Applying for Graduate Schools Andy Wang Operating Systems

Myth 1 I cannot afford graduate school…

Reality Graduate school is FREE (pretty much) – For both public and private schools If you are good enough to get into a graduate school… – Scholarships/grants – Research assistantship (work for a lab) – Teaching assistantship (work for a class)

How about my student loans? No repayment/interest accrual while enrolled half time Can be consolidated Interest is tax-deductible Possible repayment cap and cancellation Six-month grace period – Reset if back to half-time within 6 months

Myth 2 I won’t have a chance to get into a graduate school…

Reality You are in luck – If you are a US citizen or permanent resident… Not enough US students are pursuing graduate schools Your major advantages – Eligible for many funding sources – No language barriers – Lower cost to hire you as a research or teaching assistant

Myth 3 Graduate curriculum is just like the undergraduate curriculum…

Reality Take fewer classes per semester Master – Emphasis on development Ph.D. – Discover something new – Emphasis on research – For people who love to solve puzzles

Some Cool Research Areas AI and robotics (hoarding ducks, drones) Hacking into things (voting machines, cars) Data mining (beer next to diapers?) Olfactory research Wearable computing (Google glass)

A Typical Graduate Course Not as much guidance Project-oriented You need to develop your own projects

Metric of Success Undergraduate – GPA Master – Projects, thesis, skill set Ph.D. – Number of quality publications

Nature of Your First Job Undergraduate – QA for large companies for 2 to 5 years Will pick up graduate-level skills – Development for small companies Master – Mostly development Ph.D. – Professor, researcher, industry, grant manager

Application Process Requirements – Personal statement – GPA, max(overall, major, upper division) – Two GRE exams – 3 to 4 recommendation letters Relevant upper-division courses Independent studies Internships

Personal Statement Interested research areas – Why are they intriguing? Research experience/projects – What have you tried and learned? Why do you need a master/Ph.D? Why do you pick this school?

GRE Exams Computer science GRE – Theory – Systems – Architecture General GRE – English – Math – Writing

Recommendation Letters How to approach? – If you receive an A in a class – Ask the professor as quickly as possible – Try to use the letter of recommendation service Interfolio – Submit an envelope Graduate program names, degrees, schools, deadlines Photo, personal statement, resume, transcript Envelopes and beautiful stamps

Other Approaches Volunteer for… – Independent study – Internship for companies