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Application Instructions

The following are new instructions for Fall 2010 applications. Please review them carefully before you begin your application.

As mentioned in Application Materials, all applicants need to apply to two different offices: The Graduate School (GIAC) and the Department of Computer Sciences. Different items go to each office via different methods and it is vital to follow our instructions carefully. This is true for all applicants, even those from UT Austin.

The CS Department's Admissions Committee will only review the application materials uploaded to our web site, regardless of your official GIAC file's status. GIAC's online application status only refers to your application with GIAC. It is the applicant's responsibility to check their status online at each site to verify that both offices have received the required materials. Applicants should read the Application Materials section for details regarding the documents required.

IMPORTANT: You are strongly encourage to apply early and to submit your Apply Texas application no later than December 1 for Fall, August 17 for Spring to provide enough time to receive your assigned UT EID that is required to create the Computer Sciences application.

Email requests to recommenders go out within 24 hours after the CS application is submitted. Don't wait until the last minute to apply. Submit your CS application in ample time for your recommenders to receive the email and upload their letters by the deadline. Our system will shut down at 5 p.m., Central Standard Time, on the deadline date. Letters received after the deadline might not be included in the review. All documents, including letters of recommendation, are due by the deadline.

Missing the CS deadline can jeopardize the review of your application, even though The Graduate School continues to accept materials until much later.

Application Checklists

Graduate School (GIAC) Application:

1. Apply electronically on the GIAC web site, choosing the correct application type for you - Graduate Admissions, Graduate Readmission (former UT Austin students), or Application to Another Graduate Major (Change of Major - current or former UT Austin graduate students who were not CS majors). Current undergraduate students who are in the second stage of their 5-year integrated program and applying to the masters program should select that major on their Apply Texas application. If you currently are enrolled in our department's masters program, you only need to apply to our department, not with GIAC.

Computer Sciences is listed under Natural Sciences.

A few days after you submit your Apply Texas (GIAC) application, you will receive an email with your assigned UT EID. This is an identifier as UT Austin. If you are previous or current student of UT Austin, you should use the UT EID you had/have. For better assistance, please use your UT EID in all correspondence to the department and university.

Statement of Purpose - You do not need to provide a statement of purpose of the GIAC web site, only on ours. You may either leave it blank or simply write, "Submitted to CS Department."

2. GIAC Downloads and Admissions Forms:

• Cover forms are important to put on any materials you send to GIAC to help them match the documents to your application record. You only need to provide GIAC with the type of documentation they require.
• Request for Reference and Statement of Purpose forms - We do not require these forms.
• Note to International Applicants regarding the Certification of Financial Responsibility form: The International Office on the UT Austin campus sends out the I-20. In the past, their office has advised that applicants should fill out this form as much as possible and submit it when they apply, even if they are unable to show financial support at the time of their application.

   

If you are recommended for Masters admission, you can fax your documents showing proof of personal support to the International Office after you receive the decision. It speeds up the I-20 processing if their office already has your personal information format the other form when you later submit your proof of support.

If you are admitted to our Ph.D. program with financial support, the CS Graduate Office will provide the International Office with the aid information. You will not need to do that. Again, it will speed up the processing of your I-20 if they already have received the form with your personal information.

If you wish to wait for our decision before providing the form and financial documentation, it will not affect the review of your application.

• Supplemental Information for Graduate Program form - We do not require this form. Instead, the CS Department application is required.

3. Request official transcripts of senior colleges/universities you've attended to be sent to GIAC as described on their web site.

4. Request ETS to report official test scores to UT Austin (institution code: 6882). It is not necessary to use a department code when submitting your test scores to UT Austin.

Submit only the paper materials requested by GIAC to their web site. GIAC DOES NOT need hard copies of your statement of purpose, resume, professional and contest award certificates, etc. They will not be reviewed or returned.

All materials to Computer Sciences must be electronically uploaded to the CS Department Application, and only those will be reviewed. Please join in our efforts to help the environment and only submit the materials requested as described.

If you have questions regarding your application to GIAC, please contact their office.

GIAC online status check and where the decision should post when it's made: http://utdirect.utexas.edu/nr/appstat.html

It is the applicant's responsibility to check their status of their applications on both GIAC and the CS web sites. For better assistance, please use your UT EID in all correspondence to the department and university.

Department of Computer Sciences Application:

Once you receive your UT EID via email from GIAC, the materials you will need for your CS application are:

• Statement of Purpose
• Test Scores
• Transcripts
• GPA
• Optional materials: resume, up to three publications, subject test score

Your recommenders will upload their letters to your CS application directly.

All documents must be in Acrobat (.pdf) or ASCII text (.txt) format and <5Mb.

1. Statement of Purpose - If you just started or are about to start at another university, state what school you're attending, your reason(s) for pursuing graduate study at UTCS, and how your interests compliment your department's faculty and research.
2. Test scores - All tests must be taken prior to the deadline. Request ETS to send your scores to UT Austin (institution code: 6882), and we will know to expect receipt of your scores. Applicants whose TOEFL scores have expired may still apply. (See Tips on Data Entry for CS Department Application.)
3. Transcripts - If you are currently enrolled or about to enter a program at a university, do list it on your Apply Texas and CS applications even if you won't have earned any grades by the deadline. List only senior colleges attended. (See instructions for scanning documents below and Tips on Data Entry for CS Department Application.)
4. GPA - Provide your overall GPA in the grading scale of the university you attended. Examples: 3.97/4.0, 8.5/10, 92/100, etc.
5. Optional materials: Our online system allows you to submit a resume and up to three papers. If you have received an aid award to be used during your graduate study such as Fulbright, NSF, etc. please include a scan of the letter that has the award details with your resume.
6. Department Application Form < Click this link to go to the CS application

   If you wish to be considered for both the Ph.D. and Masters programs, please indicate that on this application form. Note: We do not consider applicants to our Masters Program who have already earned or will earn a Masters-level degree in Computer Sciences or closely-related subject prior to enrollment, regardless of where it was earned. (See Tips on Data Entry for CS Department Application.)

7. Letters of Recommendation - Within 24 hours after you submit your CS application, emails will go out to your three recommenders. We strongly urge applicants to submit their CS application early to allow the recommenders time to receive the message and upload their letters. All materials, including letters of recommendation, are due by the deadline. Letters received after the deadline might not be included in the review. Some email systems filter our email requests as spam. Be sure to alert your recommenders to look for our message. You will be able to resend the request to a recommender twice.

CS Department Application status check: https://services.cs.utexas.edu/recruit/grad/frontmatter/announcement.html

It is the applicant's responsibility to check the status of their applications on both GIAC and the CS webs sites. For better assistance, please use your UT EID in all correspondence to the department and university.

If you have any questions, please contact us at csadmis@cs.utexas.edu.

Scanning Documents

1. IMPORTANT: IT IS THE APPLICANT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO OBLITERATE COMPLETELY THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER IF IT IS ON THE TRANSCRIPT(S) BEFORE SCANNING AND UPLOADING.
2. Only scans of official transcripts are acceptable, not print-outs from the university web sites.
3. Include a scan of the grading information ("transcript key") if it is isn't on the front of the transcript. You only need to provide one scan of it.
4. If you earned a degree and the transcript does not clearly state the degree title earned, major, and date earned, include a scan of the degree certificate, provisional certificate, or diploma that shows proof of degree earned with the transcript when you upload it.
5. If your university provides both a transcript and mark sheets, you only need to upload the transcript.
6. Only the English version of the transcript is needed.
7. It is not necessary to scan backs of transcripts to show official stamps.
8. It may be necessary to shrink the image as <5Mb may be uploaded per institution field.
9. Check your scan for clarity and completeness before uploading.

Tips on Data Entry for CS Department Application

TIP #1: If you have taken the GRE, AGRE, or TOEFL test but have not received your scores yet, enter the test date and a zero in each of the score fields. This will alert us that the test was taken and scores are expected. For the TOEFL, if you qualify for a waiver, do NOT enter a test date, but do enter a zero in each of the score fields. After you submit your CS application, please contact our office so we can check your status and put a note on your application regarding the waiver.

TIP #2: Institution 1 (Undergraduate and/or Graduate) are the main fields for school entry with priority based on: (1) if you are current enrolled there or (2) if you earned a degree from there. Institution 2 (Undergraduate and/or Graduate) are secondary fields to include an institution where you took additional coursework or earned another degree. Only senior colleges attended should be listed. If you attended additional senior colleges, you may list their information in a resume.

TIP #3: Residency: The question is based on legal status, not current locale.

TIP #4: Highest Degree Earned: This is the highest degree earned or to be earned prior to enrollment here if admitted.