bluefirtree

You shouldn't even be asking this question, UBC is a dream school, don't waste this opportunity!

I agree morassa, your sop is full chiches. The ones morassa has mentioned and also the following (and the list is by no means comprehensive): * The challenges that I have faced in life so far have made me a stronger person * I want to attend a university that is committed to excellence in both engineering education and research. * I am craving a learning experience * After taking the time to explore my options, I realized that this was the right time to pursue my graduate studies. * I wanted to fulfill my dreams of attending a top ranked university in the United States. If you still have to say all these things, you should at least substantiate them. You are not going to get and admit to a reasonable university with this sop as it stands now. Good luck!

I think all the departments that you have applied to are very competitive. JHU CS has an extremely low acceptance rate, around 3% would be my guess. The UCs and Pitt have really good CS depts and its pretty tough to get an admit there. I can't say much about Dartmouth and Utah but my guess is they are not easy either. Don't apply to UCSB or UC Davis, these are not safety schools for sure. Virginia Tech would be a good safety school for you, but do you really want to go there? It's in the middle of nowhere. I think ramlau's list is good, you should do some research on the schools that he has mentioned and pick out one that suits you.

i think your list is too ambitious. USC is definitely not a safe bet school!! at least not for PhD in CS. I suggest you go much lower for the safe bet schools. You also don't need to apply to so many univs, follow attraxion's advice.

Hi, I took the GRE twice, my scores are as follows: Q: 720, V: 710 (November 2005) Q: 770, V: 550 (October 2005) You can probably sense my frustration. I am applying for PhD Computer Science. I don't know what to do. Please help me!

Please, I need more comments / advice.

I think the adcoms just look at the GREs and trash the rest ... or maybe they don't even do that, the computer does it for them and just hands them the list of candidates it has admitted based solely on the GRE! Admissions in US are pretty unfair! 80% of what matters is luck!

I think what qiwenfarmer meant was, what to write in an SoP. Here are some good posts on this topic: http://www.www.urch.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37416

I got the following GRE scores: Q: 770, V: 550 I have two papers in not so well known but international conferences and an MS in CS from an average CS program in US with a 3.9 GPA. Do I stand a chance for admission to PhD CS at University of California - Irvine (considering my GRE scores)? What other universities should I apply to?

shoaibakram, where can I see these US News averages that you have mentioned?

I got the following GRE scores: Q: 770, V: 550 I have two papers in not so well known but international conferences and an MS in CS from an average CS program in US with a 3.9 GPA. Do I stand a chance for admission to PhD CS at University of California - Irvine (considering my GRE scores)? What other universities should I apply to?

I got the following GRE scores: Q: 770, V: 550 I have two papers in not so well known but international conferences and an MS in CS from an average CS program in US with a 3.9 GPA. Do I stand a chance for admission to PhD CS at University of California - Irvine (considering my GRE scores)? What other universities should I apply to?

Madeleine, do you know which French universities/institutes are the best for a CS PhD?

I think you need better quant score for the top tier univs.

Thanks Bruno! By INSEE, do you mean INSA?

Please! I need some help here! :)

I suggest you retake the GRE and get a better quant score.

Any other related info about PhD CS from France is also welcome.

What are the best universities/institutes in France for PhD in Computer Science? How does a CS PhD from these universities/institutes compare with those in US and Germany?

NeverSayDie, Thanks for the crystal clear info!

Hi mvirtosu, I noticed that your location is France. Could you recommend some good universities for PhD Computer Sciece there? What language is used in France for PhD Computer Science, English or French?

Ritwik, I saw your admissions guide. I have seen many but yours is very helpful. NeverSayDie, Thanks for the excellent analysis! I am now convinced that I should consider non-American universities for a PhD. Just one thing, in US you have good career opportunities after you complete your PhD. There are hundreds of universities and research labs to apply to for a job. As an international student you even get a 1 year work visa (OPT). How do you compare Germany / Switzerland / France with US in this regard? I have heard that unless you are from the European Union you don't have much chances of staying after your PhD.

Dear NeverSayDie, Are you also aware of any disadvantages of doing a PhD from the non-American universities that you have mentioned? A quality PhD in 3 years sounds too good to be true. :hmm: What are the oppurtunities like for international students getting PhDs from these universities?

Thanks all! for the really great feedback! :)

Are you applying for MS or PhD?