number of courses focused on software engineering methodology and the like. The theory, networks, databases, and systems components, in my opinion, are indispensable for making you into a good software engineer (not to mention the math and programming education that you'll get in the Immersion Phase if you don't already have those foundations). Many of the CMSC 20000+ courses (e.g., Programming Languages, Operating Systems, Implementation of Computer Languages, Computer Architecture, etc.), many would argue, would also help make you a good software engineer. It's worth mentioning that at least one of the lecturer's that I know of has close ties in industry, which could end up being very valuable to you. Specifically, the lecturer for the Networks course is a software engineer at Google Chicago. When you finish the program, you'll be graduating with a Masters of Science in Computer Science. Hmm, what else? CSPP classes (except for 1/2-credit elective lab classes, it seems) are held on weeknights, from 5:30 to 8:30, in either Ryerson or Eckhart, which are on the University's main campus, in Hyde Park, on the south side of Chicago (about 7 miles south of Chicago's Loop). Sorry if you're from/live in Chicago and already know that... Anyway, that's pretty much all I can think of to tell you about the program for now. Please let me know if you have more questions about it. When I hear back from them about their admission decision, I'll let you know the result and my profile.

Everyone's curious about Harvard MSCS but nobody has news. :) Ha, I wish I could be the one to give some news about getting accepted into a program like that. :)

Thanks, CalmLogic! It was a very pleasant surprise! And I must say I'm with you on the MCIT, so I probably won't be applying. I was thinking about doing it mostly as a way to rapidly segue into their MSE program, since you can apply after completing enough MCIT courses for a significantly heightened chance of admission. However, that would be almost twice as expensive as just the MCIT degree, which is just too much even by itself. I just finished my UChicago CSPP app (less a few letters of recommendation that are on their way), and I'm rather confident about my chances. I've also done a lot of research about the program, and there are a lot of aspects about it which I really like, despite the fact that it's marketed as a professional program. I can write up a summary of the useful information I've gathered about it, if anyone's interested.

Rejected from CMU's LTI for a Masters in Language Technologies. IN at Georgetown for their MS program in computational linguistics! Waiting to hear from UW Seattle's Professional Masters Program in Computational Linguistics. Almost done applying to the University of Chicago's Computer Science Professional Program (MSCS). Still considering applying to the University of Pennsylvania's MCIT program, but probably not if I get into Chicago.

I'm applying to the CSPP right now, so I'm wondering what people's opinions are about terminal/professional masters programs in CS, specifically whether or not they close doors in academia, even if you do get to do some research during the program. I know someone who's a student in the program right now (he's one of the more serious students), and he's currently doing some research having to do with physics software. If I were to be admitted, I would take the program very seriously, and would also seek research opportunities right off the bat, probably in computational linguistics (supposedly the CSPP faculty are pretty helpful in trying to connect interested students, of which there don't seem to be many, with appropriate research opportunities). My end goal after the program would be to be able to attend a doctoral program (or masters, if need be) in computational linguistics (e.g., at CMU's LTI, UW Seattle, Johns Hopkins, etc.). Opinions on whether or not admission to a good school in that area could be possible with an MSCS from UChicago, plus some research experience, and hopefully at least one paper? By the way, if I get in, I would likely stay for two years, to take advantage of the allowance for taking courses in the CS dept. proper at the advanced undergrad/grad level, such as machine learning, AI, speech processing, computer vision, programming languages, theory of computation, etc. So my potential for research opportunities and producing papers would thusly be enhanced.

I've just recently learned of the MCIT program at UPenn, and I'm considering applying (my major was in linguistics). However, my goal in going into the program would be to do the 6 core courses (or waive some or all of them if possible, doing CIS courses instead), and then apply directly to their CIS MSE program. Supposedly, if your MCIT grades are good enough, it's probably rather easy to switch. Here's the webpage that outlines the procedure for switching. So, opinions on trying for the MCIT program in order to be able to do the MSE program, mostly due to a lack of CS background (ignoring the cost involved, btw)?

This was also the case for me, and quite probably for everyone. I believe I recall something like this happening on a practice test, too. (The answer key showed a dash for some questions, rather than a letter.) My conjecture is that some questions are simply thrown out sometimes without warning to the test-takers. (Perhaps the questions were deemed poorly worded, or something like that, so close to the test date that reprinting wasn't an option. But that theory doesn't really make sense in the context of ETS's practice tests, as far as I know...)

Thanks for the comments, CalmLogic! Indeed—I figured that the chances of getting any kind of useful answer from the right people at the programs I'm applying to, and of that answer being that I shouldn't report my score, were so low that it wasn't even worth calling around to ask. Sure, that's the easy way out, but I did conclude anyway, after some deliberation, that it's best to send my scores everywhere I'm applying, mostly for the same reason you mention in your second paragraph. I see. I hadn't even thought of taking it on a different testing date. Just curious. :) Anyway, if you or anyone else is interested in an update: I've already submitted my applications to CMU (Masters in Language Technologies) and Georgetown (Masters in Computational Linguistics). UW-Seattle (professional MA program in CL) and University of Chicago (CS professional program) applications are in the works. That is the extent of my applications for Fall 2011. I've purchased Bryant and O' Hallaron's CS:APP after having started it this past summer (awesome book), and am picking up where I left off. Also got Cormen et al's Introduction to Algorithms (2nd ed.—I have no money), but that will wait a little bit until I'm done with some other learning. I'll be watching the MIT algorithms course through Open Course Ware (as taught in 2005) in conjunction with reading the book, which will be awesome. So, everyone, don't stop studying and learning when you're done with the exam (if you are in fact done/have stopped studying)! Keep going because you love it! :)

Just called for my scores over the phone, even though I told myself a while ago that I wouldn't waste the $12. Curiosity got the better of me! Scored a 610, in the 16th percentile. I'm not proud of the percentile, but I'm fairly happy with the score, especially considering how much the intensity of my studying waned a few weeks before the exam (grumble at myself). Profile: BA in linguistics at the University of Chicago 3.34 overall GPA, 3.30 major GPA no idea of class rank no thesis no papers over a year of research exp in a phonology lab worked for University's IT group for over a year ~5 CS courses (intro to CS [P], web programming x2 [A and A-], intro programming for ling [A], discrete math [withdrew]) 800Q/760V/4.0A on GRE Good recommendations from two linguistics faculty members (did research with one; had 4 classes with the other, who is also a respected researcher and a fairly close colleague of the first recommender) and one senior researcher in psychology I'm applying to 4 (maybe 5) programs: CMU's MS in language technologies program Georgetown's MS in computational linguistics program UW-Seattle's computational linguistics professional program (MA) The University of Chicago's computer science professional program (MS in CS) I'm also thinking about the MS in CS at Rutger's, but that's probably too ambitious and a waste of an application. Question 1: Any comments as to how much this score may help me? (I'm guessing it can't hurt me much more now than my lack of CS courses already will.) Question 2: Am I right to assume that our percentiles are being calculated based on absolutely everyone's test scores from the CS exam from the November 2010 test date? It would be fairly illogical to me for that to not be the case, but it can't hurt to check.

Just got off the phone with an ETS rep, since I needed to check on a few things regarding score mailing dates. I was told that scores will be online, as well as ready to be mailed, on the 24th of December. Hope this information is useful to someone on here!

Hi all, I've posted before in the computer science graduate admissions forum, where I mentioned that I'm studying for the November 13, 2010 GRECS exam. I don't have an undergraduate degree in CS, and only a few CS college courses, so, I have my work cut out for me (and only 25 days left to do it!). Anyway, I just finished a practice test today, correctly timed and everything. I believe it was the 2001 practice exam. Here are the results: attempted: 51/70 left blank (didn't want to risk points): 19/70 correct: 32/51 incorrect: 19/51 raw score: 27 scaled (according to scale in the practice booklet): 630 percentile (really out of date, again, from the booklet): 39th Any word on whether or not that's an okay score/percentile for a non-CS major in the eyes of admissions committees, especially for applications to masters programs in computational linguistics? Thanks!

Yeah, I'm definitely not going to go the BSCS route, I've decided (once again). I'd just be way better off taking 6 or so core CS courses (I'm currently planning on including an NLP course in that number, and then perhaps a stats course to make for 7 courses), preferably at UIUC, working part-time the whole time, acing the classes, retaking the GRECS and hopefully doing better, and then reapplying to places/applying to new places. So far, for this round, I've only settled for sure on applying to CMU and Georgetown's respective CL/NLP programs. Honestly, though, is it an assured waste of money to apply to Stanford's MSCS? Like, do I just not get that it's still really hard to get in, even with a CS degree, and despite what people say about it being of a "pay your way" nature?

Hahahahahaha, nevermind about Stanford, I suppose. :(

First off, thanks for all your help and advice so far, CalmLogic. It really helps. tl;dr version: Set on applying to CMU's LTI. Will check out UT Dallas, too. Chances for online/classroom MCS at UIUC not looking good. Will still contact UIC's office of admissions. Total waste of time to apply to Stanford's MSCS program, or maybe worth a shot? Opinions on trying for Georgetown's masters program in computational linguistics? Opinions on doing UW-Seattle's CSE post-bacc program? Planning on doing undergrad prereq courses at UIUC if I don't get in anywhere this round, and possibly even if I do get in somewhere, just for the foundation. If you want better context, read on: Alright, well, I'm set on applying to CMU's LTI, then. Is it a total waste of time to apply to, among some safer choices, Stanford's MS program? I've seen some post saying how it might not be as hard to get into as one might think. But then again, I could be suffering from some seriously wishful thinking here, not even being remotely close to the league of some Stanford MS applicants. They don't require you to have a CS undergrad degree, though... I talked to an admissions counselor today at UIUC in the CS department, asking about the online MCS program (haven't called UIC yet, but will after this post). She said she's seen conditional admits to that program, but that they consisted of taking three grad-level courses before gaining full admission—something I would likely not do well in, given that I don't even have basic discrete/data structures/algos/architecture courses under my belt. She also said, given my lack of background, that, in her opinion, it wouldn't be easy to get in unless I proved myself before applying by taking some CS grad courses first as a nondegree student, not even as part of a conditional admit. Again, not what I had in mind. Will do. I'll look into UT Dallas. Reconsidering USC as well, after looking at their NLP/CL masters program. It might end up being too expensive for me, though (and here I was just talking about Stanford's MS program a minute ago...). Anyway, over the past two days, I've been giving some serious thought to going to UIUC as a non-degree student to take 6 undergrad courses in computer science to generally prepare for reapplying to masters programs in the event that I don't get in anywhere this round. The courses in question are from this passage on UIUC's admissions requirements page for the MSCS program, which I'm following as a rough guideline as to which courses I should have if I hope to be a more competitive applicant for more MSCS programs: Applicants who do not hold a bachelor's in computer science must have sufficient background in computer programming, algorithms and data structures, computer organization, and the theory of computation (comparable to CS 125 (Intro to Computer Science), CS 225 (Data Structures), CS 231/232 (Computer Architecture I & II), and CS 173/373 (Discrete Structures, Theory of Computiation) at Illinois). Here's the link to the course catalog, if you want to see the descriptions for those courses. Does this seem like a good idea? Financially, I can handle it, especially because I'll get in-state tuition (it would total around $8500 for all the courses), and I can probably work part-time the whole time I'm taking these classes. Are there alternatives that are better that I should consider? I feel like this is the best option when it comes to making up coursework I didn't do during my studies. (I did mention my intention to do this to the admissions counselor with whom I spoke today, but only in reference to getting into one of their programs, not for getting into a CS program in general. She made it sound as if taking undergrad courses in order to try to qualify for a graduate program is ridiculous, and encouraged me to try a few grad courses to "see how I do", as I already mentioned. I totally disagree with her, especially since I did convey to her my very limited CS background, but someone else's perspective on that would be nice.) This brings me to my second-to-last question in this post (really sorry for the lack of brevity here): I've considered doing a post-bacc degree before, then dismissed the idea, and am now toying with it once more. In particular, I have in mind UW-Seattle's CSE post-bacc program, which allows one to enter the university's CSE department with advanced standing, focus exclusively on the CS degree requirements, and finish in about two years with a BS in CS. I dismissed the idea before because it seemed like a step back, as most of my relatives and friends told me. However, I'm not entirely convinced that I wouldn't be able to get great worth out of a BS in CS from UW-Seattle, whose CS department is quite highly ranked, and in a rather good geographical location. I've heard and read that job placement from UW's CS department is quite good, and that the program is full of intelligent students. Thoughts? As promised, last thing. Opinions on Georgetown's masters program in computational linguistics? I've seen CalmLogic speak out against doing a degree specifically in computational linguistics, but perhaps this might be a good stepping stone to a PhD program in compling at someplace like CMU's LTI? I know all these questions make my interests seem like they're all over the place, or just not well-defined yet, but I'm thinking of all these different options because I really feel like I'm in a bind, having had so little CS experience in college (my own fault/lack of foresight/slowness in discovering what I love). Compling masters programs would give me a great outlet for my love of CS, along with my deep interest in languages, all at once. Some CS masters programs (and maybe the UW-Seattle CS post-bacc) would let me do the same, but with the balance shifted a little bit. That's it for now. Phew. I write too much.

Hey, CalmLogic, thanks for replying. Lots of things for me to think about here. Yeah, unfortunately, the lack of funding and the high cost of attendance will probably end up steering me away from there. That seems interesting, I'll check out Utah's CS program site. I'm checking out the professor's blog now, too. Is Utah terribly difficult to get into without much of a CS background? Would it boil down to taking some courses once one gets there, or more like taking some courses before even applying, just to have the basic core of CS fundamentals? Yeah, I don't even know why I even considered Berkeley to be in the realm of possibility for me for my next course of study. :P Actually, I've been thinking, since I first posted, about the possibility of doing UIUC's online MCS program as an alternative way of opening up possibilities for a Ph.D. in CL. I saw you write in one of your posts that it seems to be easier to get into than UIUC's classroom-based programs, which is encouraging (do you think I have any chances there without taking some courses first?). I would also get in-state tuition at UIUC, and I've certainly heard that their CS department is highly esteemed. The only problem with potentially going with this option is that it doesn't allow me to involved in any research whatsoever (as far as I know, it's exclusively course-based, and for good reason). I don't necessarily want to go with a program which might not end up being a big help in getting me into Ph.D. studies in the future due to a lack of any research experience whatsoever. Would you say that self-studying for the GRECS for only two months (I plan to take the exam in November of this year) will likely end up being a total waste of effort? I recognize how hard the exam is even for CS majors with considerable breadth in their studies, and I don't want to sound naive by saying things like, "I'm a quick learner," but I do have at least some background from CS courses that I by now know applies to the exam, and from my studying thus far, I'm learning the material without a great deal of difficulty. Then again, I also understand that the comprehensive nature of the exam may simply be too much for me to be able to hope to handle well with only two months to study... I guess the question that comes out of all of this for me is whether or not I should even bother applying to any CS programs (so, not including CMU's LTI) this year, given that I have a little under two months to study for the GRECS and that I have no more than a measly few CS courses on my transcript? Would it be wiser for me to continue working on my programming skills and exploring my interests in NLP/CL for now, until next year's round of apps, while working a job to support myself and taking (and excelling in) CS courses (online at UIUC or someplace else? locally somewhere in Chicago? does it end up making a big difference where?) to gain a better foundation in CS? Do you think it would be quite silly to just apply to the LTI Masters program and perhaps a small handful of other NLP/CL programs if it turns out that it's likely I won't get in to any CS programs of choice for this round of apps? Jeez, that's a lot of questions. Anyway, thanks again for your quick reply.

By the way, I did put up a post earlier in the Graduate Admissions forum that looked a *lot* like this one, but this isn't a double post. I've changed some things between the two posts, and I also figured that the CS Admissions forum would be a better place to put my questions. (I also couldn't find a way to delete/edit my previous post in the other forum, for some reason, though logged in.)

Hi all, I've been searching these forums for a bit to find info about getting into masters programs in CS/compling/language technologies. After reading some posts (many containing very useful comments), I've decided that I still need to post my own info and ask for direct advice. What I've done University of Chicago 2009, BA linguistics, general honors in the College Overall exit GPA: 3.34, major exit GPA: 3.33 No publications in any field Work/research experience in University of Chicago Phonology Laboratory, McNeill Gesture Laboratory (Dept. of Psychology) General GRE score (2nd attempt) of Q: 800 (94%), V: 760 (99%), W: 4.0 (45%) Two web programming classes (CMSC 10100/10200), 'A's in both One CS intro. course (CMSC 15100), 'P' (had to take it pass/fail because I was doing sort of badly due to some motivational problems, which are no longer an issue) One discrete math course in the CS department (CMSC 27100), 'W' (had to withdraw due to, again, some motivational problems) 'Intro to Programming for Linguists' course (like an intro to NLP with Python) (professor is a potential recommender), 'A' What I'm doing I'm now looking to do a computational linguistics/language technologies/cs (w/specialization in NLP/CL) masters program somewhere. Unfortunately, I don't have much of a formal background in computer science (nor was I able to take my school's only compling course). Despite my lack of formal CS background, I do have some programming chops, much of which I've developed on my own, and I'm working on some personal projects right now to continue that development. I think I could definitely include some of my current projects with a grad school application where appropriate. I'm also studying for the GRE subject test in CS for the middle of November, which I think I can get a decent score on (I don't really have a full impression yet of how well I'll do, though, because I haven't tried a full-length practice exam, but I'm working through some resources I've dug up, like the Titanium Bits guide.). What I'm hoping for One of my biggest targets is to get into Carnegie Mellon's Language Technologies Institute for their Masters in Language Technologies program. The program looks absolutely amazing, and I think I'd really like it. Question is, can I get in, given my lack of background in CS/research? I think I can get rather good recommendations, at least where being involved in linguistics/research is concerned. One would be from my former boss at the UChicago Phonology Laboratory (also my professor in some ling classes). Another would be from one of my former ling professors who also directs the Chicago Language Modeling Lab. My third recommendation, perhaps not as strong as the other two due to its lack of ties to either the CS or ling departments, would be from a senior researcher in a psych lab that works with gesture, where I worked for half a year. Anyway, in addition to CMU's LTI, I've tentatively been looking at Georgetown (MS in compling), UW Seattle (professional MS in compling--don't really want a professional program, though), Columbia (MS in CS allows for heavy specialization in NLP/CL), Stanford (MS in CS with specialization in NLP/CL) and USC as possibilities as well. I realize that some of these schools explicitly offer degrees in computational linguistics and others don't, while still allowing for specialization in computational linguistics through masters programs in CS. I still have a rather long list of schools to plow through in order to determine whether or not they offer programs of interest to me (NYU, Ohio State, SUNY Buffalo, UCLA, Berkeley, UIUC, UMD, UMich Ann Arbor, UMN, UPenn, UT Austin, Utah). I should mention that I am more interested in masters programs with thesis options and opportunities for research than just course-based programs, as I still haven't ruled out the possibility of doing a Ph.D. in CS/compling after my masters studies. Advice I suppose, then, that I'm seeking general commentary/advice/criticism/suggestions on my choice of programs/institutions, any programs/institutions I seem to be unaware of, and my chances of getting into the aforementioned programs/institutions. All helpful comments are most welcome! I'll add, finally, that suggestions for MS programs in CS without an NLP/CL focus are also welcome, as I'd potentially consider doing something like that, with a view to doing a Ph.D. in CS/compling afterwards (though I'm currently assuming that getting into a compling program would probably be more realistic than getting into a pure CS program for someone with my profile). Alright, thanks a bunch for reading this far, and sorry for the tl;dr-type post! Best, Stefan

Hi all, I've been searching these forums for a bit to find info about getting into masters programs in CS/compling/language technologies. After reading some posts (many containing very useful comments [often from the user CalmLogic, I've noticed, haha]), I've decided that I need to post my own info and ask for direct advice. What I've done University of Chicago 2009, BA linguistics, general honors in the College Overall exit GPA: 3.34, major exit GPA: 3.33 No publications. Work/research experience in University of Chicago Phonology Laboratory, McNeill Gesture Laboratory (Dept. of Psychology) General GRE score (2nd attempt) of Q: 800 (94%), V: 760 (99%), W: 4.0 (45%) Two web programming classes (CMSC 10100/10200), 'A's in both One CS intro. course (CMSC 15100), 'P' (had to take it pass/fail because I was doing sort of badly due to some motivational problems) One discrete math course in the CS department (CMSC 27100), 'W' (had to withdraw due to, again, some motivational problems) 'Intro to Programming for Linguists' course (like an intro to NLP with Python) with Jason Riggle (plan to use him as a recommender), 'A' What I'm doing I'm now looking to do a computational linguistics/language technologies masters program somewhere, with my biggest interest being in computational linguistics and natural language processing. Unfortunately, I don't have much of a formal background in computer science (nor did I take my school's only compling course, because I carelessly blew my chance). Despite my lack of formal CS background, I do have fair programming chops, much of which I've developed on my own, and I'm working on some personal projects right now to continue that development. I think I could definitely include some of my current projects with a grad school application where appropriate. I'm also studying for the GRE subject test in CS for the middle of November, which I think I can get a decent score on (I don't really have a full impression yet of how well I'll do, though, because I haven't tried a full-length practice exam.). What I'm hoping for My biggest target is to get into Carnegie-Mellon's Language Technologies Institute for their Masters in Language Technologies program. The program looks absolutely amazing, and I think I'd love it. Question is, can I get in, given my lack of background in CS/research? I know I can get good recommendations, at least where being involved in linguistics/research is concerned. One would be from Alan C.L. Yu, who was my boss at the UChicago Phonology Laboratory (and my professor in some ling classes). Another would be from one of my former ling professors, Jason Riggle, who directs the Chicago Language Modeling Lab. My third recommendation would perhaps be weaker than the other two, since it's from a senior researcher, Susan Duncan, in the Department of Psychology McNeill Gesture Laboratory for whom I worked for half a year. I think that this last recommender would add some good variety of perspective to my letters of recommendation as a whole, though. (By the way, I'm not trying to name-drop all over the place here to sound like I'm full of myself; I just want the names of the places and people I've been associated with to be out there in case someone reads my post, decides to look at these people/places online, and can choose offer me advice from a fresh and informed perspective.) :) Anyway, in addition to CMU's LTI, I've been looking at Georgetown (MS in compling), UW Seattle (professional MS in compling--don't really want a professional program, though), Columbia (MS in CS allows for heavy specialization in NLP/CL), Stanford (MS in CS with specialization in NLP/CL) and USC as possibilities as well. I realize that some of these schools explicitly offer degrees in computational linguistics and others don't, while still allowing for specialization in computational linguistics through masters programs in CS. I still have a rather long list of schools to plow through in order to determine whether or not they offer programs of interest to me (NYU, Ohio State, SUNY Buffalo, UCLA, Berkeley, UIUC, UMD, UMich Ann Arbor, UMN, UPenn, UT Austin, Utah). I should mention that I am certainly more interested in masters programs with thesis options and opportunities for research than just course-based programs. Advice If any of you could offer me advice on the schools/programs I've listed, advice on other schools with appropriate programs that I failed to mention and/or am unaware of, commentary on my chances of getting into any of the programs I mentioned given my profile, success stories and anecdotes of others who have been in situations similar to my own, etc., I would be most grateful. Thanks a ton for reading this far, and sorry for the tl;dr-type post! Best, Stefan