The Journey to UNT

The overall experience at the University of North Texas (UNT) is a vibrant mix of knowledgeable faculty, well-stocked libraries, and state-of-the-art facilities like the game development lab and Olympic-grade gym, with some challenges such as parking and limited course availability.

Course is updated and professors are really knowledgeable here, and it is one thing about UNT, you need to be clear with basics because the professors wont spend much time in the semesters to clear basics of the students in order for them to cover the advanced and newer topics in the subject. The university like any other offers CPT and OPT which gives a great Industrial experience. UNT is really strict about the CPT and OPT rules and do not have any workarounds. You need to be eligible for the CPT and OPT.

My Scores: GRE 155 Verbal 169 Quants 4.5 Writing; IELTS 7.5 Duolingo 140 (was acceptable during covid, No idea on present situation) IMP Note: I advice everyone to take the GRE test without fail even if there is a waiver for GRE because Universities need to have a basic requirement and testing to admit students in US Public Universities. If you are using a GRE waiver, you will have to write a TSI test here which is no better than GRE and it is even worse because if you fail the test you will not get enrollment into subjects leading to a loss in your visa status and you might have to go back to India. I have seen many students who used GRE waiver and were asked to write a TSI test which they didn't manage to clear even in 2 attempts. I was lucky enough to have taken the GRE because of other universities that I applied into otherwise I would have been in the same situation of writing the TSI exam here. TSI Exam is manageable but it is just an extra hassle you will have to deal with when you come to US and a lot will already be going on around you that you need to take care of. "Key points for SOP: - Just tell what you have been doing so far and how did you past experiences and future goals make you plan for this degree and this university. - You can show your ambition in your future (do not mention that I want to settle and get start a family) - Show your achievements in the initial introductions (for eg: any hackathons or competitions that you took part into that in the field of your interest and study) - Mention about the extra curricular activities that you love and how the facilities provided in the University will help you keep your hobbies and interests while working on your masters degree and career. In US the recruiters focus a lot on how a person takes care of his mental health and interest while being productive at the same time. - Also show that you bring diversity by telling something about your culture and your ethics. Key Points for LOR: - Ask your recommenders how they have enjoyed your company working on certain projects and jobs together, can be your manager, your team mates or your Team leads. - If the recommender is your professor, ask them to mention what they like about you as a student for their subject and how they see you progress in the future if you study this subject. - It should be like your recommender is introducing you to the University, in person and not just an essay. There is a telephonic interview if you are selected for a scholarship. The interview is short, as they have already made up the mind to give the scholarships. It will just be a basic interaction with the other student representative to get to know each other.

There is a lot of scope after a Computer science degree, and the salaries can range depending on Analyst roles from $70k to developer roles ranging upto $150K.

I am not yet eligible for the internships, as I have just completed my first semester.

For long semester (Spring, Fall), with a full time enrollment (9 credit hours) including the health insurance, excluding the scholarship, I pay 9 lakh 65 thousand. for short semester (summer) I pay (for 3 credit hours) 2 lakh 45 thousand. My approx total tuition will be Rs. 33,95,000 /- (for total of 33 credit hours)

I got a Library Student Assistant position which comes with a 40% tuition waiver and a monthly stipend of $1200. Just had to apply for the post, submit my resume and a face to face interview.

There are a lot of professors, but the good professors are generally in demand and it is really difficult to get a seat in their classes as it generally gets filled in a very short time. It is like a flash sale. 2m minutes and the class is full. The other faculty are also very good but it is like choosing diamond from gold. Faculty are enthusiastic as I mentioned before. They really love teaching and helping students.

Campus life: Perfect mix of a serious education and a party school Clubs: You have clubs for anything that is in your mind, from a debaters to the cricketers everything, to hackers you will have a lot of fun. Wifi: The WIFI connectivity is available all over the campus. You will never have a slow or a choppy connection anywhere in the campus. You are also provided with a Mobile phone connection from the college which is very cheap and still workable. Not very good but for 15$ per month you get a 5 GB cellular data with unlimited calls local and international. I have been using this for 4 months now and has not bothered me at all. You can get better cell phone connections for 35 40$ per month, but in my case I am very satisfied. Sport Facility: UNT is very famous for its football, basket ball and baseball teams. The gym has olympic grade equipment and a very large indoor running track, swimming pool and playing area. There are many common areas in every campus where you will have pool and pingpong tables. The University also has a gaming area where you will find all the available consoles and latest games, and gaming PCs which can be used by anyone free of cost. Students come and play games for as long as they want.

I am living in a fairly expensive accommodation which costs around $400+ per month and $ 50 for utilities with facilities like gym, swimming pool, washer dryer, including 2 Bed 2 Bath, living in an unshared room. But Students can manage their accommodation expenses under 180$ with multiple sharing room mates. Groceries and other expenses which is generally same for all is around 150$. So a monthly expense of 600$ a month can get you a very comfortable stay in Denton Texas.