Welcome to the crossroad of your life.
Ask yourself: which way would you go?
What Do You Want?
- Why study abroad?
- Why study in a particular field?
- Why school? Why program?
- How does the program fit into the bigger picture of your life?
If you don't have a clue, think twice about applying.
Choosing Your (Master's) Program
- What the program has to offer
- Prestige of program
- Location
- Culture
- External resources
Research the Programs
- Read (peruse) the program website
- Talk to students and professors there
Know the program, and know your reasons for choosing it.
My Program-Hunting Criteria
- Master's program
- Focused on CS and HCI
- Strong CS dept, strong HCI lab
- Location & culture
Where I applied
- Stanford MSCS, UCSD MSCS, UMD MSCS, GaTech MSCS, UCI MSICS
- CMU MHCI, GaTech MSHCI
- UCLA MSCS, UT Austin MSCS, USC MSCS, NYU MSCS, CMU MSIT-VLIS
Where I did NOT apply
- MIT MSCS, UCB MSCS
- UWash HCDE, NYU ITP
Application Packet
Convince the admission committee that you are qualified and motivated to succeed in your proposed program.
- Transcript
- Standardized Tests (GRE, TOEFL)
- Letter of Recommendation
- Statement of Purpose
- Resume / CV
Statement of Purpose
The Statement of Purpose required by grad schools is probably the hardest thing you will ever write.
On Writing SoP
- Before you start, read what others say about it.
- When you are happy with your draft, ask people to read it.
- (Successful) former applicants
- (Trusted) professionals who help people apply
- Collect the feedback. Revise. Rewrite.