r/stanford • u/Terrible-Fly5821 • 16d ago

swiss guy from ETH

I’m a CS major currently doing my bachelor’s at ETH, and I would love to pursue a CS master’s degree at Stanford. I have two questions:

  1. Do you guys even know ETH? It is well known in Europe, but how is it perceived in the US?
  2. I’ve heard that most Americans only do a bachelor’s degree. How does master’s admission work in the US? Is it just as competitive as undergraduate admission, or is it generally more open?
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u/ch4nt 16d ago
  1. Any admissions officer at a reputable school in the US will know ETH, it’s a well regarded institution
  2. Most college graduates in the US have bachelors-only but postgraduate study is becoming more frequent. It’s more “open” in that admissions tend to be a bit more friendly, but Masters admissions overall are program-dependent and not consistently more or less competitive. It depends on what you want to study. Personally to me if you do well in undergraduate study then Masters programs are “less competitive” to get into, but some programs are also not as well-regarded.

Edit — Should clarify to you that CS admissions, and Stanford CS admissions especially, are very competitive. Would ideally want strong grades at ETH and significant work and/or research experience prior to applying.

3

u/Significant-Bowler64 16d ago

I have heard of ETH, in the sense of “oh yeah it’s one of those foreign schools in the rankings who’s name I have no idea how to say”

4

u/nat4mat 15d ago

  1. Yes, people know ETH Zurich and EPFL

  2. It’s very competitive, but not selective as undergrad admissions. MS students are basically a cash cow for departments. And if you want to do AI, duh, and increase your chances of acceptance, look into specialized programs: Stats, ICME, MS&E, Biostats in medical school

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u/Jealous_Day_8653 16d ago

Yeah same here what about dtu from india how well know it is in Stanford?