CSE Department - Gymkhana

Fourth YearApping decisions to be taken, deadlines to be metWork hard on BTP first stage, last chance to impressBTP guideGive the GRE & TOEFL if not done already

Fields of Interest (contd.) ML – Soumen Formal Methods – Krishna, Supratik Theory – Ranade, Diwan, Sundar,Sohoni NLP / AI – PB DB – Sudarshan, Soumen Graphics - Sharat

Apping – What Matters (contd.) Moral of the story:– Univs look for research calibre– Stuff which proves that, for example Good recos from researchers to that effect Good research internships and projects Good academic background Therefore, aim to maximize thesequalifications: Take good internships andimpress profs!!

Apping – The process Number of univs to app to:– Varies with your profile– App to enough places, but not too many– Costs money, and can cause disadvantage to others– Coordinate: A person with similar profile and higher CPI would invariably bechosen over you, unless they are picking many people Good univs don’t take too many junta Try to have a different profile from others apping to the same place(else clashes will hurt)– Aim high: app to a few places where you think you wont get,just for fun– Keep backups: app to a few places where you are sure you willget– 10 should be an upper bound for > 8.5 CPI junta, and 8-9should be an upper bound for > 9 CPI junta.

Apping – The process (contd.) Choosing where to app:– Places / groups / people that have similar researchinterest to yours– DO NOT app to places where there is no one working onareas that you have worked on– Customize your application to highlight the work uvedone in the area of the group which you want to get into– USNews is a good rough guide on top CS programs– Talk to your guide and google for places that match yourinterests– Overall goodness vs. Group goodness (for eg. PhD @UIUC vs. Phd with Rajeev Alur at UPenn) - Depends onwhat you are looking for wanting to explore (not sure) vs. fixed on area brand name / industry exposure / prospects / collaborationvs. good advisor / better research

Apping – The process (contd.) (More) Lessons learnt– Choose BTP/Internship topics wisely. Avoid obscure/non-real-world topics (pick problems being worked on at theplaces you want to be when you graduate)– Do enough research, start short-listing universities early– Work with well known profs and show them yourinitiative and expertise => good recos, maybe paper, allgood– Work hard on acads, always helps to have somethingtangible on your app– Take that extra step – attend conferences, meet people,look for opportunities to interact with potentialgradschool advisors

Apping – The myths Extra curriculars matter You need a +9 cpi to get into a top-6 place I can loaf off in my fourth year and stillexpect to get a good app One must aim to publish at any cost If I choose a field now, I have to do a PhDin it Undergraduate time is for checking out asmany fields as possible CS GRE is required

To Go, or Not to Go Good Reasons to Go– Enjoy research– Want to teach at thecollege level– Careers with moreautonomy– Deep interest in anddedication to a singlearea– More challenging work(?) Not Such GoodReasons– What else will I do nextyear?– Make more money– Prestige of anotherdegree– Pressure from family,friends, others

To Go Now, or To Go Later Now– Your TA salary looksbig compared toactually paying tuition!– More familyresponsibilities later– Larger peer group– Might never go later Later– More professionalexperience– Greater focus– Financialconsiderations– Take a break fromschool to avoidburnout

M.S. vs. Ph.D. Different job opportunities– M.S. is primarily a professional degree Master’s degree is an asset / requirement for manyindustry jobs Teaching positions at community college level– Ph.D. is a research degree Research and teaching positions in academia Research positions in industry and national labs Sometimes different programs– Focus of the Ph.D. is an original thesis– M.S. requires coursework, sometimes aMaster’s thesis Financial Issues (next slide)

Funding?Financial Issues– Ph.D. students are generally supportedfinancially– M.S. students may or may not besupported (varies by program) Types of Funding– Teaching Assistantships– Research Assistantships– Fellowships (usually for Ph.D.)– Employer sponsorship (usually for M.S.)

General Advice Nothing is permanent!– If you take a job, you can always go back toschool– If you decide grad school isn’t for you, you canalways get a job– Either way, don’t burn your bridges Be flexible– Many people change research areas– Program might take longer than you expect If unsure, you might as well apply anddecide later