Hi everyone!

can we ask questions along the way?

Hi Yami, we'll be answering questions at the end of the presentation, just in case we might answer it in any of the other slides

perfect!

are you offering F1 visa

Thank you for hosting this event! I have several questions: Firstly, I am trying to determine which program would best meet my needs, the Bridge to MS CS, the MS CS (no bridge), or the MS in Data Science. Is there any email I could reach out to with my inquiry? Secondly, when are admissions decisions released? Is applying before the admission priority deadline a benefit?

Can we expect any decisions before the priority deadline?

Hi, thanks so much for hosting this session. Curious, does anyone do the Bridge and Masters while working a full time job?

Hello! How many academic letters of recommendations are required? The application instructions say two, however my work experience is better aligned to CS than my undergraduate coursework

Thanks for the session! Are domestic applicants eligible for federal loans for the Bridge program?

+1 above

If Bridge students typically take about 2 courses per semester, and the tuition rate seems to currently be $2,104 per credit, how many credits account for each course?

Hello! Is it possible to follow 2 tracks or combine 2 tracks into 1 since you said that doesn't apply to the personalized track?

Hi! Thanks a lot for the opportunity . Just a couple of questions:- Is there a maximum age to apply?- Can I apply if I already have another master?- Being an international student, would I be allowed to finish the bridge online?

people who have a cs degree with poor gpa, can they also apply?

Also have a tuition question — are bridge courses charged under the graduate rate? How many “credits” are charged for the bridge portion of the program?

@Joon Kim normally each full-semester course is 3-4 credits

if I need to be full time because I have funding, can I start taking a full time course load during the bridge portion of the program??

Questions about tuition - is the cost of the bridge program dependent on how many courses we need to take? And is there any financial aid (or scholarships) available for this program?

is the bridge online?

For the students : did you do any prior studying before starting the program?

@Gonzalo I also have another masters degree! I don’t think having another masters degree would make you unqualified

@Yami Payano I took some online foundation courses in other languages to better prepare myself since I did not have a STEM undergraduate degree

Hello! I will be applying for MS Bridge as an international student. As you just told Columbia does not sponsor an f1 visa for the bridge year, so can I complete the bridge year with a tourist visa, or do I have to complete it online from my home country.

What is the sequence of classes for non- technical background students?

When can we expect decisions after deadline?

Do you know the average age of bridge students?

I understand that there is a priority deadline with decisions coming out thereafter, but if students have competing offers would CS @ CU consider accelerating individual decisions?

Hi Professor Dear, I contacted you a few months ago with questions through email. I am in Los Angeles. I work full-time. Are the bridge courses offered in the evenings or can they be completed after work hours?

semester = 6 months, so is the MS bridge program 1 year and the MS program full time is 2 years?

if undergrad in cs with poor gpa and masters in another major, can they apply?

Hello! Can international students complete the bridge semester with a b1/b2 visa (tourist visa)?

Hi! I am currently working as a software developer but I do not have an undergrad degree in CS. Am I still eligible to apply?

Thanks so much for all your input! How many students are in a cohort?

The admissions stat that were shown earlier were for the bridge program or the entire MSCS program cohort?

@Sarah Santos we are the first cohort and I think we have around 25 students. Please correct me if I’m wrong! @Rivo @Professor Dear

Hello! Can international students complete the bridge semester with a b1/b2 visa (tourist visa)?

@Muhan thank you :)

@Sarah Santos no problem!

Are bridge courses offered in summer, fall, and spring?

@63WallStreet you can see our recommended course sequences on the slides (they're similar regardless of your incoming background)

@Muhan Liang -- Are grades determined by labs, exams, a mix of both? Is grading all automated? Can bridge students apply to work on faculty research?

@63WallStreet - All bridge students follow the same sequence unless you have a course or two that’s waived :)

@J.W. and @Joon decisions will probably be available early to mid April

@Manmo I don’t think you can complete the bridge part under the tourist visa. However if you’re sponsored by another school, you can do the bridge program in the meantime!

@Lawrence Lai -- So no one adds bridge courses (like Calculus 3) they feel they might need?

The Non-degree program at Columbia's School of Professional Studies does offer F-1 sponsorship. Does the bridge program operate differently?

@Peter bridge courses are typically offered during the day; some may occasionally be offered in the evenings but there are no guarantees

@Vikram if you do the bridge full-time you can complete it in two semesters

@Vikram - it really depends on how many courses you are taking for each semester. For me, I took 1 in Summer A, 2 in Summer B and wrapping the rest of the bridge up this semester. I’m planning on starting my MS in the spring.

@Benjamin Feuer It’s a mix of both! Not all grading are automated and research resources are shared with bridge students

Thank you @Tony Dear and @Lawrence Lai :)

@Muhan, thank you!

Thank you @Tony Dear, do we get a copy of those slides?

@Benjamin Feuer I’m actually taking Calc III at the moment because I want to do machine learning

Thank you @ Professor Dear.

@Eugene, yes this program is different from the SPS one

@Muhan Liang, yes, that was my plan also. Glad to hear it!

@63WallStreet, Rivo may share the slides, but at the very least you can access this recording after today

summer

Oops - typo

Is all programming in C++ and Java?

@Muhan Liang @Lawrence Lai -- have you been able to meet with other students and socialize at all?

@Benjamin Feuer - it’s recommended to take calc 3 if you are thinking of going into ML. :) Professor Dear + Rivo are very helpful in guiding me thru what courses I should be taking in the bridge in preparation for my intended MS track

Do any students tend to do internships during the MS program itself?

@Benjamin Feuer We have a Slack channel and a couple Messenger chats to connect/for review sessions

@Htat - yes we have a number of students that are interviewing for internships for this upcoming summer! Not necessary but we will work with you to identify those opportunities if you are interested.

@Benjamin Feuer - not as much as we wanted to in person unfortunately - mostly virtually now

What were acceptance rates for previous years?

@Ivy Elkins awesome, thank you!

@Eugene, there's only one year so far ...

@Benjamin Feuer it hasn’t been terrifically easy to socialize just because of Covid, but we all definitely know each other/have connected and love having a smaller group to make study groups from and such. And I definitely think that when we all get to be back on campus we’ll definitely reach out and meet in person!

Alright thank you so much for hosting this event. I appreciate your time and effort

Are we eligible for Columbia housing during the duration of the Bridge and Masters?

Thank you @Meghan, @Muhan, @Lawrence! I hope you all get to have vaccines and a party! :P

Thank you all!

Thank you Columbia University CS team and MS Bridge students for this info session. This really helped me.

Thank you all so much. This was a very helpful session!

@ Students how did you fund the Bridge program and housing?

Thanks again!

Thank you so much everyone!

Thank you all!

Thanks!

Thank you!

Thank you!

Thanks so much for the bridge team. This was very helpful for me.

Thank you!