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MSDS Admissions Insights: 2020-2021 Essays

Happy first day of fall! The MSDS program recently launched our 2020-2021 application, and we revised our essay prompts for this year. Because we recognize that writing essays is one of the most challenging aspects of applying to graduate school, we want to provide you with some direct insights into what we are looking for when we read your essays.

Essay 1: Why UW MSDS?

We are interested in learning why you would like to join our data science program. A strong essay will go beyond generic responses, applicable to any data science master’s program, and will instead provide a clear and personalized motivation for wanting to attend our program. Before you start writing your essay, we encourage you to brainstorm the specific qualities that attract you to our data science program, and to identify how well the MSDS program aligns with your aspirations. This essay is your chance to show us that you are good fit for the MSDS program, and vice versa.

Essay 2: Data Visualization

Note that this essay prompt has multiple questions. Be sure to answer them all! The 500-word count is brief, so you will have to use good judgment about what aspects of the given data science visualization you choose to discuss. Our favorite thing about this prompt is that there is no one right approach to writing this essay. We are expecting responses that are as diverse and compelling as our applicants. However, an excellent essay will provide strong, detailed analyses of a data visualization rather than general reflections or a summary. We hope to see evidence of strong communication and critical thinking skills, and we encourage you to put those skills on display in your response to this essay prompt.

Essay 3: Overcoming a Barrier

We are asking you to tell one specific, discrete story about a time you overcame a barrier in your academic or professional life. The 350-word limit is short, so you will have to decide what level of context to provide. We recommend offering us just enough situational detail to set the scene while leaving yourself space to reflect on how you overcame the obstacle and what you learned about yourself in the process. Writing about a time you overcome an obstacle gives you the opportunity to implicitly convey some of the character traits and strengths that define you as a person.

One final piece of advice: the essays are an opportunity to share with the admissions committee who you are behind your transcripts and your resume, so take your time. Think carefully about the content and the quality of your essays. Please respond thoroughly but concisely to the prompts. Applicants are required to adhere to the word count.

Good luck! We look forward to reading your essays in January.

Advice for Reapplicants

Admission to the MSDS program is very competitive. The fact of the matter is that we simply cannot admit all of the qualified applicants we receive in a given year. Many applicants who are not successful wonder if they can reapply to the MSDS program during the next application cycle. The short answer is yes! If you were denied or waitlisted last year, we welcome you to apply again this year. Having applied in a previous year is not a negative factor in your application. We appreciate sustained interested in our program. We also admire your persistence and resilience in reapplying. In fact, each year, we offer admissions to some reapplicants who present compelling applications.

Though not required, we strongly recommend that you submit an optional essay outlining how you have improved your candidacy since your last application, as the admissions committee will be looking for changes in your qualifications. You can use this opportunity to highlight any additional coursework, professional experience, technical projects, or areas of personal growth that you have undertaken since you last applied to the MSDS program.

Additionally, we encourage you to approach your application with a fresh outlook and consider how you might better represent your strengths and accomplishments to the admissions committee this time around. You may want to revise your resume or reconsider your choice of recommenders. If possible, request a letter of recommendation from someone who can speak to your growth over the period since you last applied to the MSDS program.

Beyond your resume and recommendations, the essay prompts offer you the opportunity to distinguish yourself from the rest of the applicant pool. After reading more than a thousand applications this past year, we can tell you that thoughtful, well-written essays often make the difference between being admitted and being waitlisted. While essays can be one of the most challenging aspects of applying to graduate school, they can also be one of the best ways to make a compelling case for your admission.

In sum, reapplicants should make sure they enhance their application, rather than just submitting the same application. We cannot guarantee that reapplicants will be admitted to the program. However, in the past, several of our best students were admitted to the MSDS program after applying more than once. We look forward to reading a new application from you, and we are excited to see how you have grown since you last applied to our program. We invite you to review our 2020-2021 application requirements. As always, if you have questions about the MSDS program or the application requirements, please feel welcome reach out to uwmsds@uw.edu.

MSDS Career Services: Q&A with Tori Gottlieb

Tori Gottlieb leads career services for MSDS students and alumni. She recently sat down for a Q&A about her experience running career services for the MSDS program.

Hi Tori! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I’m originally from San Francisco and have been working in higher education since 2006. I started my career as an academic advisor, working with students in the social sciences, humanities, and arts at UC Merced. I’ve also advised students in Materials Science & Engineering at Stanford, and before coming to MSDS, I advised the Informatics program at UW.

I live in Lake City with two VERY opinionated little girls, two very grumpy cats, and one very enthusiastic Pit Bull mix. In my spare time, I love reading, writing, watching baseball, and singing along (poorly) to Beyonce and Taylor Swift.

How do you promote career readiness for MSDS students?

So much of finding internships and jobs, especially in the tech industry, is networking. Students need to have opportunities to meet employers, and also need to be prepared when those opportunities arise. This is where having a polished resume, a solid elevator pitch, and a professional outfit come in handy! My goal is to hold events or promote other resources around campus so students are as prepared as possible going into meetings and interviews with employers.

What are some current career events and initiatives the MSDS program offers that prospective students should know about?

This year, we had resume reviews, a technical interview workshop, information sessions with companies like Amazon and Zillow, and networking events like Dinner & Data Science, where students can connect with industry professionals and alumni. I’m looking forward to holding more events in spring, and ramping up during the big hiring season in autumn quarter so that we have a full slate of events to help our incoming class with their job hunt.

What is special about the career services that the MSDS program offers it students and alumni?

The opportunity to network across cohorts is a huge benefit for our program. Our alumni are engaged and want to give back to the program and the students in it, which is rare, especially at the graduate level. Additionally, we have strong industry connections from organizations like Microsoft, Facebook, and Seattle Children’s Hospital who are highly invested in the success of the MSDS program. The fact that students can come into a program and immediately network with industry professionals who want to see them succeed helps them to feel connected to the industry and supported from day one.

The MSDS program is lucky to call Seattle home. What advantages does Seattle provide students and alumni?

Seattle is a hub of technology, much of which relies on data science, and thus our students and alumni. Data scientists are in high demand here, whether they opt for private industry or the public sector. There’s never a shortage of opportunities here, which allows professionals to advance their careers without having to uproot their lives. Additionally, Seattle is a city with great, young energy. There’s a lot of cultural activities and events, fabulous food, and beautiful natural scenery. It’s a wonderful place to live and work.

What advice would you offer incoming students?

You’ll have to hit the ground running when you get here in September, so show up to events, and use your resources! There are career events and resources specifically for MSDS, but there are also a ton of events going on around campus through the UW Career Center, Career Center @ Engineering, and the eScience Institute that can help you level up your career. Try to do as much as you can – there’s no telling where your next opportunity will come from.

Top Five MSDS Admissions Questions Answered by the Admissions Team

As the admissions team for the UW MSDS program, we speak to hundreds of prospective students throughout the year. Unsurprisingly, a large number of these conversations turn into a Q&A about the application process. Although our FAQ page answers the majority of these questions, prospective students are frequently looking for inside information on the admissions process.

Below are the top five questions we get related to admissions:

1. How much is my undergraduate GPA weighted in my application?

Your undergraduate GPA is just one of many factors that we review in our holistic admissions process. Holistic truly is the best word we can use to describe how your application will be reviewed after you click the submit button. It means that a brief glance at your undergraduate GPA will not lead to an admissions decision. It means that we read every page of your application – the essays you wrote, your resume, those letters of recommendation from your favorite professors – so that we can understand your background and future goals.

2. I don’t come from a STEM background. Will I be at a disadvantage?

Data scientists are employed across industries, so we think it is important to admit students with diverse academic and professional backgrounds. STEM fields are the most common undergraduate majors represented in our program. However, if you look at our Class Profile, you will notice that our students have degrees in a wide range of fields, including economics, international relations, psychology, business, and philosophy. The important thing to focus on in your application is why you feel an MSDS degree is right for you based on your experiences and future goals.

3. What is the most important part of the application?

As we mentioned previously, there are many factors that we take into consideration in our holistic admissions process, and the admissions committee does not favor one part of the application over another. We rely on every part of the application to give us a complete sketch of the applicant. To stand out, we recommend that you do your best to make sure every component of your application is polished and well-thought-out. The most compelling applications are consistently strong throughout.

4. Does it matter where I attended college?

Excellent students come from many different types of higher education institutions. Our students have undergraduate degrees from public flagship universities, private liberal arts colleges, regional universities, ivy league institutions, military academies, and institutes of technology. Our international students have undergraduate degrees from dozens of universities throughout the world. What you achieved during and after college is more important than the institution you attended.

5. Do I really have to complete all of the prerequisite requirements before applying to the program?

To be eligible for admission, applicants must complete all of the prerequisite requirements by the application deadline. We do not consider applications with missing or incomplete prerequisites. No exceptions. If you are missing some of the prerequisite requirements, you must complete them for a grade at any accredited two- or four-year college or university (or the international equivalent) before applying to the program. In the past, some of our strongest applicants took an additional year to complete their prerequisites before applying to the MSDS program.

It’s Almost Time to Apply!

Believe it or not – 2020 is almost here! This means that the January 6th deadline to apply to the M.S. in Data Science program is just around the corner. Many of you will spend the next month working on your applications. Because we know that writing admissions essays is not the most exciting way to begin the New Year, we have some tips to help make that task a little easier.

Make a list. Start by creating a list of everything you need to do between now and January 6th. Do you need to finish updating your resume? Have you uploaded your transcripts to your application? Write down everything you need to do and then prioritize your tasks.

Create a schedule. After you’ve written down a list of everything you need to do and prioritized the most important tasks, you should try creating a schedule to ensure that you’re able to complete everything by the application deadline. If possible, try to schedule some time to work on your application during a part of the day or week when you’re not exhausted from the rest of your schedule. You want to be able to work on your application with a fresh mind.

Crank out an essay. You’ve set aside time to work on your application, but when you sit down at your computer, you can’t seem to find the right words to write your admissions essays. Does this sound familiar? You’re not alone. Applicants often tell us that writing essays is the most difficult part of the application process. There’s a lot of pressure to put the best of yourself on display in your application, and the desire to write something “perfect” can hold you back from actually writing. The first step you can take to get the writing process started is to write down whatever comes to mind. You can then edit and tweak your writing until your essays better represent what you want to say to the admissions committee.

Take some time for yourself. If you start to feel overwhelmed, you should give yourself permission to put your application aside for the day and do something that brings you joy, such as watching a movie or spending time with your friends. Carving out time for yourself will help you recharge and come back to your application with renewed focus.

Ask for help. Don’t be afraid to reach out to your colleagues, classmates, professors or your university’s writing center to ask for help with your application. Whether it’s help reviewing your resume or editing an admissions essay, don’t hesitate to ask for help if you need it.

If you have questions about the application process, be sure to contact us at uwmsds@uw.edu. We hope you all have a Happy New Year, and we look forward to reading your applications in January!

The MSDS Program: 2018-2019 Year in Review

The end of the 2018-2019 academic year marks a threshold and invites a pause for reflection. It’s a great time to take stock of the year behind and look ahead.

It was an exciting year for the MSDS program! We received the largest number of applicants in our history, enrolled the biggest cohort to date, increased the percentage of women in the program, and placed alumni at leading companies. We are proud of our accomplishments, so we want to highlight everything the program achieved this year.

Admissions

First, the MSDS program received a record number of applicants. Nearly 900 students applied to join the MSDS program, reflecting an 18% increase in applicants from last year. With an acceptance rate of less than 12%, this year’s admissions cycle was the most selective ever. The MSDS program also enjoyed an unexpectedly high yield rate, with 58% of admission offers being accepted.

The incoming MSDS cohort is comprised of 62 bright students from across the country and around the world. The countries represented include Argentina, Chile, China, Ethiopia, India, Pakistan, Taiwan, and South Korea.

The incoming cohort also includes an increase in the number of women enrolled in the program. Fifty-eight percent of new students are women. The increase is a nod to the value the MSDS program places on diversity and inclusion.

Class of 2019

Dr. Adrian Dobra, the MSDS Program Chair, addresses the Class of 2019.

This year the MSDS program graduated its second class of alumni. The intimate ceremony was held on campus in the Intellectual House. Degrees were awarded to 41 MSDS students. Our graduates had much to celebrate. This year’s alumni have accepted job offers at leading companies, including Amazon, Boeing, eBay, Google, Facebook, Merck, Micron, Microsoft, Nordstrom, T-Mobile, Zillow, and more!

Based on a survey of this year’s alumni, the base salary range for MSDS graduates is $91,000 – $186,000, and the median base salary is $117,000. The most common job title for graduates of the full-time program is Data Scientist, while the most common job title for graduates of the part-time program is Senior Data Scientist.

Congratulations to the Class of 2019!

Summer Internships

Current MSDS students have much to celebrate, too! They secured summer internships at a record number of companies and not-for-profits throughout the Seattle area and beyond, including Allstate, Apple, Capitol One, Clobotics, Facebook, Fred Hutchinson, Google, Microsoft, Nike, Walmart, and more!

Faculty and staff look forward to hearing about students’ internship experiences when they return to campus in the fall.

Industry Advisory Board

Last, but not least, the MSDS program is excited about our new Industry Advisory Board. The board is comprised of esteemed data science experts from Amazon, Boeing, Google, HCL Technologies, Microsoft, and Seattle Children’s Hospital. They will help support program innovation and ensure that the MSDS degree remains cutting-edge and industry-relevant year after year.

Looking Ahead

As the program enters its fourth year, we look forward to achieving more milestones, and reaffirming our national reputation as a leading data science program. For a program that just finished its third year, we have built a flourishing student body and an impressive alumni community. We are committed to providing our students and alumni with the support they need to have rewarding and impactful careers in data science.

Application Advice Part 5: Transcripts

One of the questions we hear most often from applicants has to do with what the admissions committee wants to see on your transcripts. Which aspects are the most important? How are they evaluated? Your transcripts are a rich source of information. This is one of the reasons why they are so important in the admissions process.

We look for evidence of academic excellence and intellectual curiosity in several places on your transcripts:

  • Overall GPA
  • Major GPA
  • Upper-division coursework
  • Patterns of improvement
  • Academic honors
  • Senior thesis
  • Independent studies

In short, we like to see that you took a well-rounded, challenging course load in college. If you did not start out strong, but showed improvement over time, we interpret that as a sign of growth and maturity. We also look favorably upon upper-division coursework, a senior thesis, independent studies, and academic honors because they suggest that you would thrive in graduate school.

Extenuating circumstances: If you believe your transcripts do not reflect your true capabilities, you may wish to explain any unusual circumstances that impacted your academic performance in the Additional Information section of your application. Common reasons include illness, bereavement, mental health issues, disability, and working to pay for college. If there was an unusual circumstance you wish to address in your application, please explain it briefly and honestly; do not lay blame or complain.

International students: For international students, we understand that undergraduate education varies across countries, and we carefully evaluate international transcripts using the guidelines provided by your undergraduate institution. Please remember to upload the transcript legend (on the back page in most cases), so that we can accurately assess your academic performance.

Uploading transcripts: You must upload unofficial transcripts to the online application from every college or university where you earned a degree or completed prerequisites. It is important that your transcripts are legible and the pages in order. Please note that we receive a high-volume of applications, so you should make sure that your transcripts are easy to read (e.g., no blurry scans, no cell phone pictures, etc.).

Application Advice Part 4: The Essays

Most graduate school applicants will agree – writing application essays is the most difficult and stressful part. While writing your essays may seem daunting, this is your chance to differentiate yourself from other applicants with comparable qualifications. It is likely that dozens of applicants, if not more, have academic records and professional backgrounds that are similar to yours, but strong essays may put you ahead of the competition.

Before you write:

  • Read the questions. Before you begin writing, take the time to carefully read the questions in each essay prompt. Make you sure you understand everything that is being asked of you.
  • Reflect on the purpose. Ask yourself: What purpose does this essay serve? For example, Essay 1: Why UW MSDS? should give the admissions committee insight into your short-term and long-term goals, why you want to attend our program specifically, and what kind of career you envision after graduation.
  • Create an outline. Drafting an outline will help you organize your thoughts and identify the building blocks of your essay. An outline will also help you better understand what you are trying to communicate to the admissions committee.

Writing your essays:

  • Write a compelling introduction. Do not start with “My name is…” or “I am applying because…”. Your name or the fact that you are applying are not the most interesting things about you! You should choose to begin your essay, for example, with an anecdote, a question, or an attention-grabbing statement, but make sure it is directly relevant to your essay.
  • Don’t repeat your resume. If you do talk about your work experience, do so briefly and only to make a larger point.
  • Show, don’t tell. Offer examples, stories, or descriptions when writing your essays. For example, rather than just stating that you want to work as a data scientist in the healthcare sector after graduation, describe what you find the most compelling about the industry or job role.

Revising your essays:

  • Edit, edit, edit! Give yourself enough time to write multiple drafts of your essays. One of the most common mistakes applicants make is to leave too little time for writing their essays.
  • Proofread. Proofread your essays carefully and try reading your essays out loud to help catch any awkward phrasing. Ask your classmates, instructors, or colleagues to proofread your essays. Make sure your work is free of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.
  • Stick to the word limit. It might be tempting to ignore the word limit, but we want to see that you can get your point across clearly and concisely.

Last, but not least, make sure you do not duplicate the content of your essays. Each essay has its own purpose. There is no reason to repeat the same ideas in your writings.

Application Advice Part 3: Resume

Your resume is your best chance to highlight your major academic and professional accomplishments in one place. To help you showcase your strengths, consider these tips on what to include in your resume and how to organize it:

  • Your resume should be focused. The admissions committee reviews hundreds of applications each year. The resumes that grab their attention are concise and convey an applicant’s academic and professional history immediately. This means that you should avoid being overly descriptive. Bullet points are more effective than long sentences.
  • Follow the one-page rule: Unless you have 10+ years of professional experience, your resume should not be more than one page. Ask yourself: What are the most important things I want the admissions committee to know about me? Put the most important content on one page. Everything else is extraneous. You should choose to include professional experience that is directly related to data science but consider leaving out activities or experiences that are not indicative of your potential to succeed as a data scientist.
  • Your resume should be well-organized.Your resume should include clearly defined sections with headings. The most important and relevant sections should be at the top, while the least important should be at the bottom. Some common resume sections include: education, employment, research, publications, extracurriculars, and technical skills. Please note that you do not need to have all these sections in your resume. For example, if you do not have any publications (and most of our applicants do not have publications), you do not need to have a publications section. We recommend arranging the entries in reverse chronological order.
  • Your resume should look professional. Use an easily readable font, stick to black and white, and avoid including pictures and images. We recommend submitting a .pdf resume so the format is not altered when we download your application.
  • Your resume should be free of errors. Your resume should be free of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. Ask faculty, classmates, or colleagues to review your resume.

Application Advice Part 2: Prerequisites

We get asked all the time – “Why are there so many prerequisite courses?” The short answer is that students need to have a strong quantitative and technical foundation to succeed in the M.S. in Data Science program. Our curriculum is rigorous, and the fast-paced classes assume you have a strong math background which includes calculus I-III and linear algebra. Our classes also involve substantial computer programming assignments which assume you have mastered the concepts covered in two introductory programming courses. The admissions committee also looks at the grades you earned in your prerequisite courses to evaluate your potential for graduate studies in data science. Strong grades are one indication that you have the preparation and motivation to excel in the program.

Another question we get asked all the time – “What if some of my prerequisite grades are not so good?” If this situation applies to you, do not despair! There are measures you may take to offset this obstacle:

  • Write an optional essay. If your prerequisite grades were affected by serious circumstances outside your control, such as an illness or a death in the family, you may wish to take advantage of the optional essay to explain the situation to the admissions committee.
  • Repeat a class. Another way to offset a poor grade in a prerequisite course is to take it again and earn a higher grade the second time around.
  • Take an extra class. What if you did poorly on your Intro to Computer Science II midterm and it dragged your final grade down to a C? You can take a more advanced course in computer science and demonstrate your drive to succeed. While a grade awarded in a more advanced course will not affect your previous grade, it will reveal your initiative and show that your prior performance is not indicative of your capabilities.
  • Show improvement over time. What if you earned a disappointing grade in calculus I and went on to earn higher grades in calculus II and III? An upward trend in your grades is an indication that you are capable of growth and improvement over time.

As a final note, prerequisites must be completed before the application deadline. The M.S. in Data Science program receives a high volume of applications, and we cannot offer one of the limited seats to someone who may not have the background necessary to thrive in the program.