Thinking of switching to a CS MS. Need some insight Hi, I am a mechanical engineering graduate with

Thinking of switching to a CS MS. Need some insight

Hi, I am a mechanical engineering graduate with 7 CGPA from a tier-II Indian college. I want to pursue an MS in the USA with the primary objective of earning good money.

Assuming a constraint that I can only attend colleges and pursue a job in and around Los Angeles, which leaves me with UCLA, USC-LA, LMU, CSU-LA; Northridge; Fullerton; Long Beach, and CalPoly-Pomona.

From what I have learned a Mechanical MS would leave me struggling to find a job since most companies there are involved in space or defense contracts. So, I think a switch to CS will be the most feasible option for me.

So, my questions are as follows

- What role does my GPA from a non-CS background play in the admission for CS MS?

- I want to apply for Fall 2022 which leaves me with a year to prepare myself. Should I search for a CS-related job or should I self-study or is there a better way to improve my chances?

- If I get a good GRE score (320+), learn all the pre-requisites, have at least 6 months of experience either as an intern or full-time employee in a CS-related field, good SoP and decent LoRs; What are my chances of getting into each of the colleges I mentioned above?

Thanks a lot in advance!