Am confused about what should I do - prepare for GRE, or for placements (I'm a 3rd year engineering

Question

Am confused about what should I do - prepare for GRE, or for placements (I'm a 3rd year engineering student and will graduate in 2020).
I'm interested for a Data Science MS from Columbia Univ, so should I apply for Fall 2020, or work for 2-3 years, and then apply? This is because I've heard that having a job experience boosts your chances of getting admits..

Pranit Kaul · Answer

@Anawriter1 If you're thinking about going for a job just because it will make your profile better, it's actually not a good decision.  Having said that, if it's in the field of data science,  then it will give you an edge and really help you for ms ds programs.  My personal advice, give your gre, and sit for placements. If you get a job profile like data analyst, work for 1-2 years, otherwise go for MS directly. 
Having experience as I recently graduated from VIT, I can tell you, there are not a lot many jobs for that role for freshers. Although try to get into Musigma, that should be easy. Best of luck

BELAL AHMAD · Answer

Prioritise what you want to do. If you want to do your MS just after finishing your Bachelor's then I would suggest prepare for GRE. But if you want to firat gain some experience and then go for MS prepare for placements.

guygoin tousa · Answer

Work and then apply. Although your job might not matter while applying for ms, if it's in the field you want to work in after master's , experience will set you apart

Ruthy · Answer

If GRE and TOEFL preparation is your only problem, you can really do both. Placement prep. from now is simply overkill. Earliest your prep starts might be Dec. or Jan? 
You can comfortably finish both GRE and TOEFL with a strong study session by then.

Ruthy · Answer

When does VIT's placement season start? And when do you presume you might get placed? (Based on when the companies that you would like to get into come to campus)

Ruthy · Answer

@Anawriter1
You can technically do both comfortably then.
Finish off GRE and TOEFL by December.(Easy peasy)
Then get into placement mode till September/October. But get your recommendation providers sorted out as early as possible.
October to December is clearly enough time for the rest. 
Half your CV will be sorted because you will have a résumé for placement that you need to convert and not start from scratch.
Personal essay, post September is enough time.
University research is a continuous process you might want to start from now, and keep doing all year long.

Ruthy · Answer

I wrote my GRE on September, and started application processes only after that.
It was enough time to finish by deadlines, but only problem I faced was with recommendation providers, as they might have committed to other people for the same university, and faculty in my Institute give out only one recommendation(first come basis/ students with project time under him/her) for a particular university program.

Ana · Answer

@Forruthy Placement season starts at July, and goes almost till March next year. Placements for CSE people start earliest, so I assume I might get placed by September-October max.

Ana · Answer

Thanks @Forruthy!

Ana · Answer

@pranit thanks for your inputs. My line of thought is exactly as yours (doing a job only if ds, else MS directly).

Amitya Agarwal · Answer

Prepare for GRE now and focus for placements a bit later, 2-3months is more than sufficient to study for GRE

Vignesh S · Answer

@pranit I am also studying in VIT Vellore. Many of my seniors told that u can do either one option only, like either sit for placement or go for MS. Because if you sit for placements and then if Ur going for Ms, it seems that they won't give no objection letter, which creates a problem. Is that true?. I am a 3rd year student now. I am also confused about this issue

Am confused about what should I do - prepare for GRE, or for placements (I'm a 3rd year engineering

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