Life After Yale

Where Do Students Go?

Yale computer science majors are in high demand, both by employers and by graduate and professional schools. For example, last year's seniors went to the following places:

Microsoft		3		Public service		1
Google		2		Graduate/professional		3
Software companies		2		Unknown		3
Financial services		1

Letters of Recommendation

Prospective employers and graduate/professional schools often ask students to submit letters of recommendation from faculty. Instructors in

• project courses (where you work closely with your advisor),
• small courses (where you are more visible),
• advanced courses (where the demands are greater),
• courses taken by graduate students (with whom you can be compared),
• courses related to the area in which you propose to work or study, and
• courses in which you did well

are generally good choices. However, do not be reluctant to ask any instructor for a recommendation.

The best time to request letters is immediately after completing a course, when memories of you and your performance are freshest. Your college dean's office has standardized forms for letter writers to use and return. These letters are kept on file so that you can have copies sent when needed.

Job Search

Many companies interview at Yale for full-time and summer positions in the computing field. Check with Undergraduate Career Services for details, and watch the cs-majors mailing list for additional opportunities.

Graduate and Professional School

Many computer science majors go to graduate or professional (i.e., law, business, or medical) school, either immediately after graduation or after working for a few years. In either case it is prudent to have letters of recommendation on file and to have taken any entrance examinations (e.g., the GRE, LSAT, MCAT, or MCAT) before leaving Yale.

Ph.D. programs in computer science generally offer research or teaching assistantships that include tuition and a stipend. You can also apply for fellowships from the National Science Foundation and other organizations. In contrast M.S. programs and professional schools typically do not offer any financial support.

Students interested in graduate school are advised to discuss their plans with their class advisor, the director of undergraduate studies, and the director of graduate studies, preferably no later than the spring of their junior year.