University in the Mountains

Admitted: Arizona State University (ASU) University of Utah University of Delaware Oregon State University Drexel University George Mason University University of Dayton Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago Pace University Rejected: University of Arizona SUNY Albany University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) I was surely disappointed by the rejections I got from the universities. Each one of the universities that I got rejected from likely had a huge number of candidates that were highly competitive. These universities may have limited number of seats for international students or what I think is that while my academic background is strong, it did not align well with the university's criteria. On the brighter side, I got admitted to highly ranked universities, which I'm happy about. I chose the University of Utah (UOFU) because of the location. Utah is comparatively safe. I feel safety should be the number one priority when planning your abroad journey. After that, the reputation and ranking comes into picture. UOFU is highly ranked in Computer Science department (41st in the US) which naturally makes it a strong choice. I have heard that there are not many Indians here as compared to other universities. When I contacted my seniors to know more about this university, I got to know that you get part-time jobs very easily here, and I did get an on-campus job here within the first week of classes. And ofcourse, Salt Lake City is very beautiful with mountains surrounding the campus and it looks very pretty during winters. This is a plus point. Salt Lake City is very calm, less pollution and a peaceful life unlike other cities which has high rise buildings, traffic and pollution. I feel I am very close to the nature. The admission process was fairly simple for the University of Utah. I submitted an online application through the university's admission portal, which included my personal details, extracurricular achievements, academic background, and work experience (if any). I mailed the university for a fee waiver but no luck with that. Submitted all the necessary documents to get the process started. Then I paid the non-refundable application fees to start the process. There was a slight delay for the university's decision due to excessive number of applications. It took about 3-4 months for them to mail me about the acceptance, but honestly speaking, it was all worth the wait. For Fall 2024, the University of Utah waived off the GRE scores. I got lucky there. But I'm sure that the university requires a GRE score of 310+ and IELTS band 7 and above. After that, a strong academic background is needed with a CGPA of 3.0 and above on a scale of 4. I would say a strong Statement of Purpose is very much necessary for the admission process. My overall admission process was very smooth, and the university was replying back to my mails quickly on time. Apart from delayed decision (acceptance/rejection), my process was smooth and very much rewarding I'd say. No challenges as such! I applied for Fall 2024 intake. Fall is the main period in which students apply to and start their semester. I completed my bachelor's degree in July and came here in the States in August so almost immediately after completing bachelors. I did not want to lose the momentum of studying so I applied for Fall 2024. Applying for fall 2024 gave me the opportunity to network with my seniors, and most important thing is that, most companies hire for summer 2025 internships during fall semester only making it advantageous to start the program during this period. It took about 3 to 4 months for the acceptance. I submitted my application by November end and got a reply back on March 26th to be precise. I still remember the date. I waited and lost all the hopes of getting an admit. But finally, it paid off well....Read More

Nice city, good ranking, decent department, comparatively cheaper city than California or New York and supportive administrative staff....Read More

I found the faculty and courses to be interesting and there's a high chance of getting funded here. It has good research opportunities; although I did not take advantage of them....Read More

It's a highly ranked university in the entire US, and the school of computing has some renowned professors as well as facilities to nurture the students according to the current industry needs. Also, the location is really picturesque with all the mountains & natural resources....Read More

Liked the professors working in my area of interest (algebraic geometry at the time) and talked to the PhD students who were studying there at the time, and got a good vibe from that....Read More

My college experience has been amazing because of the staff and campus resources....Read More

Public transit, Affordability, Reputability. My granddad and dad went here. I learned to love the campus as a 'second home' after I came to classes with my dad when he came back for his Master's degree....Read More

The location was ideal given that the campus is within Salt Lake City, but remains separate from the city, which allows for a 'college campus feel' of living rather than city living. It is also close to the number of our outdoor sites....Read More