What Students Say
Likes
- Competitive Programs: Programs at the University of Utah are highly competitive, especially in Computer Science and other STEM fields.
- Research Opportunities: The university is great for research opportunities in various fields like AI, Machine Learning and Data Visualization.
- Food Pantry and Basic Needs: The university provides free food and clothes for students, staff and faculty who can't afford it or for students who actually need it. There is no restriction on the number of times a student can visit and take advantage of free stuff.
Dislikes
- On campus housing: It is very expensive for an Indian student and is only available for Undergraduate students and not graduate students.
- Campus is huge and uphill sometimes: The campus is very huge and it is a pain sometimes to walk without a cycle. There are some paths that are uphill so can be tiring to go anywhere.
- Parking: Though there are parkings available, you have to buy a season pass to be able to park on campus. And there are less parking available for non season pass holders.
Course Curriculum
- Difficulty level depends on the subjects that you are taking. I have taken 3 subjects out of which one is research based, other is more towards practical side and the thirds subject is theoretical. But I would say Computer Science field is fairly tough as we have 3 core courses (Graduate algorithms, Computer architecture, operating systems).
- Positive aspects: It is highly competitive, which would shape a student in such a way that he is ready for real world. The faculties are friendly and are approachable. There are advanced research labs which facilitates advanced learning.
- Negative aspects: The workload can be intense, and assignments can be many (again, depends on the subjects you take). Subjects are season dependent so we can take Fall subjects only during fall semester and spring subjects only in spring semester.
- Depends on the subjects you take. I have HCI class on Monday and wednesday from 3-4:10 pm and Visualization for data science class on Tuesday and thursday from 2-3:10pm. Third subject's class is only on tuesday from 4:10 to 7 pm
-
There is ISSS for international students which helps the students to find on campus jobs or there is a U CAREER SUCCESS office which helps students to improve their resume and how to build a network with one-on-one session. There are job fairs which can be helpful for networking as well.
-
Depends on the subjects you take, but average number of students is between 25-50 students.
I don't have an exact figure but there are less Indian students in my course as compared to other universities.
Approximately 1:10 or 1:20 for many subjects and can vary. -
While US teaching is very different from India, teaching methodology at the University of Utah combines lectures, lab work, assignments, and group projects. Professor makes us work on real world projects which enhances our skills. The course content is surely relevant for securing a job but I wouldn't say it completely depends on the content of the course but it depends more on individual skills.
Admission Experience
-
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.
Faculty
- I admire Prof. Paul Rosen because he is very friendly and approachable.
- He is my Visualizaton prof. for data science professor and he is very skilled in what he does. Being a very calm and chill professor is what makes him stand out from others.
Campus Life
- The main flagship campus is 1500 acres which includes J. Willard Marriott Library, Rice-Eccles Stadium, Student Health Center, Student Life Center, Career Services Center, Counseling Center, and Academic Advising buildings and college dorms.
- Facilities such as J. Willard Marriott Library is the primary library on campus and is one of the largest academic libraries in the western U.S, Rice-Eccles Stadium is a football stadium is a home to Utah Utes football team, Student health center is a medical facility for students, Student Life center includes gym, olympic size swimming pool, tennis court, badminton court, basketball court;.
- RedFest: It is the biggest concert hosted by student body featuring various band artists.
- Crimson Night: Another fun big event that hosts a concert with free food, games for students (during start of fall semester, halloween and winter).
- Homecoming Week: This includes celebrating the sports team with parades, events, and celebration. Also one of the biggest events on campus
- Extracurricular activities include joining a student club (ASUU, UPC), join varsity sports, Intramural sports in which students can join teams in a variety of sports such as soccer, basketball, volleyball, and softball, or join swimming lessons for a minimal cost. Cultural events such as Crimson nights, International nights happen on campus.
Part Time Jobs
-
Off the students I know, they are either doing an on-campus job or secured TA/RA. Pay range depends as TA/RA position has the benefit of fee waiver.
-
On-campus jobs are available such as in the campus store, at the gym, swimming pool, at the union building (main building where events happen), RA/TA positions, at the stadium and dining. Average hourly wage is around $13 to $16. 20 hours per week
-
Fairly easy at my university. I heard everyone got a part time job in their first semester itself.
-
Students earn about $15 per hour. Fairly easy as we just have to submit online applications. But specialized positions such as TA/RA can be tricky as they need good score and experience,There is a job portal for students and they can apply from there. Once the student has selected their desired job, they fill the application and submit it and wait for the reply. After being selected, they are interviewed.
Placement
- 85-95% secures employment within 6 months.
- Average salary ranges from $80k and can go upto $150k
- Through networking on LinkedIn, attending events, job fairs, etc
- I don't have any connects yet with the ones who are placed after graduating.
- Major companies such as JP Morgan, Amazon, Goldman Sachs, Lending Club, Bank of America, Deutsch bank and many more.
Accommodation
- I surfed the internet, visiting websites of property dealers, apartment rental companies. (eg: Apartments.com).
- Monthly rent for 2Bed 1bathroom for me is $475 base rent. utilities add upto $50 which makes $520 including utilities. Facilities such as a dishwasher, radiant heater, oven, fridge, electric stove was provided. We have a common laundry room (paid).
- One of the challenge was the price, some were high which are close to the university and others were lower, which are very far from the university. Another challenge was finding the right roommates. Thankfully, I paired up with the right roommates who have similar interests as me.
- My suggestion is to start finding apartments and roommates as soon as possible to avoid delays and any challenges. Start early. Use whatsapp groups, discord to pair up with other peers and find roommates. Ask property manager to give a virtual tour of the surroundings and the apartment to ensure that everything is fine before flying. Connect to seniors and ask about their experience and take their advice.
- My accommodation is like 5 minutes by train ( depends on where you want to go because every station is connected to the campus) and 10 minutes by bus. Most indian students stay in Salt lake downtown.
Exams
- IELTS, GRE, TOEFL. PTE (Pearson Test of English) may be required for TA position if IELTS speaking score is less than 7.
- SOP, LOR, Resume, IELTS score, GRE score(check for GRE waiver), Academic transcripts upto semester 6 if applying during your bachelor's degree).
- There was no interview that was taken during application process for MS CS program. Interview might be conducted( not sure) if the admission committee needs more clarity on candidate's background or academic related queries.
Fees
-
Tuition fees is approximately $25000 to $30000 per year for international students.
Mandatory Fees:
Student Activity Fee: approx $1,000/year.
Health Insurance (mandatory for international students): approx $1500/year.
Miscellaneous Fees (library, technology, campus services): approx $600/year. -
On-campus housing: Approx $10,000 to $15,000 per year.
My Off-campus Rent: $520 including utilities and approx $700-$750 including groceries.
Transportation is free: Bus and Trax(Road train).Tuition is charged per credit hour. This means paying for 9 credit hours per semester.
-
My rent: $520$ including utilities, groceries: $150-300, miscellaneous (entertainment, shopping- these are not fixed cost): approx $50-100$.
Total monthly expense: $900 to $1000.
Scholarship
- No I did not receive any scholarship at the time of admission to the University of Utah. However, scholarships can be achieved during the semester if a student performs well in his academics.
- Some of my batchmates have received financial aid which includes research assistantships (RAs) and teaching assistantships (TAs).
