Guest: Jerry Zhou
The trendiest guy in the coding world with the most enviable hairline
Graduated from Tsinghua University with a degree in Automation
Holds offers from Stanford, CMU, and UPenn
Currently works at Two Sigma
Q: Why study CS?
First, the job market for CS in the US is far better than for other majors (80% of positions are open to CS students), especially in Silicon Valley and San Francisco—there are so many opportunities and a huge demand for coders. As long as you prepare seriously for job hunting, you can generally get a good offer. Second, compared to other industries in the US and to peers in China, American coders' income levels are higher (domestic vs. international CS industry comparison). It's common for those with strong backgrounds to have starting salaries of $110,000–$120,000. Third, and I think this is the most attractive part for anyone passionate about IT, is that you can interact with the top talent in the industry, learn a lot, and build skills! Masters are everywhere; don't be shy to strike up a conversation and let them help you soar. Fourth, the simplest reason: I just love coding.
Q: CS Application Tricks
GPA and language test scores are the threshold requirements.
High GPA and language scores won't give you a special advantage, but if they become a weakness, they will definitely hurt your application.
Research, internships, open-source projects, and programming competitions
At its core, CS is a practical discipline—talking without doing is useless. Excellent papers, impressive internship experiences, and contributions to open-source projects will all become highlights of your application.
Recommendation letters and networking with professors (tao ci)
This is a crucial aspect for PhD applications. In American academia, 'connections' are actually highly valued. If you have a recommendation letter from a well-known figure in your field, it can be decisive. The 'tao ci' (reaching out to professors) process is essentially about building a good relationship with a professor in advance, which can be very helpful during the final committee discussion for admissions decisions.
Q: You applied to both Master's and PhD programs. How did you decide on CS schools?
Regarding school selection, I can roughly provide a list.
I'll share some of my own thoughts on the selection strategy, hoping they'll be helpful.
Be realistic (look for examples of seniors with similar backgrounds to see where they were admitted).
Tiered strategy (don't put all your eggs in one basket).
Trade-offs (overall ranking vs. program ranking): For PhDs, look at the professor above all else. For Master's, if you plan to work abroad, focus on program ranking; if you plan to return to your home country (especially if you might not stay in CS), look at overall ranking.
Side note:
Your school doesn't determine everything. A good school doesn't guarantee a good job, and a 'lesser' school can still teach you amazing skills.
Q: Machine learning is very hot right now. What advice do you have for those looking to get started in this field?
Indeed, it's a very hot direction with huge practicality and business potential. For students without a strong foundation, first focus on core undergraduate courses like mathematical statistics, mathematical analysis, and operations research. These are fundamental and highly applicable in later algorithms. Building a solid foundation is essential no matter what direction you study. Second, regarding tools, I suggest starting with the basics—don't chase major breakthroughs, just become proficient with a few key tools. I personally recommend Google TensorFlow; it's excellent and widely used by many large companies abroad. If you can master it, you'll have a clear advantage when applying to top companies.
What is CS
Computer Science (CS) is the systematic study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their implementation and application in computer systems. It is often described as the systematic study of algorithmic processes that create, describe, and transform information. Computer science includes many subfields: some emphasize computation for specific results, such as computer graphics; others explore the nature of computational problems, such as computational complexity theory; still others focus on how to implement computation, such as programming language theory which studies methods of describing computation, while programming uses specific programming languages to solve particular computational problems, and human-computer interaction focuses on making computers and computation useful, usable, and universally accessible.
In the US, computer science primarily has ten major branches:
Software Engineering, Databases, Computer Networks, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Graphics and Multimedia, Architecture/Compilers and Parallel Computing, Human-Computer Interaction, Management Information Systems, Information Security, and Theory and Algorithms.
1. Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence is currently the hottest and most promising research direction within computer science. Therefore, admitted international students often have very strong academic backgrounds and outstanding achievements in this area. Master's programs admit relatively few, while PhD programs enroll most students. Since this direction emphasizes knowledge of data representation and algorithms, when applying, you should organize your background in these areas and assess whether your understanding is deep enough. If not, you should promptly engage in relevant study!
2. Human-Computer Interaction
If you plan to apply for this direction, you need to master basic tools and principles of computer graphics and computer imaging, but this alone is often insufficient for admission because this highly applied direction places more emphasis on experience and whether you have engaged in related work. Therefore, undergraduate students should choose carefully!
Interest in Human-Computer Interaction applications is gradually heating up as the industry pays more attention, but the background requirements for applicants remain very high, and most admitted students hold graduate degrees. Thus, for undergraduate students, applying for this direction is quite challenging!
How to Apply?
TOEFL/GRE Scores
For TOEFL, the minimum score for international students applying to US universities is generally 95+ (on the old scale). In practice, top-10 computer science programs often require 100+. Since computer science is widely applicable, most domestic US applicants tend to pursue Master's degrees, while academic PhD applications often see competition among international students, so a strong TOEFL score is essential.
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For GRE, in addition to the General Test, it is advisable to take the GRE Subject Test in Computer Science if possible. The minimum combined Verbal and Quantitative score is generally around 320 to demonstrate professional strength and gain favor with schools.
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GPA Level
Although many top-10 US schools claim that a GPA above 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is sufficient for application, successful applicants to top-10 Master's programs in computer science typically have a GPA above 3.6, and the average GPA of incoming students at some schools can reach 3.8.
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Papers Are Important
When applying for US Master's programs, it's important to understand the preferences of US admissions committees. The primary factor is your research ability—whether you can contribute to a professor's work. Although using papers to measure research ability is somewhat absolute, it is currently the main criterion. Projects can be presented however you like, and foreign professors generally have little knowledge of domestic projects.
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Honors and Awards
The honors and awards most favored by US admissions committees are mathematical modeling competitions and math competitions. Other significant experiences include research at places like MSR. Finally, research internships at large companies can also play a role.
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Recommendation Letters
Recommendation letters are indeed examined by US admissions officers. If your recommender is well-known, your recommending professor is thorough, or the content is well-organized, they can be quite important.
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Your Background (Undergraduate Institution)
'Background' here primarily refers to your undergraduate institution. Graduates from traditional top-tier or Ivy League schools often receive better treatment in school selection and job hunting compared to those from other schools. Of course, one should never judge solely by school, but generally, it is very important. Taking applications as an example, top schools often only consider applicants from top-10 domestic universities; if you are not from a top-10 school and lack other particularly outstanding strengths, the outcome is often poor.
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Scholarship Opportunities
Computer science is a major with many enrollments due to its strong development momentum, attracting many people into the field. Although scholarship availability is not as high as in mathematics, physics, or chemistry, the large annual intake and strong ties to industry provide numerous research projects and TA/RA positions, so funding is available. However, because computer science has accumulated a large pool of talent both domestically and internationally, competition is extremely fierce, and securing a scholarship also requires a very strong background.
