1. Why Grad School? Pravin Shankar spravin@rutgers.edu 1998-2003 batch

2. What next? Software Industry  The default route Higher Studies  For the more ambitious among you

3. Higher Studies - Options Business School (MBA)  Non-technical in nature Grad School (MS/PhD)  If you want a technical career  Further choice to make – MS or PhD

4. Grad School This talk will focus on Grad School in Computer Science My goal at the end of the talk is to inspire atleast a few among you to pursue an MS/PhD in CS

5. Common Misconceptions about Grad School Grad School is for IITians, what chance do us lowly PSG Techians stand?  IITians have no advantage over others in the admissions process, it’s a level playing field

6. Common Misconceptions about Grad School I have a postgraduate degree, I don’t want to waste 2 more years getting just another Masters degree  Grad School in US is a great experience, you will definitely learn a lot  Improves your resume greatly  The fact that you can land a paycheck of 70- 80k doesn’t hurt too

7. Common Misconceptions about Grad School Grad School means life of poverty, my parents have spent enough on me already, its time for me to earn money  Scholarship provides full tuition waiver plus generous stipend  In other words, you do not spend a penny, and instead earn 1500-2000 $s just by virtue of studying

8. So what exactly is Grad School? MS  1.5 - 2 years  Less number of courses than undergrad  Courses more advanced than senior-level undergraduate courses  In addition, an opportunity to do independent research Select an area of focus and specialize in it Typically 6 months to 1 year of research culminating in a thesis

9. So what exactly is Grad School? PhD  4 - 7 years  Similar coursework to Master’s Degree plus seminars and courses related to research  Research required  Required to specialize Helpful to know research interests from day one to expedite selection of research focus Many select research focus after starting school

10. Grad School is like an Industry Every professor runs a small company  Product: Invents and develops long-range research  Customer: typically Federal Government (NSF, DARPA, etc.)  Annual Revenue: $300,000 - $1,000,000  Employees: Grad students

11. Career Options after Grad School Industry Research Labs Academia

12. Why Grad School? Money?  Average salary after MS=70k, PhD=100k  Bad reason ! PhD requires a long commitment, and you need a stronger motivation than money!

13. Why Grad School? Quality of Work  Are you the kind who wants to drive technology?  Undergrad Mundane programming job – make use of current technologies  MS More say on design/architecture, not just mundane coding  PhD Develop new technologies Become a visionary

14. Questions to ask yourselves?  Do you enjoy learning - becoming an expert? PhD makes you world’s expert in foo  Are you sufficiently self-motivated, hard working, and driven by the desire for a deeper understanding into a topic? PhD is a challenging option to pursue MS provides a smooth transition from undergraduate study to graduate study that can continue towards a PhD

15. How? - The application process Application packet consists of the following  Transcript Important, but not much you can do about this now…  Letters of Recommendation Important – make or break marginal cases Establish relationships with your profs now!  Statement of Purpose Somewhat important – think about what you like  GREs Important in some univs, but doesn’t hurt to do well in it.

16. Transcript  Your school’s reputation,  your grades  and your courses will speak for themselves  Schools are sympathetic to GPAs that improve over time and weaknesses in outside areas

17. Letters of Recommendation  These carry a great amount of weight  Choose your letter writer properly It is more important that he/she knows you well, than that he/she is a big shot  Help your letter writer by sharing your research interests so he/she may find ways to write a letter that complements your personal statement

18. Statement of Purpose Personal Statement  This is a great opportunity to stand out  Research the schools in which you are interested  Ask professors to explain research areas  Try to sound like a student with experience, focus, and initiative  Don’t limit your choices by writing something that makes you sound too focused (unless you are)

19. Standardized tests GRE’s  General test always required Typically requires 3 months of preparation  Subject test frequently required Subject test is very detail oriented TOEFL  Compulsory, but trivial exam

20. Where do I apply? Everyone wants to apply to MIT/Stanford/CMU Select universities based on your credentials See online listings of top schools Many other departments with strength in a particular area

21. Timeline (for 4 th year students) Register for GRE asap, ideally by Feb/March of 4 th year Write GRE during Summer  Requires 3 months of preparation Decide universities to apply, between Sep-Nov Write TOEFL during Oct/Nov  Requires 1 day of preparation! Optionally write Subject GRE in CS (December)

22. Timeline contd… By November, decide on Universities to apply to  Get letters of recommendation  Write statement of purpose Finish applying by end of December Admits/Rejects will come between Feb-April Apply for visa after that August – bon voyage! September – term starts

23. Where do I go to for further help? Online  Google is your best friend! Get in touch with seniors  Feel free to email me – spravin @ rutgers.edu