What Students Say
Likes
- Diverse academic programs
- Accessible for career services in campus for writing resumes and reviewing for corrections
- Research opportunities
Dislikes
- Not everybody get student aid if the person having best grades may also get lesser student aid compared to campus toppers sometimes.
- As it is private university tuition fee is more compared to other public universities.
- As saint louis is more populated by most of minorities Americans lot of people take car parts which is theft, happens even inside the campus as well.
Scholarship Received
Graduate Scholarship
5,000
Course Curriculum
10
- As Indian Representation: In most STEM and business-related graduate programmes, Indian students make up a significant portion—around 25–40% of the class depending on the programme. Class Size for Graduate programmes: Typically 15–30 students per class.
- Course Curriculum & Learning Approach are Difficulty Level: Moderate to challenging, which is completely different from the Indian education System.
- Learning Style: A balanced mix of theoretical and practical learning.
- Theory related I can say : Strong foundational concepts in computer science are machine learning, web development, Artificial Intelligence, Computer networks, computer vision neural networks, etc.
- for Practical we have : Regular labs, real-world projects, case studies, and team assignments using tools like Python, R, SQL, Tableau, ML, etc.
- Capstone Projects or applied research, are often a part of the final in each subject in every semester.
- Positive Aspects of the Course
- Hands-on exposure with tools like Python, Tableau, Power BI, SQL, TensorFlow etc.
- Access to research opportunities, hackathons, and external data challenges. they have
- Internship assistance through the Career Services Centre for resume and CV writing assistance.
- Negative Aspects of the Course
- Some courses can be heavily theory-orientated, especially in the first semester. Availability of electives can sometimes be limited. Course registration is competitive; you need to plan your schedule early. Lab access or TA support may vary between departments. For some students, adjusting to self-paced learning and tight deadlines is challenging.
Admission Experience
- I applied for six colleges those are Saint louis university, university of Dayton, university of Alabama Birmingham, New Jersey institute of Technology (NJIT), Texas tech university Lubbock, and SUNY Albany
- I got shortlisted for every university which I applied and i got admission in every university. but i got four of the admissions for fall 2022 and two colleges for spring 2023(SUNY Albany and Texas tech university).
- As my merit in the bachelor's degree is 85% i got admission to almost every university and got scholarships, which are student Aid from every university.
- I choose Saint louis university because that is the private university and that is in urban saint louis which is a city campus. but also it has great research opportunities, a global outlook, and a commitment to academic excellence.
- The main reason it has research opportunities in data science and computer science and engineering made it an ideal choice for me. i worked on the campus for Global-Grad SLU.
- That also has a strong alumni network and internship support from faculties also influenced my decision and i approached campus alumni before i prefer this university through LinkedIn and made my decisions.
- Online Application process: I applied through the university’s application portal
- Submission of Required Documents: This included transcripts from undergrad , standardised test scores like GRE, IELTS, Duolingo, and TOEFL examinations, a resume/CV, a statement of purpose (SOP), and letters of recommendation from work or college.
- English Proficiency Test: As an international student, I submitted my IELTS scores and Duolingo for other colleges.
- Application Fee: There was a non-refundable application fee.
- Interview (if required): In some cases, especially for specific programmes or scholarships, a short interview might be scheduled. for me i have interview and i got $5000 scholarship.
- Next final step is Acceptance Notification: I received my acceptance letter via email along with instructions for visa and enrolment.
- Graduate Programs (like MS in Computer science, Data Science, Engineering, etc.):
- We should have Bachelor's Degree with a GPA of 3.0+
- GRE: Optional for many programmes (depends on department); as my programme is Computer science the scores required are GRE score 310, IELTS: 6.5+, Duolingo 120+, and TOEFL: 80+.
- My test scores are GRE 319, IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 145, and TOEFL (not applicable).
- Overall, my admission experience is smooth and positive. The communication through email from SLU was timely, and the admissions office was responsive to queries i asked. One highlight i can share is how supportive the international student services team is. they provided detailed guidance on the visa process, housing (i choose off-campus housing), and course registration.
- I didn't feel any challenges while processing with this campus; i felt a little bit of challenges with NJIT but i didn't get a scholarship from this university.
- I chose the Fall 2022 intake and i applied for this university almost 7 months ahead to secure a scholarship.
- It took around 4 to 6 weeks from the date of application submission to get the admission result.
- Step 1:
- Research & Preparation for exams (July – August)
- Started researching programmes, gathering documents, and shortlisting universities.
- Took English proficiency tests (e.g., IELTS or TOEFL) and prepared a Statement of Purpose (SOP), CV, and Letters of Recommendation (LORs).
- Step 2:
- Application Submission (September – October)
- Created an account on the SLU application portal.
- Submitted all required documents: transcripts, test scores, SOP, LORs, resume, and paid the application fee. Some programmes also required short essays or departmental forms.
- Step 3:
- Application Review (October – November)
- SLU acknowledged receipt of my application within a few days.
- Status updates and communication were provided via email and the portal.
- The admissions team reviewed my academic qualifications, test scores, and overall profile.
- Step 4:
- Interview (If Applicable) (Late November)
- Some programmes (especially graduate or competitive ones) required a short virtual interview.
- Not all applicants go through this step, but i preferred to go to secure more student AID.
- Step 5:
- Decision & Acceptance Letter (Early – Mid December)
- I received the official admission offer via email and portal notification.
- It took around 4 to 6 weeks from the date of application submission to get the admission result.
- Step 6:
- Visa & Pre-Arrival Preparation (January – March)
- After acceptance, SLU sent my I-20 form for the student visa (F-1).
- I scheduled my visa appointment in June, arranged finances like I took an educational loan, and completed course registration.
Class Schedule
10
- Class Schedule & Timing:
- Classes per Day: Graduate students usually attend 1–2 classes per day, depending on 2–5 days of classes. and coming to Class Duration Each class is typically 1 hour 15 minutes to 2 hours. Classes are usually held between 8 AM and 7 PM, with gaps in between. And i have 15-20 Indian students in my course for each subject.
Faculty
10
- Faculty student ratio is 1:15. I think fewer students means the professor can clarify and concentrate on each student's learning capabilities, i think.
- The teaching methodology is better; it always asks us to give examples and makes us interact with each other and share ideas between every student so the faculty can understand and read the mindset of the students, like their capabilities. that way of learning helps everybody to prepare for group interviews in the companies and makes us bold – not afraid – during presentations and helps to gain ideal knowledge, which helps with securing a better job.
- Yes, faculties help students in securing jobs and make students secure conferences and research opportunities. I did research on a drone virtual reality project with my professor, which helped me in learning something new.
- I like our Indian faculty Dr Ankit Agarwal and he had great knowledge of the software development life cycle and software engineering courses compared to Machine learning and Artificial intelligence.
Campus Life
10
- They have one science campus and one medical campus; both are different and 1 mile apart from each other.
- They have one main campus in Spain.
- They have library, REC which is GYM and swimming pool and indoor sports like pickleball, badminton, indoor cricket, etc.
- They have holy Indian festivals; they have clubs like photography, design and arts, etc.
- They have sports games like soccer, basketball, baseball, etc., where campus students can take part and represent the SLU team.
Part Time Jobs
- Not everybody secure TA, RA or DA we need support from professors and have good merit. Maybe 1 in 30 students secures the position.
- $15 per hour is the pay can work only 20 hours a week.
- We have on-campus jobs like working in the college cafe and student dining; they pay $12-15 per hour, max 20 hours a week.
- Depends on the openings; they have some students they do not secure on-campus jobs for at all.
- Indian students prefer to work in cafes; they make $13 per hour. few work as TA or RA. It is difficult to secure a part-time job if they do not have openings. They need a Social Security number, W-2 form and employment letter to secure jobs. mostly student get jobs at the Sodexo food company on the SLU campus.
Placement
8
- Students with a 4.00 GPA nowadays are not able to secure jobs after graduation due to the inflation in the IT field job market across the globe.
- After graduation they called it OPT – optical practical training – which is one year, which means students should get a job in 3-12 months. and then next they have STEM-OPT, where it is a two-year work permit that can work only in a related study major field according to the USCIS guidelines. cannot work illegally off-campus in a different field.
- People can use Indeed or LinkedIn, etc. to find jobs or internships.
- One of my friends got a job at a Deloitte client: a contract job in New Mexico as a .NET developer.
- Accenture, Wipro, TCS, Goldman Sachs, etc. – a lot of companies where graduates can get placed through this programme, MS in Computer Science.
Accommodation
Off Campus
10
- As i previously mentioned, I chose off-campus housing. i contacted mac properties in saint louis they have lots of properties around the SLU campus and that made it easy for me to get the nearest apartment to the campus and affordable.
- My monthly rent was $1500, shared by 4 people. In my apartment i have a hall, two bedrooms, two washrooms, a kitchen, a laundry room and a small storage room.
- As I only felt like walking for everything during the initial days to search for the apartment when I landed in the USA, if i need something to buy. because we do not know the transportation facilities on the first day itself, we need to learn by making new friends. later i bought a car for myself, which helped me to survive all through my master's programme.
- My apartment is 500 metres from SLU campus; we stayed 4 Indians together.
Exams
- GRE, IELTS, TOEFL, and Duolingo.
- Statement of Purpose (SOP) – Describes academic and career goals, motivation, and programme fit.
- Letters of Recommendation (LORs) – Typically 2 or 3, from professors or professionals.
- Resume/CV – Academic background, internships, projects, skills, certifications.
- Academic Transcripts – From high school (for undergrads) or bachelor's degree (for grads).
- Proof of English Proficiency – IELTS/TOEFL/PTE/DET scores.
- Test Scores (GRE/GMAT/SAT/ACT) – If required for your programme.
- Passport Copy – For international students.
- Financial Documents – To support the I-20 and visa process (bank statements, sponsor affidavit)
- The interview is conducted Usually conducted via Zoom or Skype and lasts about 15–30 minutes. this is Conducted by a faculty member or programme director from my department.
- Topics Covered for my interview are : Personal background, academic interests, Reason for choosing the program in SLU, Future goals, project or research experience. Clarification of resume and SOP (statement of purpose).
- Finally, for my case, it helped me in enthusiasm and cleared up questions about my academic background, positively impacting the final decision from them.
Fees
- My tuition fee which includes books and everything for my programme, Computer Science, is $45000. Each semester i paid $10000 for the program, which is cut down into 4 semesters, and I received $5000 scholarship student AID.
- The on-campus housing costs $1000 a month, but i preferred to stay off-campus, which costs me $600-700 every month, including rent, groceries, gas, water, trash, electricity, and WIFI.
Scholarship
- I received a scholarship for my course. every course has its own eligibility, which includes merit-based awards like the Vice President's Scholarship, University Scholarship, Ignatian Scholarship, and Billiken Scholarship.
- I received initially $5000, and later on during my Graduate assistantship I got cut off from some of my scholarship, which I used for my off-campus living.
- Yes, some of my friends received a $10000 scholarship, depending on what programme we preferred to study and the amount of funds remaining with the university to provide for students.
- On average, every 7 people in 10 receive scholarships, as this university has research facilities so they get lots of funds from different organisations, which they use for scholarships for students.
